Northumbria, and even, now and then, in Ireland, and to the servants of God who dwelt therein.

§ 133. [103] When our King had thus set all this in order, he minded him of that verse of Holy Scripture which saith: "He who would give alms must first give himself.' Then thought he out with all prudence what of the service of his own body and mind he might give unto God. For of this he proposed to give unto God no less than of his outward wealth. Yea, moreover he vowed that the half of the service of his mind and body, so far as his weakness and power and sufficiency would permit, would he, by day and night alike, of his own free will and with all his might, render unto God.

§ 134. But, inasmuch as by night he could not rightly tell the hours, because of the darkness, and by day because of the constant showers and clouds, he set himself to think out how, trusting in God's mercy, he might, by some fixed rule and without hesitation, keep this vow changelessly, even unto death.

1

[104] And, when he had thought this over for a while, he found out at length a useful device, and of good wit. Then bade he his chaplain' bring him wax enough, and weigh it out in the balance against pennies. And when so much wax had been measured out as weighed 72 pennies, he bade his chaplains make thereof six candles of equal weight, and that each candle should have 12 inches [uncias pollicis] marked thereon. So, when this device had been hit upon, those six candles were lighted, and burnt without fail day and night throughout the 24 hours before the holy relics of many a Saint of God, which were ever with him whithersoever he went.

$ 135. Sometimes, however, these candles would not last throughout a whole day and night, even unto the same hour at which they had been lighted the evening before;-and this through the draughts of wind which, day and night, ceaselessly blew in through the doors and windows of the churches, and through the many chinks in the stonework and the woodwork and the partitions, yea, and the holes in tents, and caused the candles to

1 The chaplains' of this date were the officials over the finances of the Royal Worship. The word 'chapel' was already in use on the Continent (as at Aix-la-Chapelle) for a Royal oratory. Originally it was the building at St. Denis (Sainte Chapelle) where the cope [cappa] of St. Martin was kept for the Royal veneration.

burn away over quickly, before completing their hour. Therefore thought he out how he might hinder this draught, and found a plan, like a wise and cunning craftsman, and bade make of wood and horn a full fair lantern. For cowhorn is white, and, when planed down to a thin sheet, as transparent as glass. And when this wonderful lantern of wood and horn was completed, a candle set therein gave as much light inside as though it were outside, and was let and hindered by never a draught, for he had bade a horn door [valvam] to be made to the mouth of the lantern. By this device, then, the six candles, one after the other, burnt without stay for the 24 hours, neither more nor less. And when they went out others were lighted.1

§ 136. [105] Now when all this was wholly set in order, he was fain to keep the half of his service for God, according to his vow; —nay, even more, so far as his power and sufficiency (to say nothing of his infirmity) would permit. At great length moreover did he look into the truth of the judgments he gave; and this chiefly through his care for the poor, to whom, amid the other duties of this life, he ever took special heed. For in all the whole realm, save him alone, the poor had few or none to champion them. For all the high and mighty of the land gave thought to the things of this world rather than the things of God. Yea, more greedy was each of his own worldly gain than for the common weal.

$137. [106] Pains, likewise, took he in judgment, for the good of his folk, high-born and low-born alike. For at the courts of the Aldermen and Sheriffs would they oft-times perversely strive together, so that scarce a man, whatsoever the doom of the Aldermen and Sheriffs might be, would allow it to be right. And through stress of this perverse stubbornness, all appealed [suborabant] to the King's own judgment, and, on either side, hasted them thereto. Howbeit were any conscious of unright in his cause, he, though bound perforce by law and bond to come, yet came he against his will, for never would he by choice appear before the judgmentseat of such a judge. For well he knew that there no whit of his wrong doing could be pleaded for a moment.2

1 See p. 66.

2 Strictly speaking it was not the Aldermen and Sheriffs who judged causes but the Moot-Courts of the Hundred and Shire over which they presided. But their charges were no doubt almost always followed. And strictly speaking there was no Appeal. But the parties could choose an Arbitrator, whose decision was final; and if one of them chose the King the others would practically be forced to do the same.

§ 138. And no wonder; for in deciding a case, as in all things else, our King was a most keen searcher out of truth. For nearly every sentence given throughout the whole realm, in his absence, did he himself revise with all his wit, whether they were righteous or unrighteous. And if he perceived in those sentences ought of injustice, then would he mildly summon the judges before him, either in person or by some accredited friend, and would ask them why they had judged thus wrongfully. Was it through ignorance? Was it through malice? Was it for love or fear of any? Was it for hate of any? Was it through greed of money?

§ 139. And, in the end, if those judges confessed that they had given judgment for any such reason, as that they knew no better, then would he, with good sense and self-control, blame their lack of skill and wisdom, and say, 'Much, truly, do I wonder at this rashness of yours, that ye, who, by God's gift and mine, take upon you the office and rank of the wise, yet neglect to study and work wisdom. I bid you, therefore, either at once to lay down that earthly authority and office which ye hold, or set yourselves to much more earnest study of wise teaching. Such is my behest.'

$140. At hearing this would the Aldermen and Sheriffs tremble, as though they had been chastised full sorely, and strove with all their might to turn to the study of Equity. Thus, wondrous to tell, did the Aldermen Sheriffs, and Thanes, unlettered men as they were, almost all, even from their cradles, set to work at letters with a will. For sooner chose they to learn unwonted lessons, hard though they found it, than give up their office and Lauthority.

§ 141. But if any, either from age or from slowness of wit (through lack of use), could make no speed in his liberal studies, then would he bid his son, if he had one, or some other kinsman, or even, if it might no better be, his own man, free or thrall (whom he had long before made a reader), to recite to him Saxon books, day and night, whensoever leisure [licentia] might serve. And with many a sigh grieved he from his inmost heart, that he had not in youth set him to these duties. And happy counted he the lads of to-day, who could have the good fortune to be trained in liberal arts. But themselves they thought unlucky, seeing that in their youth they had never been taught, and in age, much as they longed therefor, learn they could not. So now we have set forth

the pains of both old and young in learning letters at our King's bode.

[Here Asser abruptly breaks off. His later paragraphs bear evident internal marks of having been written after Alfred's death, and we do not know what prevented the completion of the biography. The obituary notice which follows is from the Chronicle of St. Neot's.]

In the year of our Lord 900, Alfred the Truth-teller, in war ever the sturdiest of heroes, noblest of the Kings of Wessex, prudent and religious and wise beyond all, in this year, after reigning 29 years and a half over all England (save those parts which were under the Danes), to the grievous woe of his folk, went the way of all flesh on the 7th of the Kalends of November [Oct. 26], in the year of his reign 29 and a half, of his age 51, of the indiction 4. And in the royal city of Winchester was he buried meetly, with all royal honours, in the church of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles. And there standeth his tomb, wrought of marble porphyry, most precious.

*

Parker adds the eulogium of Henry of Huntingdon. See p. 76.

OF

II.

THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE.

F the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle six early MSS. are still extant, one in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, one in the Bodleian Library, and the remainder among the Cottonian collection in the British Museum They do not all cover the same period of history; some beginning with the invasion of Julius Cæsar, others with the Christian Era, and ending, also, at various dates, from 977 to 1154. Internal evidence shows them to have been written at sundry times (none later than the twelfth century), and in divers parts of England-Wessex, Kent, Mercia, and Northumbria. But all are from a common ninth-century exemplar. The latest original handwriting of any copy ends 1122, the earliest 891. This last is the Cambridge MS., which formerly belonged to the library of Canterbury Abbey. · Like all other books in abbey libraries throughout England, it was sold for waste-paper at the Reformation, but rescued by Archbishop Parker, who gave it to his old College.

The standard edition of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is that of Messrs. Petrie and Hardy.