THEN he who shaped the world, God's Spirit Son He sowed, and set within the minds of men. One cunningly can write and stir the surging depth. One can ascend the lofty tree and steep. One can fashion well steeled sword and weapon. One knoweth the plain's direction, the wide ways. Thus the ruler Child Divine dispenseth unto us His gifts on earth; He will not give to any one man all Cynewulf's "Christ." [Gollancz.] Chapter I The Sower "There is no greater service than that of the man who sows the seed of right ideas in the right places." "The one security for personal fidelity and effective achievement lies in working from within: from the native love of order, beauty, right; from faith in them as the mastering powers of the outer world; from reverent allegiance to them, which makes acquiescence in their defeat impiety."-James Martineau. "There is a path to success through the consciousness of weakness as there is a path to failure through the consciousness of strength.”—The Note-Book. IT is convenient in looking for the outline of Alfred's life and work to disregard the strict chronological succession of events for some time after the Treaty of Wedmore. Alfred was engaged for some years in working out the purposes he had formed for the good of his people. His work was subject to occasional interruptions from the outside which may be conveniently grouped together later on, but it was, in the main, work within his own kingdom, the creation of order out of disorder, the constructive work of a statesman, and the instinctive following of impulses from within which delighted in the creation of enlightenment, harmony, law, goodness, and godliness. Before dealing with that work in detail it is worth while to attempt to come to close quarters with the remarkable personality which it reveals. In the measure in which that is done successfully Alfred leaves an impression as one of the rarest intellects and noblest personalities found anywhere in the front rank of historic characters. There is no need to introduce the legendary glories of later days to enhance our respect for him. There are enough facts recorded in that section of Asser's "Life of Alfred" which is contemporary with the events it describes, to enable us to form some conception of the singular combination of qualities which made a triumphant harmony in Alfred's life. It is perhaps a kind of vanity to say that Alfred's mind was modern and scientific, in striking contrast to the mental atmosphere of his time. The terms will, however, serve to describe one of his distinguishing characteristics. The usual mediæval motive in education was, for instance, strictly ecclesiastical. Education was desired in order to maintain the supply of clergy, and it was not considered desirable to carry it farther than was required for this purpose. Clerks were trained to chant and read select passages from the Latin Bible, to calculate the return of Easter, and to copy and illuminate manuscripts. Men like Biscop, Theodore, Bede, and Alcuin went further than this, and Bede, at least, had great natural originative capacity effectively disciplined. But even they do not seem to have dreamed of an attempt to educate men outside the Church on other than the traditional lines, or with any but the ecclesiastical motive. When young men of rank were educated at all their education had the hortatory bent which might be expected from its source. Here are a few illustrations from a catechism on natural science: Q. What is light? 2. What is the tongue? 2. What is air? Q. What is life? A. The torch of all things. A. The painter of the earth. A. The whip of the air. A. The guardian of life. A. The joy of the good, the sorrow of the evil, the expectation of death.1 It was possible with teaching of this kind to 1 The disputation of Pippin, the most noble and royal youth, with Albinus the pedagogue. Quoted by Mombert: and Wells, p. 328, "Age of Charlemagne." |