this, (that there should be such poverty in a king's larder!) gave devout thanks to God, and commanded that half of the loaf should be given to the poor servant of Christ, adding these words, Blessed be God in His gifts! He is able, if He so will, to increase that half immensely, who, when He so willed it, was able to feed five thousand men on five loaves and two fishes.' He then dismissed the poor man, and afterwards, fatigued by the weight of his cares, or by his protracted reading, he went to rest, and saw the holy bishop Cuthbert approach to him, and deliver this message in the name of the Lord. • Pious King Alfred, the Lord is moved to pity at the misery of the English, who have mourned long and deeply for their sins: He has, moreover, this day, in the form of a poor man, approved your patience, and gratefully received the morsel which you gave Him in the midst of your own great want. He promises you, through me, that, though you are now a wretched exile, you shall soon be victorious over your enemies, and triumphantly regain the throne of your kingdom. And this shall be a sign to you, that though your household, who are gone out to fish, may find great impediment to their success in the winter's ice, yet by the Divine mercy, they shall gain the object of their wishes, and about the third hour of the day, shall return with a wonderful quantity of fish.' Saying these words, the Saint disappeared, and the king awaking, told the vision to his mother, who replied that she also, whilst asleep in her chamber, had seen the same vision, and the same Saint, appearing to her in like manner, had addressed her in the same words. As they were speaking, the fishermen came in from the marshes with an abundance of fish, enough to feed a large army."

The form which this anecdote has received at the hands of the monk, who wrote for the honour of the Church of Durham, to which he probably belonged, and for the credit of his patron Saint Cuthbert', surpasses all that can be ascribed to natural causes only, or such as act on the "fancy according to the current of thoughts precedent." A literal translation of it is given in the note below.

"In the Life of St. Neot, as I find by some Excerpta out of it in the third vol. of Mr. Leland's Collections, (f. 11, a.) 'tis said, that 'twas not St. Cuthbert, but St. Neot, who appeared to Alfred, which Mr. Leland has noted to be a mistake, and contrary to the authority of other writers." SPELMAN'S LIFE OF ALFRED, p. 59, note.

d" When God, with His wonted mercy, had now decreed to put an end to the barbarous cruelties of the Danes, it came to pass that Alfred was sitting at home with his wife, and one servant only, for all the others had been sent out to fish. Meanwhile a person in a foreign habit approached him, and earnestly besought alms. Alfred forthwith, with ready looks, ordered food to be given him; and learning from the servant that no food remained for their daily consumption, except one loaf and a measure of wine, said to him, with joyful countenance, Thanks be to God, who hath thought worthy to visit me, His poor servant, in the person of another of His servants, who is as poor as I.' As he said these words with a cheerful look, he ordered half of each to be given to the man, thereby fulfilling the Apostolical precept, God loveth a cheerful giver.' The stranger, apparently a poor man, took it, and said, 'Do not delay to offer repeated thanks to your lord, for his compassion towards me; for I hope that this his benevolence will be abundantly compensated by heavenly mercies.' He said this to the servant, who told it to his master; but, when the servant returned to the place, he no where could see the stranger, but he found the bread and wine whole, and bearing no marks of having been divided. Astonished at this occurrence, he hastened to inform his master of it. The king recognised the miracle, and both himself and his wife were no less lost in astonishment, than their servant; and, although they minutely examined, they could not find out which way he had come, or which way he had goue; and this was the more remarkable, because the place, being surrounded by water, could not be approached without a boat.

Struck

"Meanwhile, the ninth hour of the day [3 o'clock] was approaching, and those, who had gone out to fish, brought home three boat-fuls, and said, that they had never caught such an abundance during the three years which they had passed in those marshes. Delighted at this instance of God's mercy, they spent the day in greater glee than usual, and at the approach of night, went each to rest after the labours of the day. All the others were soon buried in sleep, but Alfred alone lay awake in his bed, thinking with a sad heart on his sufferings. and his exile, and wondering much about the stranger and the unexpected draught of fishes. On a sudden a light from heaven, brighter than the beams of the sun, shone upon his bed. with awe, he forgot all his former anxieties, and looked in amazement on the brightness of the light. In the midst of which appeared an elderly man, bearing the pontifical fillet on his black locks, but having a most benignant look, and bearing on his right hand a copy of the holy Gospels, adorned most marvellously with gold and jewels. He advanced, and calmed the fears of the astonished king with these words: Let not the brilliancy of my coming disturb you, beloved King Alfred, nor the fear of barbarian cruelty any longer harass you: for God, who does not despise the groans of His poor servants, will soon put an end to your troubles, and I, from henceforth, will be your constant helper.' The king was comforted with these words, and asked him earnestly who he was, and why he had come. Then the elderly man, smiling, said, 'I am he, to whom you this day ordered bread to be given: but I took not so much pleasure in the bread and wine, as in the devotion of your soul. But, whereas you ask me my name, know that I am Cuthbert, the servant of God, and am sent to explain to you, in familiar terms, how you may be relieved from the persecution which has so long afflicted you. In particular, therefore, I advise you to cherish mercy and justice, and to teach them to your sons above every thing else, seeing that at your prayer God has vouchsafed to grant to you the disposal of the whole of Britain. If you are faithful to God and me, you shall find me, from this time, your invincible buckler, whereon all the strength of your enemies shall be broken. Wherefore now put off all your fears and inactivity, and, as soon as to-morrow's light shall dawn, cross over to the nearest shore, and blow loudly with your horn three times. And as wax melts before the heat of the fire, so by your blasts shall the pride of your enemies, with God's will, be dissolved, and the courage of your friends be aroused. About the ninth hour of the day, five hundred of your dearest friends shall come to you fully armed;

and by this sign shall you believe me, that, at the end of seven days, an army shall assemble together from the whole of this land to Mount Assandune, prepared to follow you as their king, in adversity as well as in prosperity: there shall you join battle with the enemy, and, without a doubt, gain the victory.' Having said these words, the saint disappeared from the king's eyes, and the light faded away. Alfred, feeling certain that all he had heard would come to pass, yielded himself wholly to the saint's protection and guidance. At the dawn of day, he hastened with unusual activity to the shore, and did as he had been directed. His horn was heard both by his enemies and friends, and five hundred of his best adherents joined him, well prepared with arms. He revealed to them the vision, and said, 'We have now seen what punishment our fathers, who are dead, have, by God's just ordinance, been suffered to receive from the barbarians, for our crimes as well as theirs. We ourselves also are sought out, day and night, for similar treatment; nor have we any place of refuge to which we can trust. I beg you, therefore, let us obey the admonitions of our patron, St. Cuthbert. Let us be faithful to God, eschew evil, love the practice of virtue, and so shall we every where experience the benefit of his protection.' In short, an army from the whole country came with Alfred on the appointed day to the mountain aforesaid; and on the other side there came that illomened host of fierce barbarians, trusting to their superior numbers, and to their success in former battles. They instantly engaged, but the event of the contest was not the same to both. On the one side the Christians proved, by their slaughter of the enemy, how wholesome a thing it is to trust in heavenly aid: on the other hand, the Pagans experienced, by their defeat, how detestable it is to presume on human pride. Thus this battle was gained without much loss to his army; and Alfred received dominion over the whole of Britain: and, as at his court he always retained in his thoughts the precepts of the saint which he had learnt in adversity, he at all times, and in all places, prevailed over the machinations of his adversaries."

CHAP. XVII.

ALFRED PREPARES TO LEAVE ATHELNEY-AS A GLEE-MAN HE RECONNOITRES THE DANISH CAMP-SUMMONS HIS ARMY AT EGBERT'S STONE-MARCHES TO ETHANDUNE-DEFEATS THE DANES-TAKES THEIR CAMP-GUTHRUM BECOMES A CHRISTIAN.

WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY tells us, that King Alfred used often in later days to speak of the time which he spent in the wilds of Somersetshire, of the hardships which he daily suffered, and of the dangers which continually encompassed him. It was now about five months since his troops had been defeated by the enemy, and himself obliged to become a fugitive and an outcast. Yet I believe that the plan which King Alfred adopted was what afterwards mainly conduced to bring about his restoration, and the reestablishment of his country's freedom. Many indications of this appear in the narratives of the old chroniclers. It is probable that the Danes owed their success at Chippenham in a great measure to the suddenness of their attack, and the king now seems to have retaliated upon them by a similar mode of operations. That he kept up a communication with his faithful nobles throughout the three neighbouring counties, is evident; for by a hasty summons of a few days, a large army was speedily brought together. Before, however, his standard was again spread to the breezes, it was Alfred's policy to obtain all the information in his power concerning his enemies, to reconnoitre their position, their defences,