Observations of all the Kings of England, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Alfred, Aelfred, or Alvred.
THe twenty third King of the West-Saxons, Alfridus, qui & Ae…fredus, & Alvredus de bellavit Danos, & unicus sui sae…ust Maecenas fuit. Lelandi …omment in Cygn…am Cantionem. Insignem hunc Regem Saxo-nes passim, & ipsus semet, Aelfredum nominant, nonnulli Alfre…um & …lfridum: recentiores (litera [f] …u [v] consonantem versa) Alvredum. Filius erat Regis Ethelwulplhi pihntissimi, …atu certè minimus, è virtute autem & rebus gestis, magnus ab …horibus appellatus Pu…rum adhuc à patre Romam delegatum, Leo Pap… …0. Prophetico velut ductus …piritu in Anglorum futurum aliq tando Regem …xit, dum…tres sui fratres omnes, qui paterno priùs fruebantur diademate, superstites …, … & insolumes Reg…are capit anno Christi 872. des…it anno 901. cum annos 28 v…l 29 reg…minis tenuisset gubernaculum, multas interea utriusque fortunae expertus vi…ssitudines. Spelm. de Concil. p. 378. Hic octarum Saxo…corum …, in Dei servitto vigilantissimus, & in exequendis jud…ii… erat discretissimus. Hoved. Annal pars prior.and twenty fourth Monarch of the English men.
He was the first annointed King of England, Erat Rex ille in exequendis judiciis, sicut in caeteris al…is omnibus rebus discretissimus indagator▪ Asserius Men…vensis.as glorious for his most excellent Laws, transcendent Justice and Civil Government, as for his martiall exploits, victories, and for his incomparable piety and extraordinary bounty to the Clergy and learned men.
Of his great memory when he was young,Vide Asserium de Alfredi rebus g…tis. vide Asserium de Aelfredi rebus gestis.
He was accounted a good Grammarian, Rhetorician, Philosopher, Musician, and Poet.
His Raign began with troubles and Warres,Nec verò des… erunt dulcissimi Jovis … Mercurii bene positorum influxus; nec Musae (Rex enim. faelix seculum verè philosophabatur) ne…leg… inter arma …. Sel…en… Analect. Anglo brit. l. 2. c. 5. in defence of the Land which the Pagan-Danes intended to destroy; and though his powers were small, yet was he forced into the field within one monethmonth after his Coronation.
He fought no less than forty six bloudy Battels (saith Spelman) with the Danes by Land and Sea, for his Countries liberties.
Vir in bell… per omnia strenuissimus. Asserius.
He was once brought to that extremity, that he was forced to leave his Companies, and lurk in Somerset-shire Marshes.
The solitary place of his most residency, was an Island inclosed with two Rivers Thane and Parret, at their meetings in the County of Somerset, commonly called Edeling se…, where he in very poor attire disguised, was entertained into a Cow-heards service, where on a time as he sate by the fire in trimming of his Bow and sha…ts, a Cake of dough baking on the hearth before him, chanced to burn; the Cowheardess coming in, and seeing him minde his Bow more than his bread, in a great …ury cast away both his Bow and arrowes, and checking him said, Thou fellow dost thou see the bread burn before thy face, and wilt not turn it, and yet art thou glad to eat it before it be half baked?
Of the naturall dayes twenty four hours, eight he allotted for devotion and contemplation, eight for refection and recreation, and the eight remaining for matters of the Commonwealth.
Iulius Caesar having spent the whole day in the field about his military affairs,Vide Asserium Menevensem de Aelfredi rebus gestis. p. 9. divided the night also for three severall uses, one part for his sleep, a second for the Commonwealth and publike business, the third for his studies. Peacham.
He translated Gregories Pastorals,And also Paulu… Orosius his History. B…les History, and Boethius de Consolatione Philosophiae into the Saxon tongue, and began to do the like with Davids Psalmes.
In divinis libris & sacra lectione tam assiduus erat, quod Davidicum Psalterium, vel aliquem alium librum aedisic…torium in sinu suo semper ferret;Vide Malm. de gestis Reg. Angl. l. 2. c. 4. To furnish i… with able Scholars, he drew thither out of France Grimbald and Scotus, and out of Wales Asser, (who … his life) whose Lectures he honoured often with his own presence. & viros literatissim…s de terris exteris ad se accersens, aliquandiu in Palatio suo secum pro sacris literis addiscendis retentos, demum diversis praelatiis & dignitatibus premoveret. Ingulphi Historia p. 870. vide plura ibid. & p. 871.
He restored the decayed University of Oxford, by fixing therein a Colledge, (now bearing the name of Vniversity-Colledge) and annexed ample maintenance unto it.
He divided his Kingdome into Shires, Hundreds and Tithings, for the better ordering and administring of justice, and for the abandoning of theeves, which had formerly encreased by the meanes of long Warres; whereby notwithstanding the multitude of Souldiers continually imployed, it is reported that a Virgin * might travell alone in his dayes through all his Dominions, without any violence offered; and that Bracelets of gold were hanged in the high wayes,Quin & provincialibus graudem amorem studtiorunt in…u…it, hos praemiis, illos injuriis hortando; neminem illiteratum ad quamlibet Curiae dignitatem aspirare perinittens. Malmesh de gestis Regum Auglorum, l. 2. c. 4. and no man so hardy as to take them away.
William the first so well provided for execution of Justice upon offenders, that a young maiden well charged with gold, might travell in any part of the Realm, without any offer of injury unto her. Hayw.
He permitted none in office in Court, or elsewhere, unless he were learned, which incited his Nobles to the earnest pursuit of learned Arts, and to train up their children in good letters.
He caused all former Lawes to be surveyed,Aluredu… à Decalogo suas leges piè auspicatur Vide Lanibardum de priscis …nglorum legibus. and made choice of the best, which he translated into the English tongue.
He begins his Lawes with a religious Majesty, Loquutus est Dominus ad Mosem hos sermones, &c. and cites all the Decalogue.
Abbot Ethelred gives this encomium of his Lawes, Leges Christianissimas & scripsit, & promulgavit, in quibus fides ejus & devotio in Deum, sollicitudo in subditos, misericordia in pauperes, justitia circa omnes cunctis legenti…us patet.
He had so great a love to learning, that he made a Law, that all Freemen of the Kingdome, possessing two Hides of Land, should bring up their sons in learning, till they were fifteen years of age at least, that so they might be trained to know God, to be men of understanding, and to live happily.
He bestowed the sixth part of his riches and Rents,Dum gesta ejus commemoro militaria, miror unquam cum cogitasse civilia. Dum civilium ejus intueor molestiarum cumulos; miror utique quod in aciem prodiit. Dum verò religio…em, pietatem, & ardorem rerum c…lestium contemplatus sum, vixisse Monachus visus est & regularis; hoc solo infaelix, quòd inter gentes barbares sub faedissimo literarum deliquio. f…loruit & interiit circiter an. Dom. 900 Spelmanni Glossarium Vid… ejus Epist. Dedicat. ad Lib. de Consil. upon the poor strangers of the Countrey, and sent every year little less to forraign Churches without the Realm. Dalechamps Christian hospitality. c. 3.
He was very learned, a quality rare in his time; and as Solomon, Alexander the Great, Iulius Caesar, Augustus, and our Charlemagne, (saith Andre Du Chesne) he joyned learning and valour, and was clement, liberall, pious and devout, and adorned with all royall vertues and endowments. I may in some respects compare him with Almansor, the learned and victorious King that conquered Spain.
He was at fifteen years so skilfull in the seven liberall Sciences, that they who were the most learned in them, spake of them in his presence with much fear and bashfulness; for at every other word he corrected the imperfections which proceeded out of their ignorance. At the five and twentieth year of his age, he spake eleven languages, reading and writing them as perfectly as the very Naturals themselves. He divided the dayes of the week after this manner. The Friday for matters of his Religion, in which he was very devout. The Saturday for matters of Justice. The Sunday for matters of Warre. The Munday for the government of his Kingdomes. The Tuesday and Wednesday for his recreations and private affairs. And the Thursday for matters of learning.
He chastised theeves so severely, that none durst take any thing from other, neither in City, nor in Countrey; as well in deserts, as in peopled place…. And in so great awe they were of him, that if any one had lost ought in the street, or Market-place, none durst meddle therewith, otherwise than to leave it at the next Shop, and cause it to be cryed, till the owner were found, to whom it was to be restored.
None ever …ought for alms or succour at his hands, whether he were Moor, Christian, or Jew, that went away unrelieved.
He was worthily called the Conquerour, being never overcome. He won eighty six Battels by Sea and by Land; and took five Kings, subdued three parts of the world, Asia, Africke, and Europe. His life and death by Ashley.
Alfred's Arms are to be seen in the publike Hall of University-Colledge in Oxford.
The Archdeacon of Huntington speaking of the continuall travail he had during his Raign, relates these Verses of him.
Nobilitas innata tibi probitatis honorem,His Epitaph.
Armipotens Aelfrede dedit, probitasque laborem;
Perpetuumque labor nomen, cui mixta dolori
Gaudia semper erant, spes semper mixta timori.
Si modo victor eras, ad crastina bella pavebas,
Si modo victus eras, ad crastin… bella parabas:
Cui ve…tes sudore jugi, cui …eca cruore
Tincla jugi, qu…ntum s…t onus regnare, probarunt.
Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi,
Cui tot in adversis vel respirare liceret,
Nec tamen aut ferro contritus, poncre ferrum,
Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse labores.
Iam post transactos vitae, regnique dolores
Christus ei sit vera quies, sceptrumque perenne.
He raigned twenty seven years say some;Anno dominicae incarnationis 872, Elfredus filius Ethel… wulphi junior regnum accepit, & 28. & semis annos laboriosissime, & fortissime …enuit. Malmesb. l. 2. c. 4 Some say above 29. years. So Rog. de Hoveden annal part 1. twenty eight saith Powell, the writer of his life. Ingulphus saith he died in the twenty ninth year of his Raign.