finished some five or six years before the king's death; the autobiographical parts bear every possible mark of truth; while, scattered here and there, are passages of irrepressible personal admiration and affection.

Thus Asser says―

"Alfred 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."

And again

“Thus, like a most productive bee, he flew here and there, asking questions as he went, until he had eagerly and unceasingly collected many various flowers of Divine Scriptures, with which he quickly stored the cells of his mind."

These passages are hardly such as a writer at second hand, or the writer of a forged biography would set down. They have a spontaneous and personal air. From the beginning to the end, indeed, of the document the loyalty of Asser is conspicuous. It is no mere lip-worship that he offers; his love for Alfred is based upon years of the closest personal relations, in which the king's character, his greatness, his disinterested labours, his modesty, his wisdom, his many noble qualities, have become gradually revealed to his private secretary. We could not have chosen a better

biographer, though we might wish for more details, a continuation to the end, and a more carefully arranged Life.

Apart from these points, it is very strong testimony to the truth of this document that it is quoted copiously by the earlier chroniclers, especially Florence of Worcester, who died in 1118, and wrote somewhere about 1100, or two hundred years after Asser. Of course, a great deal may happen in two hundred years. At the same time, the period 900 A.D. to 1100 A.D. can hardly be called one of great literary activity, nor was it a period in which, for no apparent motive, a forged document such as the "Life of King Alfred" was likely to be produced.

Had a pretended Life of Alfred been foisted upon the world, it would have been stuffed with fable, legend, and the attribution of works with which the king had no concern. Alfred speedily became the subject of song and of tradition. the so-called "Proverbs of King Alfred," there occurs a song

ALFRED.

"Englene Herd [England's Shepherd]
Englene Darling.

In Enkelonde he was king:

Alfred he was in Enkelonde a king

Wel swythe strong,

He was king and cleric

Full well he loved God's work:

He was wise in his word,

And war [wary] in his work.

He was the wisest man

That was in England."

In

There is, next in importance to Asser's "Life," the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This document was

begun about the year 890; it was used, or consulted, by Asser, who wrote in 893. Its interest becomes really important when it arrives at the reign of Alfred himself. The work is, for the most part, what it purports to be, a mere chronicle, without much comment, of the principal events in each year, often losing, as is the way with such chronicles, the proportion of things, keeping silence where we most desire information, and narrating things with which we are not concerned. It is, however, a record of the highest importance to the students of the age.

The historians and chroniclers who came later are valuable as repeating and enlarging the earlier brief statements.

Lastly, there are the writings of Alfred himself his translations, his additions, enlargements, and observations, his contributions to geography, his exhortations and introductions, his code of law, and his will. These things furnish many details of the greatest importance in recovering and restoring the Wessex of King Alfred's time.

The facts, I repeat, are scanty. No Life of Alfred can be produced at the present day which adds anything to the facts already known. There is, however, a method of writing biography which may enlarge the work indefinitely. It is to reproduce things which belong to the time rather than the subject. The method has many dangers. For instance, when it is said that Alfred, as a boy, eagerly listened to the poetry of his native tongue, the biographer may go on to quote page after page of this poetry. In this way a biography may be swollen to the dimensions of an encyclopædia. Again, the subject may be treated by

2

means of separate essays, each presenting the latest results of research. This method has been pursued in Bowker's "Alfred," in which the highest authorities, such as Professor Earle, the Bishop of Bristol, Sir Frederick Pollock, and Mr. Frederic Harrison have contributed essays, such as illustrate in the best sense the work and achievements of Alfred.

My own authorities are the several worksAsser, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the later Chronicles, the works of Alfred, the ordinary books on the Anglo-Saxons, and Pauli's "Life." I have made a few quotations from Bowker's "Alfred," the introduction to which, as I have said, consists of an address delivered at Winchester. I have thought it well in several places to give Asser's own words as regards particular events, and I have quoted the opinions of Freeman, Green, and Harrison on the character and achievements of Alfred.

The later biographies of Alfred, as they cannot contain anything but what is presented in the works mentioned above, may be neglected. I would not be understood as wishing to depreciate their good qualities, but only to point out that he who would attempt a Life of Alfred speedily finds that he gets no help from the later books on the subject, except such as contribute to the knowledge which we already possess of the religion, wars, laws, education, government, and arts of the period.

III. THE GENEALOGY OF ALFRED AND HIS DESCENDANTS.

The Royal House of Wessex was proud of its descent from the heathen gods. Long after they had become Christian they pointed to their descent from Woden. Asser gives the genealogy and descent of Alfred from the beginning of all things. Probably the line is accurately made out as far back as Cerdic. Beyond him, except that he must have been of noble blood, we need not consider this table. Briefly, and leaving out many links of the chain, we have the following: