worldly duties; and when he Huntingdon had often prayed with much 3 But, sad to say! it was replaced at his mar- daughters, which he had by his wife Ealhswith above so that before they were of an age to practice manly arts, clever in the liberal arts. Eadward and Alfthrith were bred not without learning the liberal arts; for among other studies of this life, they have carefully learned the Psalms and Saxon books, especially the Saxon poems Simeon king sons and daughters sufNow there were born to the ficiently beautiful and of becoming form, whose names are here gathered; Eadward and Ethelgifu, and Elfthrid. and Ethelward, Ethelfled But Eadward the king's son, and Ealfthrid his sister, were always brought up at the king's court by the great care of their male and female tutors: for they studiously learnt both the psalms and the Saxon books and poems. Ethelward therefore his younger son, was placed in the schools of literary discipline, with many sons of the soldiers, both noble and ignoble. Ethelfled their sister was united in marriage to Eadred prince of the Mercians; their sister Ethelgyfa was placed under the rules of the monastic life. 5 In the meantime, king, Alfred during the frequent wars and and pleasant to all, and curiously eager to investigate things 6 Many Franks, Frisons, Gauls, pagans, Britons, Scots, and Armoricans, noble and ignoble, submitted voluntarily to his dominion; and all of them, according to their nation and deserving, were ruled, loved, honoured, and enriched with money and power. Moreover, the king was in the habit of hearing the scriptures read by his own countrymen, or, if by any chanee it so happened, in company with foreigners, and he attended to it with sedulity and solicitude. His bishops, too, and all ecclesiastics, his earls and nobles, ministers and friends, were loved by him with wonderful affection, and their sons, who were bred up in the royal house-hold, were no less dear to him than his own; he had them instructed in all kinds of good morals, and among other things, never ceased to teach them letters night and day; but as if he had no consolation in all these things, and suffered no other annoyance either from within or without, yet he was harassed by daily and nightly affliction, that he complained to God, and to all who were admitted to his familiar love, that Almighty God had made him ignorant of divine wisdom, and of the liberal arts; in this emulating the pious, the wise, and wealthy Solomon, king of the Hebrews, who at first, despising all glory and riches, asked wisdom of God, and found both, namely, wisdom and worldly glory; as it is written, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' But God, who is always the inspector of the thoughts of the mind within, and the instigator of all good intentions, and a most plentiful aider, that good desires may be formed, for he would not instigate a man to good intentions, unless he also amply supplied that which the man justly and properly wishes to have,-instigated the king's mind within; as it is written, "I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me." He would avail himself of every opportunity to procure coadjutors in his good designs, to aid him in his strivings after wisdom, that he might attain to what he aimed at; and, like a prudent bird, which rising in summer with the early morning from her beloved nest, steers her rapid flight through the uncertain tracks of ether, and descends on the manifold and varied flowers of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, essaying that which pleases most, that she may bear it to her home, so did he direct his eyes afar, and seek without, that which he had not within, namely, in his own kingdom. But God at that time, as some consolation to the king's benevolence, yielding to his complaint, sent certain lights to illuminate him, namely, Werefrith, bishop of the church of Worcester, a man well versed in divine scripture, who, by the king's command, first turned the books of the Dialogues of pope Gregory and Peter, his disciples, from Latin into Saxon, and sometimes putting sense for sense, interpreted them with clearness and elegance. After him was Plegmund, a Mercian by birth, archbishop of the church of Canterbury, a venerable man, and endowed with wisdom; Æthelstan also, and Werewulf his priests and chaplains, Mercians by birth, and erudite. These four had been invited out of Mercia by king Elfred, who exalted them with many honours and powers in the kingdom of the West-Saxons, besides the privileges which archbishop Plegmund and bishop Werefrith enjoyed in Mercia. By their teaching and wisdom the king's desires increased unceasingly, and were gratified. Night and day, whenever he had leisure, he commanded such Armoricans, noble and igno ble, submitted voluntarily to Huntingdon his dominion; and all of them, according to their dignity, like his own folk, were ruled, loved, honoured, and enriched with money and power. His bishops, too, and all ecclesiastics, his earls and nobles, ministers and friends, were loved by him with wonderful affection, and their sons, who were bred up in the royal house-hold, were no less dear to him than his own; he had them instructed in all kinds of good morals, and among other things, never ceased to teach them letters night and day. Simeon * This passage with the 3 following, is given in Florence in 872. • He [WERFRITH] In those times the church of Christ was faithfully and gloriously ruled by archbishop Plegmund, a venerable man, who shone in the fruits of wisdom, being built upon four columns, of justice namely, prudence, tempe rance, and fortitude. At the same time, Warfrid with devoutness of heart, was ennobling the rule of the city of Worcester. He it was, who by order and request of the king turned Gregory's by the king's command, first turned the books of the book of Dialogues into the Dialogues of pope Gregory from Latin into Saxon, with clearness and elegance. He and in process of time Plegmund, a Mercian by birth, archbishop of the church of Canterbury, a venerable man, and endowed with wisdom; Æthelstan also, and Werewulf his priests, Mercians by birth, and erudite, had been invited out of Mercia by king Elfred, who exalted them with many honours and powers to help him in gaining the learning which he so longed for. 3 By their teaching and wisdom Saxon tongue: and sometimes interpreted it most ele gantly, sense from sense. Also Ethelstan and Werwlf were distinguished priests whom he [ALFRED] invited to him out of Mercia, because that they were exceedingly and thoroughly superior in the learning of the divine law he loved and honoured the king's desires increased unceasingly, and were gratified. them with especial love; and by their learning and erudi men as these to read books to him, for he never suffered himself to be without one of them, wherefore he possessed a knowledge of every book, though of himself he could not yet understand anything of books, for he had not yet learned to read any thing. Ethelwerd 885 * Grimbald was provost of St Omer's. John had been connected with i. e. WALES. East Dene [or Dean] and West Dene are two villages near Chichester. There are also other villages of the same name near East-Bourne. This expression alludes to the tonsure, which was undergone by those who became clerks. But the king's commendable avarice could not be gratified The original Latin continues, "Et illa adjuvaretur per rudimenta Sancti Degui in omni causa, tamen stand, and therefore cannot translate. pro viribus," which I do not under 1. He also sent messengers beyond the sea to Gaul, to procure teachers, and he invited from thence, Grimbald, priest and monk, a venerable man, and good singer, adorned with every kind of ecclesiastical discipline and good morals, and most learned in holy scripture. He also obtained from thence John, also priest and monk, a man of most energetic talents. Simeon tion that pacific king was magnified above all the kings of the earth. |