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flew over the mid-sea, and so came to land. And there drew they together, and settled on the leaves of divers trees, and, in short time, filled they all that land, and began to bring together unto one place flowrets of many a hue. Here woke Rollo, and thought on that dream, and the interpretation thereof. And when he had diligently considered the thing, he guessed that he might find rest from his toil in those parts where the bees had settled. So crossed he the sea, and put to shore in Normandy; where Franco, Archbishop of Rothomagus [Rouen], having small faith in his power to resist, besought peace. Having thus gained the sway, he came to Rouen, and repaired the walls, and built him castles all about, and gat under him the land of Neustria, which now is called Normandy, and was made the first Duke there. And afterwards the aforesaid Archbishop Franco baptized him [see p. 225].

at sea.

$23. King Alfred entered into treaty with the Danes, and hostages were given. But the Danes, thinking nought of their oaths, one night slew all the King's horsemen. This stirred the King, and he chased them even unto Exeter, where again hostages were given, and troth plighted; and there stayed they a whole year. But the Danes from Wareham, in sailing to their friends at Exeter, lost their ships by a storm Yet did part of them take the royal town of Chippenham, with the land thereby ; and many thereabout did they enthral, or else exile. § 24. And in this stress, in the year of our Lord 877, the fifth of his reign, did this same King Alfred, with but few beside him, lead, in the parts of Somerset, a homeless, restless, life, insomuch that he had nought whereon to live, save what he might get by raiding, or hunting, or fishing.

[Here follows the tale of St. Cuthbert (p. 31).]

He built him a stronghold at Ethelynghey [Athelney], which, by interpretation, is The Isle of Peers. Oft warred he on his foes, and specially about Selewode (which, being interpreted, is the Great Wood); insomuch that at last he took their noblest as hostages. And Godrim [Guthrum], the Dacian King, with many another high and mighty chieftain, did. Alfred uplift from the sacred font, giving him the name of Athelstan, and making unbounded peace with him. So that afterwards . . . he and King Alfred stablished laws together....

This same King Alfred, when Tunbert, Bishop of Winchester, died, set over the see Denewolf, whom, when he was in hiding, he had found in the woods, a cowherd and layman ; but perceiving his good wit, he made him, old as he was, to be instructed in letters.

$25. In the year 879 (the 7th of Alfred's reign), did the Dacian host as they had promised him, leave the cities of Chippenham and Cirencester, which are to the south of the Hwiccas,1 and betook themselves to East Anglia. And with the rest of that host there banded them a great Dacian host from foreign parts, chased out of France by King Charles, at

! The Hwiccas were the Saxon sept dwelling in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. Tewkesbury is named from them.

Fullenham [Fulham]. And, in that same year, King Alfred repaired the city of Sepronia, that is Shaftesbury, as witnesseth the great stone which is yet in the Chapterhouse of the nuns, with its inscription. And the Danes who returned from France laid siege to Rochester, and built them a work over against the gate. But the townsfolk withstood them, until Alfred came upon them, and took the horses of the Danes, and put them to flight, so that at once they sought again France. Yea, and the King sent his fleet, all filled with warriors, from Kent to East Anglia, and took the Danish ships there. Yet in the way back was the royal fleet worsted. But the Danes, oaring up the water of Seine, laid siege to Paris. . . .

§ 26. In the 15th year of his reign, this same Alfred, after the many burnings of the city and massacres of the townsfolk, repaired London, that men might dwell therein, and made it over to one Ethelred, Chieftain of the Mercians, along with Elfleda his own daughter. And at that time all the English that were scattered abroad came, and, with one accord, did homage to King Alfred. . . . About the same time did the Earl of Wilton bear to Rome the alms of King Alfred; and Swithelm, Bishop of Schireburn [Sherborne] bare the same to St. Thomas in India. And they came back home unhurt.

...

27. In the 18th year of his reign, this King Alfred built two famous monasteries, one at Athelney for monks, and the other at Shaftesbury for nuns, over which he set his own daughter Elgiva as Abbess. In the same year the aforesaid King Guthrum, also called Athelstan, died. And in this year came there against King Alfred four several hosts; one in Northumbria, another in East Anglia, a third at Exeter, and a fourth at Leicester [Chester]. And so straitly were they besieged, that they devoured their very horses for hunger.

§ 28. In the 21st year of King Alfred three men of Scotland,1 Dublan, Malicon, and Malinuryn, minding to lead, for Christ's sake, a pilgrim life, took with them victual for one week, and made them a boat of two hides and a half, and entered therein. And, in wondrous wise, without sail or gear, after seven days, came they to shore in Cornwall, and afterwards went up to King Alfred. And Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, a right noble man of letters, received his pall from Pope Formosus, and, in the 22nd year of King Alfred, consecrated he seven bishops in one day.

§ 29. In this year King Alfred, leaving half his host in divers strongholds, and with the other half going forth to battle, drave out the Danes first from Kent, then from Exeter, and, thirdly, from Chichester. Thence did the Danes come unto the City of the Legions, which in English is called Chester, where, after three days' siege, by force of hunger they left the city, and harried North Wales, and thus fetched a compass through Northumbria to Mersey, an island in Essex, and got back to East Anglia, where were their wives and their ships. And afterwards, in the winter, they towed their ships through the Thames into the river of Lea.

1 I.e., Ireland, the original home of the Scots.

But

that host which had besieged Exeter was caught harrying near Chichester, whereby they lost many of their men, and several ships.

§ 30. But, in the next year, the host which was on the Lea wrought them a stronghold, 20 miles from London. But the Londoners, by the aid of Alfred, brake it down, and slew four of their leaders, and divided the river Lea into three branches, so that their ships could not be brought out. And when the Danes saw that, they left there their ships; and strengthening a certain hold near Brugges [Bridgenorth] on the Severn, therein wintered. And while King Alfred pursued them with his army, the Londoners brought round some of the ships forsaken in the Lea to London, and some they burnt to ashes. So in these three aforesaid years, since the Danes came in by the harbour of Lymnemouth, the English underwent no small distress, not only through being infested by these Dacians, but also by mortality amongst men, and plague amongst cattle. But, after this, in the fourth year, the Danish host brake up, partly to Northumbria, partly to East Anglia; and part crossed the Channel to Seine-mouth....

[Here follows the naval battle of 897 from the A.S. Chronicle (p. 131).] § 31. And here think I it worth while to insert somewhat concerning this famous King Alfred, with his winsome presence; of his beginning, his progress, and his end. Beloved was he by both father and mother beyond all his brethren; whence he abode in his father's court, up to 12 years of age, without knowing his letters; though the boy learnt by heart many a Saxon song. Ever was he foremost in the hunt; and wrote up his psalms and prayers in a little book which he ever bare about with him. Yet but little knew he of Grammar, seeing that in all the West, as at that time, not one teacher of Grammar could be found.

§ 32. Therefore, by counsel of the blessed Abbot, St. Neot, whom he oftentimes visited, he founded at Oxford1 public schools of divers Arts, and granted unto them many privileges. For the same cause also, did this same great King, the Giver of alms, the Hearer of Masses, the Seeker into things unknown, call to him Grimbald, a monk of Gaul, well skilled in letters and in song, and John [Scotus], and Asser, a monk of the Abbey of St. David in Menevia, in the utmost parts of Wales, that from them he might learn the more of Letters. His nobles, moreover, so provoked he to Letters, that, of themselves, did they in turn give over to this study each man his son, or, if he had no son, then, at least, his thrall. And he made Werfrith, the Bishop of Worcester, to translate into the Saxon tongue the book of Boecius De Consolatione Philosophia, and the Dialogues of the Blessed Gregory. Most carefully, moreover, did he look into the doings of his thanes, and, more especially, his judges; insomuch that those whom he found to err through avarice or ignorance, them he put away from their post.

§ 33. Now, although it has been said above that, in the time of this King Alfred, in all Wessex was there none who taught Letters, yet, before

1 See Introduction, IX., § 5, p. 47.

his time, in other parts of the realm (in the City of Legions, to wit, in South Wales, now called Karleonn), were there astrologers and philosophers of universal erudition; as Walter of Monmouth, in his book, The Coming of King Arthur, has shown clearly enough. Afterwards also, in the time of King Egbert, of Kent, the island was the very home of philosophy.

§ 34. Whence, about that time (as some hold, and as is the common tale both of ancients and moderns), it is believed that a University1 was founded, by the Venerable Bede, at Grantecestre near Cambridge.2 And this may be very likely, because and because [pro eo et ex eo] that afterwards, in the time of Charlemagne, King of France, Alcuin of England, a disciple of Bede, well skilled in all Letters, is said to have translated a University from Rome even unto Paris.3 Also Erpwald, King of East Anglia, son of King Redwald, set up, with the help of St. Felix, schools for boys, such as he had seen in Gaul, when in exile there before he became King.

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§ 35. But some there are who say that already, before this time, there were two Universities in England, one for Latin and the other for Greek : of which the Grecians founded one at Greek-lade (which is now called Cricklade), and there for a while taught they the Greek tongue. But the Latins founded the other at Latin-lade (which is now Lechlade), near Oxford, and there they taught Latin. . . .

§36. [The writer here traces the origin of Universities, through Rome and Athens, to Egypt, 'where Abraham was the first to teach the Quadrivium' (the higher fourfold course of (1) Arithmetic, (2) Geometry, (3) Harmony, and (4) Astronomy, which succeeded the 'trivial' study of Latin Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric, in the thirteenth century curriculum). 'Under so great a Doctor they made rapid progress in Mathematics,' and handed on their knowledge to 'Pythagoras, Plato, and the other philosophers.' He then returns to his subject.]

$37. Of this King Alfred it is written, that, when he was a youth, and would fain stablish his heart in the Commandments of God, but could not because of the infirmity of his flesh... he was ever seeking the temples of the Saints, morning, noon, and night, beseeching God to Scourge him with some thorn in the flesh, which, while not disabling him for earthly duties, might yet dispose him the more diligently to serve Him. The Lord granted him ; and such a thorn . . .. he bare for many years, wherefrom he endured such misery that he went to Cornwall, and visited the Church of St. Gueryr, where St. Neot now rests, and prayed God to assuage, or at least change, his plague. Some, however, say that 1 Studium, the oldest term for University, which latter name came up in the fourteenth century. This passage must therefore be of the thirteenth century, early in which Cambridge was founded.

Bede mentions that Cambridge (which he calls Grantchester) was lying waste in his day ('Eccles. Hist.,' iv. 19).

The University of Paris was actually founded early in the twelfth century.
A mistake for Sigbert, who reigned 631-637.

he was cured [curatus] by St. Modwenna,1an Irish virgin. Yet when his wish was gained, a yet more grievous disease affected him, from his 20th even to his 45th year. Thus were there born unto him, by Elswitha his Queen, two sons, Edward, surnamed the Elder, and Ethelward, and three daughters, Elfleda [Ethelfled], Lady of the Mercians, Elgiva, a nun, and Elfrida, all of whom he had well taught in the Liberal Arts. [Here follows Asser's account of Alfred's management of his property and time.]

§ 38. And, howbeit 'amid arms laws be still,' King Alfred, amid all the clash of weapons, was a law-giver. And he instituted the Centuries, which men call Hundreds, and the Decuries, which they call Tithings; and kept the peace amongst his folk; and so put down thieves, that, in the cross ways, he bade hang golden bracelets, to mock the greed of wayfarers, for none dare lay hand on them.

§ 39. Now when this King Alfred had brought all his designs to happy issue, and for 28 years had reigned over all England (save those parts which were under the Danes), he felt the sting of death at Winchester, and died; and there, in the New Monastery, is he buried.

1 St. Modwenna probably lived about A.D. 700. Alfred may possibly have visited her shrine at Killevy in Armagh. But it is more likely that the tale arose through a confusion of his name with that of her friend Aldfrid of Northumbria. (See Arnold-Foster, Church Dedications,' vol. ii., pp. 157, 385, 415.)

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