or tens of thousands. I want, on the other hand, this little book to fall into the hands of the Board Schools, of the Continuation Classes, of those who spend their evenings over books from the free libraries, which are rapidly creating a revolution in the thoughts and standards of the people. To the class which maintains the circulating library belongs the moving panorama of modern literature, in which one book follows another, is read, or looked into, and disappears, while even the critics remember nothing of yesterday's books. To this class new books are like the novelties of fashion in the shops; they present combinations always freshly invented, though of old materials; they offer new colours and new styles; they pass away, and are as much forgotten as the fashion of the year before last. There is no such show to those who haunt the free libraries. If a book appeals to them, they do not ask if it is still in the fashion; they read it, they pass it about, they keep it, they read it again. To such as these I dedicate this Life of Alfred, in the hope that they may read with pleasure and continue to read, the story of the great English king, and how he saved England, and made our record of enterprise and success, of freedom, of conquest, of wealth and prosperity, of strength and honour, possible to our kin and easy of accomplishment. They will also read, if they can, how all these achievements were made possible by the tenacity and bull-dog courage of Alfred's people-the men of Wessex, Sussex, and Kent. No king, however great, wise, far-seeing, and resolute, can do more that his people will let him do. He is like an engineer who, with all his science, has in the long run nothing to depend upon but the strength of his materials.

Now, the materials with which Alfred had to work were very strong indeed-strong to obstinacy and blind conservatism.

The Life of Alfred has been of late very much spoken of by the Press: it will be spoken of much. more when, in the autumn of this year, the great millenary celebration of the king is held in his venerable capital of Winchester. This book is partly written with a view to the right understanding of the celebration. The whole of the English-speaking race ought to understand why we hold this Function. I desire that all those who read the accounts in the papers of the Function may understand exactly what it means; what manner of man Alfred was; what kind of world he lived in; what he did; why we honour him; why, wherever our language is spoken, we must continue to remember him and to honour him.

There are already many Lives of Alfred, but there is not one, I believe, which is written with this object. There are no new facts in my pages; but there are none in the pages of these other books. The only new features in every new Life of Alfred are the application of modern investigation into the conditions of life in the ninth century. Thus, for instance, in the "Book of Essays on Alfred," published two years ago by Mr. Bowker, the Mayor of Winchester, there was a series of "Studies," based upon modern examination into the condition of England during the ninth century, with no new facts in the actual life of the king. Alfred was considered from various points -those of Religion, Law, War, Education, and Literature. The Essays formed between them the best Life of Alfred yet produced, but the facts

remained the same. We can hardly hope to add to these facts by any new discovery. The Essays were most valuable, not in adding to a record already familiar, but in showing what that record proved and meant. In the following pages I have referred to this book on several occasions. If I have not always acknowledged with gratitude the source of certain paragraphs due to this book, I hope that this general acknowledgment will prove sufficient.

The Introduction to the book consists of an address which I was invited to deliver before the people of Winchester, as preparatory to the first steps towards the celebration. I wish it had been more worthy of the subject. My audience was representative; not only were the scholars and divines of Winchester present, with the notables of the city, but also a large number of working people who filled up the hall. It was with the most lively satisfaction that I found the subject one that would hold and interest this part of the assemblage. If the subject could interest the folk of Winchester, why should it not interest also the larger company of the working class over the whole of the Anglo-Saxon world? I desire to stand before a larger audience in a wider theatre. I desire to fill that theatre with the people to whom at present Alfred is but a name, if even that. I should like, if it were possible, to see before me, in imagination, tier beyond tier, stretching far away in the distance, circle beyond circle, millions of white faces intent upon the story of the English king. If they will listen, my voice will reach to the farthest circle; if they are interested, they will listen. Let me see their faces light up as if touched by sunshine when the in

terest of the subject fills them; let me see the changes as of passing rain and sunshine on an April day on the faces of this vast audience. Wherever they live, in whatever climate, under whatever name, they own their liberty, which they enjoy unconsciously, as they enjoy the free air of heaven-their peace, order, security, self-government, all of which they accept as if these things came by nature with the harvest and the fruits of the season in due course-to the great and wise King Alfred, whose history every man and woman of the English-speaking race ought to learn, and every boy and girl to know.

I would rather write a book for the people than anything else that the world can offer. He who reaches the heart of the people becomes and continues an abiding force. Truly, his work lives after him—his good work. Think of the influence, for two hundred years and more, of the “Pilgrim's Progress"! What could man desire better than for all these years to be a champion of religious liberty and the sturdy individualism which has done so much for the national character and the national history? It is a great ambition-there can be none greater; the glories that a State can offer the honour, the distinction, the wealth are insignificant before such an achievement. Let me be permitted to entertain the ambition, even though it is not destined to be fulfilled.

In the name, then, of everything that is dear to us and profitable to us; in the name of godliness, patience, resolution, frankness, wisdom, and self-sacrifice, let us endeavour to make Alfred better known to his great-grandchildren. We are all his great-grandchildren. Our ancestors of a

thousand years ago numbered all the people of Wessex, Kent, and Sussex, and among them the royal line of Cerdic, with Alfred as the common great-grandfather. W. B.

II. THE AUTHORITIES.

It may be asked at the outset, how we know all these things about Alfred. The sources of our information are many, but the things they tell us are few. First and foremost, there is the "Life of Alfred," by Asser, formerly Bishop of Sherborne. This document, about which there has been much discussion, was the work of a Welsh scholar and ecclesiastic, who was invited by Alfred to join him at his Court to read aloud to him and to advise him in matters literary. Asser's work appears to have been mutilated and altered, or added to in many places, but the greater part was always, undoubtedly, as we have it at the present day. There are many "undesigned coincidences" which prove the genuineness of the work. Thus, Asser was a descendant of the old British race, so goes out of his way to inform his readers of the British names of certain places. He tells us that the island of Thanet was called Ruim; that the village of Snotingaham is called by them Tigguocobane; that Wilton is situated. near the ancient Guilon; and that Thornscetan is Durngueis. It is not likely that a forged document would take the trouble to invent these details. Moreover, there is little, except in one or two passages, evidently interpolated and easily detected, which contains legend or tradition. The "Life" is a contemporary document left un