Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-01-23
GRADE IX=LESSON Y.
ALFRED THE GREAT.

wards called Al1red the tfeat-hhu ne
va~ Inc favorite son both of the king and
queen.
In those days the common people were
very ignorant few of them could even
read aud write. There were no schools,
and the monasteres, where almost the
only teaching had been done, We're nearly
all DESTROYED in the wars which were
continually going on. Only the higher
classes had any chance to study, aud even
they paid much more attention to fight
ing than to studying.
But Alfred was different from most
persons OF his time. Even when a little
boy. he delighted in listening to poems
and to the ballads which harpers used to
sing aud he learned many OF them by
heart. When he was twelve years old,
his mot her, the queen, offered to give a
volume OF poems to that one Of her four
sons who would first learn to read it.
Alfred was the youngest OF them all, yet
he easily won the prize Of which his
brothers thought so little.
But, as has been said, these were stir
ring times, and Alfred was soon called on
to show his great abilities As a soldier.
The Danes, a wsrlike people, were con-
tinually swooping down in their vessels
upon the coast OF England. Often they
spread over the entire country, plumber
ing and burning the towns, and killing
the people.
In the midst Of these invasions Alfred
became king, when he was only twenty
two years old. He proved as good a
warrior as he was student. He thought
that whatever is worth doing at all is
worth doing we'll. He was generally sue
cessful against the Danes but at one time
they see red to have the country entirely
in their power and Alfred was compelled
to hide for his lie.
For some time he dressed as a peasant,
and lived in the cottage of a COW herd
who WIS so careful OF his kings safety
that he did not even tell his wife who he
was. 50 she treated the king COM
mon peasant, and one day gave him a
sharp Seeding because he allowed some
ctS"s To burn on the griddle, after she
had left him to watch them. She told
hum ht, was clever enough at eating cakes
thoneh he managed so buddy at baking
them.
When the search for him grew less
active, Alfred gradually collected some of
his followers, with whom he encamped
on small spot of firm ground in the
centre Of bog. 1t was surrounded by
almost impossible forests, and Alfred
fortified the place 90 that it could not
well be. taken. Then he made frequent
sudden and successful attacks on the
enemy until his troops and the people be
came encouraged.
One victory in particular, when they
captured a banner which the Danes
thought enchanted, led Alfred to take
holder steps. He W ished to find out the
exact condition of the enemy, and, for
this purpose, disguised himself as a
harper and entered their camp. He was
so successful in his disguise that he re-
manned there some days, even being
admitted to the tent of the Danish leader
Guthrum.
lie found their entire army living in
careless security, and so he determined to
make sudden and bold attack on them
to try and rid his country once more OF
these cruel invaders. He summoned his
people about him from far and wide.
Many of them had long thought their
beloved king dead, but now all eagerly
obeyed his ca \.
He at once led them against that part
OF the camp which he had seen to be most
unguarded. The attack was entirely I'M
expected, and, although the Danes were
greater in numbers, they were defeated
with great slaughter. Some OF them,
with their leader, fled to fortified place,
but were soon obliged to surrender.
Alfred granted them their lives, and
settled them in a part OF his kingdom
where nearly all his own people had been
destroyed. He hoped by this to change
obstinate enemies into useful friends W nc
would protect England from further at
tacks of their own countrymen. How
ever, some years later, when the Danes
made another invasion, these people
joined them in fighting against Alfred
but he soon succeeded in driving them all
out of the country.
Much as Alfred did for his people in
war, he did more in time Of peace. Above
all else he gave careful attention to theii
education. He rebuilt the monasteries
and aided the young university OF OK
ford. He also founded many schools, to
which every owner OF q certain portion
OF land was compelled to send his chill
dren.
But he did as much good by the exam
pie that he set as by these acts. His time
was divided into three parts. One was
given to business, one to refreshment by