74 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. disturbance; and though expelled the kingdom, heI. hovered on the frontiers, and watched an oppor-tunity for attacking his rival. The king had anintrigue with a young woman , who lived atMerton in Surrey; whither having secretly retired,he was on a sudden environed, in the night-time,by Kynehard and his followers, and after makinga vigorous resistance , was murdered , with allhis attendants. The nobility and people of theneighbourhood, rising next day in arms, tookrevenge on Kynehard for the slaughter of theirking, and put every one to the sword, who hadbeen engaged in that criminal enterprise. Thisevent happened in 784.

Brithric next obtained possession of the go-vernment, though remotely descended from theroyal family; but he enjoyed not that dignitywithout inquietude. F.oppa, nephew to kingIna, by his brother Ingild, who died before thatprince, had begot Eata, father to Alchmond,from whom sprung Egbert a young man ofthe most promising hopes, who gave greatjealousyto Brithric, the reigning prince, both because heseemed by his birth better entitled to the crown,and because he had acquired, to an eminentdegree , the affections of the people. Egbert,sensible of his danger from the suspicions of Brith-■ric, secretly withdrew into France where hewas well received by Charlemagne. By living

Cliron. Sax. p. 1 6 .

H. Hunting, lib. 4.

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