The Whole Works of King Alfred the Great: With Preliminary Essays Illustrative of the History, Arts, and Manners, of the Ninth Century, Volume 1

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Printed and published for the Alfred Committee by J.F. Smith, 1852

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Page 376 - I have carefully and regularly perused these Holy Scriptures, and am of opinion, that the volume, independently of its divine origin, contains more sublimity, purer morality, more important history, and finer strains of eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever language they may have been written.
Page 87 - In the meantime, the king, during the frequent wars and other trammels of this present life, the invasions of the pagans, and his own daily infirmities of body, continued to carry on the government, and to exercise hunting in all its branches ; to teach his workers in gold and artificers of all kinds, his falconers, hawkers and dog-keepers...
Page 339 - By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Page 70 - Here he was met by all the neighbouring folk of Somersetshire, and Wiltshire, and Hampshire, who had not, for fear of the pagans, fled beyond the sea ; and when they saw the king alive after such great tribulation, they received him, as he deserved, with joy and acclamations, and encamped there for one night.
Page 329 - The engraving was made to embellish a small volume, published several years ago, on the " Coronation Service, or Consecration of the Anglo-Saxon kings, as it illustrates the origin of the Constitution, by the Rev. Thomas Silver, DCL of St. John's College, Oxford; formerly Anglo-Saxon Professor. Oxford, printed by W. Baxter, for J. Parker ; and J. Murray, London. 1831.
Page 46 - ... earls. Which the Christians perceiving, divided their army also into two troops, and also began to construct defences. But Alfred, as we have been told by those who were present, and would not tell an untruth, marched up promptly with his men to give them battle; for king Ethelred remained a long time in his tent in prayer, hearing the mass, and said that he would not leave it, till the priest had done, or abandon the divine protection for that of men.
Page 33 - Stimulated by these words, or rather by the Divine inspiration, and allured by the beautifully illuminated letter at the beginning of the volume, he spoke before all his brothers, who, though his seniors in age, were not so in grace, and answered, ' Will you really give that book to one of us, that is to say, to him who can first understand and repeat it to you ? ' At this his mother smiled with satisfaction, and confirmed what she had before said.
Page 87 - ... during the frequent wars and other trammels of this present life, the invasions of the pagans, and his own daily infirmities of body, continued to carry on the government, and to exercise hunting in all its branches; to teach his workers in gold and artificers of all kinds, his falconers, hawkers and dog-keepers; to build houses, majestic and good beyond all the precedents of his ancestors, by his new mechanical inventions...
Page 24 - For the benefit of his soul, then, which he studied to promote in all things from the first flower of his youth, he directed through all his hereditary dominions, that one poor man in ten, either native or foreigner, should be supplied with meat, drink, and clothing, by his successors, until the day of judgment; supposing, however, that the country should still be inhabited both by men and cattle, and should not become deserted.
Page 21 - Saxons do not allow a queen to sit beside the king, nor to be called a queen, but only the king's wife ; which stigma, the elders of that land say, arose from a certain obstinate and malevolent queen of the same nation, who did all things so contrary to her lord, and to all the people, that...

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