King Alfred in English PoetryK. Keyssner, 1898 - 93 pages |
Common terms and phrases
Albana Alfred's visit Alfred's wife Anglia Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Anglorum apparition appellations Asser Athelnay Austin Austin's poem battle battle of Ethandune Blackmore Blackmore's Boethius brave Brit Britannia's Briton cakes Cedric character chief Chron Corin Cuthbert Danes Danish camp Danish king Danulf death disguise dissertation ealdorman Edgiva edition Edward Eltruda England England's Darling English Ethelnoth Ethelred father Florence of Worcester Geschichte Githra Godwyn gracious Grundriss Guithun Guthrum heaven Henry of Huntingdon hermit hero hero's Higden Hilda Hist historic Ibid John Hardyng King Alfred king's land laws legend London Longtoft Lord Mallet masque mention Monachi Navarre Neot notice Ordolf passages Pauli peace Plegmund plot poet preface Prince Prof queen Redcliffe reference reign Rerum Rome royal Saxon says scene Selwood forest Serf sings soldier song story tells thane Thorpe's A.-S throne translation Turner victory Werefrith William of Malmesbury Witan Wolfrida Wülker youth þat
Popular passages
Page 12 - II [yElfred] fist escrivere un livre Engleis Des aventures e des leis E de batailles de la terre E des reis ki firent la guere E maint livre fist il escrivere U li bon clerc vont sovent lire.
Page 93 - Alfred's action may seem too small to justify a comparison of him with the few whom the world claims as its greatest men. What really lifts him to their level is the moral grandeur of his life. He lived solely for the good of his people. He is the first instance in the history of Christendom of a ruler who put aside every personal aim or ambition to devote himself wholly to the welfare of those whom he ruled. In his mouth " to live worthily " meant a life of justice, temperance, self-sacrifice.
Page 80 - WITNESS, Heaven ! Whose eye the heart's profoundest depth explores, That if not to perform my regal task ; To be the common father of my people, Patron of honour, virtue, and religion ; If not to shelter useful worth, t...
Page 9 - Alfrede dedit, probitasque laborem, Perpetuumque labor nomen : cui mixta dolori Gaudia semper erant : spes semper mixta timori...
Page 9 - Si modo victor eras, ad crastina bella pavebas: Si modo victus eras, ad crastina bella parabas. Cui vestes sudore jugi, cui sica cruore Tincta jugi, quantum sit onus regnare, probarunt. Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi, Cui tot in adversis vel respirare liceret, Nee tamen aut ferro contritus ponere ferrum, Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse labores.
Page 81 - Whate'er th' expanded heart can wish; when they, Accepting the reward, neglect the duty; Or worse, pervert those gifts to deeds of ruin : Is there a wretch they rule so mean as they ? Guilty, at once, of sacrilege to Heaven, And of perfidious robbery to men But hark ! methinks I hear a plaintive voice Sigh thro' the vale, and wake the mournful echo.
Page 51 - study," where Alfred is found " shaping models of long-oared boats, meant to cope with the Danish esks," he talks as might the President of the Navy League : " Who holds the sea, perforce doth hold the land, And who lose that must lose the other too . . . God grant that I may . . . . . . gird this island with a watery belt Not all the world in arms can cleave or cross ! " One knows the end of these preparations, and of Alfred's aspirations — the battle of Ethandune, the foundation of the Dane...
Page 35 - Eeinard. 8, 1637 (see Suppl.). By AS. accounts, the Northmen had a wonderful standard borne before their army, from whose indications they inferred victory or defeat. In Asser's Vita Alfredi p. 33 ad an. 878 : ' . . . vexillum quod reafan (for raefan, hrsefen, ON.
Page 8 - Regis enim Danorum, sub specie mimi, subiens tentoria, unius tantum fidelissimi fruebatur conscientia : ibi, ut joculatoriae professor artis, etiam in secretiora triclinii admissus, nihil fuit arcanum quod non exciperet tum oculis tum auribus...
Page 13 - Heom he bi-gon leYe. so ye mawe i-hure. hw hi heore lit" 15 lede scholden. Alured. he wes in englene lond. and king, wel swij>e strong. He wes king, and he wes clerek. wel he luuede godes werk.