A Metrical History of England Or, Recollections, in Rhyme, Of some of the most prominent Features in our National Chronology, from the Landing of Julius Caesar to the Commencement of the Regency, in 1812. In Two Volumes ... By Thomas Dibdin |
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 | A Metrical History of England |  |
61
“He was a man, (then boldly dare to say,)
“In whose rich soule the vertues well did sute,
“In whom so mix'd the elements all lay,
“That none to one cou'd sou'raigntre impute,
“As all did governe, yet all did obey;
“He of a temper was so absolute
“As that it seem'd when nature him began
“She meant to shew all that might be in man.”
Drayton.
“In whose rich soule the vertues well did sute,
“In whom so mix'd the elements all lay,
“That none to one cou'd sou'raigntre impute,
“As all did governe, yet all did obey;
“He of a temper was so absolute
“As that it seem'd when nature him began
“She meant to shew all that might be in man.”
Drayton.
“A little island boasts his glorious birth,
“His fame for wisdom fills the spacious earth.”
Pope.
“His fame for wisdom fills the spacious earth.”
Pope.
ALFRED THE GREAT.
When Guthrum's
momentary might
Had taken place of Alfred's right
His fainting friends, dispersing, fled,
While he a life erratic led,
Folding the herdsman's flock for bread.
Condemn'd that bread himself to bake,
And when (his royal thoughts astray,
On projects soon to see the day,)
His mind to nobler tasks awake,
He tended ill the household cake;
A woman's tongue, a woman's blows,
Add to the humbled Monarch's woes.
Had taken place of Alfred's right
His fainting friends, dispersing, fled,
While he a life erratic led,
Folding the herdsman's flock for bread.
Condemn'd that bread himself to bake,
And when (his royal thoughts astray,
On projects soon to see the day,)
62
He tended ill the household cake;
A woman's tongue, a woman's blows,
Add to the humbled Monarch's woes.
More watchful for his suff'ring state,
Alive to every turn of fate,
Alfred assumes a temporary throne;
Where stagnate thick the Parret and the Thone.
In Athelney two acres in extent
Scarce hold the British Sov'reign's tent;
Yet here, encircled by a daring few,
The hero's future greatness grew.
From hence, in oft successful sally,
Issue the unexpected warrior band,
And chase o'er forest, mount, and valley,
The Danish spoilers of our native land.
And Oddune, Devon's chief, by Kinwith's towers,
Slew Hubba, and destroy'd his pirate powers.
Alive to every turn of fate,
Alfred assumes a temporary throne;
Where stagnate thick the Parret and the Thone.
In Athelney two acres in extent
Scarce hold the British Sov'reign's tent;
Yet here, encircled by a daring few,
The hero's future greatness grew.
From hence, in oft successful sally,
Issue the unexpected warrior band,
And chase o'er forest, mount, and valley,
The Danish spoilers of our native land.
And Oddune, Devon's chief, by Kinwith's towers,
Slew Hubba, and destroy'd his pirate powers.
The great, good, ruler of the little isle,
Who justly balanced fortune's ev'ry smile,
Beholds his projects ripening, and goes,
In harper's guise, among his num'rous foes.
The minstrel's air, and gait, so well he feigns,
The royal tent admits him; he obtains
Knowledge of martial efforts to be made,
And by whose influence each attempt is sway'd:
For of intents and means the chiefs spoke loud,
Nor heeded Alfred in the mingled crowd;
For potent mead, from oft replenish'd shell,
Urg'd the gay tongue each inmost thought to tell,
While well the harper play'd; and listen'd well.
Right skilful was his finger, and right dear
The Danes soon learn'd how accurate his ear.
Who justly balanced fortune's ev'ry smile,
63
In harper's guise, among his num'rous foes.
The minstrel's air, and gait, so well he feigns,
The royal tent admits him; he obtains
Knowledge of martial efforts to be made,
And by whose influence each attempt is sway'd:
For of intents and means the chiefs spoke loud,
Nor heeded Alfred in the mingled crowd;
For potent mead, from oft replenish'd shell,
Urg'd the gay tongue each inmost thought to tell,
While well the harper play'd; and listen'd well.
Right skilful was his finger, and right dear
The Danes soon learn'd how accurate his ear.
“When music, heavenly maid! was young,
“When yet in early Greece she sung,”
Tho' vast her powers and sweet her tongue,
They both had fail'd to celebrate his name,
Who, while he struck the antient British lyre,
With all the purity of patriot flame,
That cou'd a parent Monarch's breast inspire,
A meaning drew from ev'ry tone,
To Danes, outwitted, little known;
Who wanted souls to tell them each proud string
Responded to the feelings of a King.
“When yet in early Greece she sung,”
Tho' vast her powers and sweet her tongue,
They both had fail'd to celebrate his name,
Who, while he struck the antient British lyre,
With all the purity of patriot flame,
That cou'd a parent Monarch's breast inspire,
A meaning drew from ev'ry tone,
To Danes, outwitted, little known;
64
Responded to the feelings of a King.
Let not the nicely scrupulous exclaim,
“The subtle spy obscures the soldier's fame!”
By art, as well as arms, his foes succeed,
Through foreign art his native subjects bleed.
And, when to bring the Dane to open strife,
For England's welfare, Alfred risks his life,
The noble issue, and the glorious end.
To which his perilous adventures tend,
Made, in a cause for which he wou'd have died,
The means he used his glory and his pride.
“The subtle spy obscures the soldier's fame!”
By art, as well as arms, his foes succeed,
Through foreign art his native subjects bleed.
And, when to bring the Dane to open strife,
For England's welfare, Alfred risks his life,
The noble issue, and the glorious end.
To which his perilous adventures tend,
Made, in a cause for which he wou'd have died,
The means he used his glory and his pride.
Those means with most deserv'd success were bless'd;
Guthrum, in turn, discomfited, distrest,
At Eddington beholds his army beat,
And sues for mercy at the Minstrel's feet.
Hunted, pursued, by youths whose earlier age
Had seen their parents fall by Danish rage,
The Danes, now suppliant for British grace,
Renounce their Pagan gods, and heathen race;
And humbly seek permission to reside
In peace with those whom lately they defied.
Guthrum, in turn, discomfited, distrest,
At Eddington beholds his army beat,
And sues for mercy at the Minstrel's feet.
Hunted, pursued, by youths whose earlier age
Had seen their parents fall by Danish rage,
The Danes, now suppliant for British grace,
Renounce their Pagan gods, and heathen race;
65
In peace with those whom lately they defied.
“Ye who have view'd, in pleasure's choicest hour,
“The earth embellished on the banks of Stour;
“Where, with pure love of smiling nature warm'd,
“A second Paradise the founder form'd .”
“The earth embellished on the banks of Stour;
“Where, with pure love of smiling nature warm'd,
“A second Paradise the founder form'd .”
You've seen (not far from where embower'd round,
The river's source first glides with trilling sound)
On terraced lawn majestically high,
Great Alfred's Tow'r, arrest the wond'ring eye;
Inscribed by truth, a modern race to shew
What solid blessings to his reign we owe.
His first-built Navy taught us how to sweep,
With flag triumphant, the subservient deep;
His English Jury, form'd in happiest hour,
Still guards the innocent from lawless pow'r;
His battles were, as our traditions fix,
(Successful most) in number fifty-six.
The river's source first glides with trilling sound)
On terraced lawn majestically high,
Great Alfred's Tow'r, arrest the wond'ring eye;
Inscribed by truth, a modern race to shew
What solid blessings to his reign we owe.
His first-built Navy taught us how to sweep,
With flag triumphant, the subservient deep;
His English Jury, form'd in happiest hour,
Still guards the innocent from lawless pow'r;
His battles were, as our traditions fix,
(Successful most) in number fifty-six.
66
Yet let not here our admiration cease,
Tho' fam'd in war, he lov'd and cherish'd peace.
His aim in battle sought no other plan
But to convince, then bless, his fellow man!
Thy venerable turrets, Oxford, rose,
From him, who, unsubdued by fiercest foes,
Was great alike in danger and repose.
Philosophy and Christian worth combined
Their vast effects in one capacious mind.
Replete with soul, the Monarch stood alone,
And built, on freedom's basis, England's throne.
A legislator, parent, warrior, sage,
He died “the light of a benighted age.”
Bede and Orosius, historians grave,
A Saxon dress the studious Sov'reign gave;
Boethius too, our tongue he taught to speak,
And Æsop's morals, from their native Greek.
Of thirty years in which the land he sway'd,
Not one elaps'd but some good laws he made;
And proved, as grateful pens record,
There never yet was Britain's lord
Who better knew to rule, or better was obey'd.
Tho' fam'd in war, he lov'd and cherish'd peace.
His aim in battle sought no other plan
But to convince, then bless, his fellow man!
Thy venerable turrets, Oxford, rose,
From him, who, unsubdued by fiercest foes,
Was great alike in danger and repose.
Philosophy and Christian worth combined
Their vast effects in one capacious mind.
Replete with soul, the Monarch stood alone,
And built, on freedom's basis, England's throne.
A legislator, parent, warrior, sage,
He died “the light of a benighted age.”
Bede and Orosius, historians grave,
A Saxon dress the studious Sov'reign gave;
67
And Æsop's morals, from their native Greek.
Of thirty years in which the land he sway'd,
Not one elaps'd but some good laws he made;
And proved, as grateful pens record,
There never yet was Britain's lord
Who better knew to rule, or better was obey'd.
A very singular circumstance occurs in those laws which the great Alfred formed for the regulation of the English Church. The introduction produces a copy of the Ten Commandments, in which the second has only these words, “Make not thou gods of gold and silver.” This alteration was certainly made to favor the literal adoration of paintings and images. Andrews, from Spelman.
So little was learning attended to by the great, that Asser, the biographer of Alfred, mentions with amazement, the King having taught his youngest son, Ethelward, to read before he made him acquainted with hunting. Elfredi.
He also rendered the Holy Gospels into the Saxon tongue, in which the Lord's Prayer, (which is inserted here as a specimen of the language of Alfred's day,) stands as follows;
Fæder ure thu the earth on heafenum, si thin nama gehalgod, to be cume thin rice, Gewurthe thin willa on eorthan swa swa on heafenum, urne ge dægwanlican hlaf syle us to dæg; and for gyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgivath urum gyltendum, and ne gelædde thu us on cosenung ac alyse us of yfle. (Si it swa.)
Medulla Historiæ Anglicanæ. | A Metrical History of England | |