The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-02

Trains leave from Central depot, corn
he subdued these enemies, and the treaty
of Wedmore in SIS sealed his work. But
this victory was only accomplished by the
surrender of a large part of Britain over
which Alfred owned lordship. 1t was de-
liberate sacrifice on his part, and it marks
how lofty was his IDEAL of kingship. The
whole course Of the Danish war had shown
that ne had within him the power TO be-
come a great conqucror, but he deliberate
" put all dreams of conquest aside in or
der to carry out what seemed TO him the
much greater work of educating the people
of his own special kingdom of WesseX.
Wen may he write in his "Boethius,
'sThou knowest, o Reason, that greatness
of earthly dominion never well pleased me.
nor did | yearn very much for an earthly
kingdom. Yet, indeed l was DESTROYS OF
materials for the work that l was hidden
to work" At last, then, he had freedom
and as he wisifully calls it, Stiffness to
begin those labors which were to raise the
Whole standard of education, morals and
religion among his people. Fifteen years
he worked almost uninterruptedly HIS
first business was 10 draw round him
band of scholarly teachers, several from
abroad. from whom lie set himself 10 learn,
Amidst the many cares of state ne worked
hard at mere book-learning, lamenllng oil
ten that his own and Eusland's education
had been so much neglected. As soon as
ever he had made himself capable in La
lin, he translated into English the best
books on geography, history morals and
religion that he could lay hands upon-in-
telligent translation, iniermingled with
I, v of his own observations and adapt
e. 10 the special needs of his own people
And in prefaces to these books he tells,
with a simple modesty, the story of MS
1,., lao "a { HaY G0f
[ understood Uhem), and so that l could
translate 0hem) quite clearly. l turned
(them) into English. Let not the reader
blame (me) If he understand It better than
The translator could, because everyone ac-
eording 10 the measure of his unders and
ing, aud according to his leisure, must
! speak what he soeaketh and do what he
doeth.
Beyond this work, he was founding
schools encouraging art, exploration,
! science and every kind of knowledge that
came within his reach. rebuilding towns,
improving the army, founding a navy, aud
| keeping up honorable communication win
foreign countries And all the while ne
was in the grip of an obscure and painful
| disease which at any moment might pros
| trate him. In 1874 he had once more to
take the field against the Danes, but the
! struggle was less prolonged than before
/
| spent we may hope. in tranquility. Death
! came in 9Ol, perhaps no unwelcome visitor
| to the King whose early life had been
pierced with many nails of tribulaton'
! and whose love of God was as warm as
| any cloistered saint But being dead he
| speakech, and with how many of the move
| nents of the present day would Alfred
have deeply sympathized! He who was so
eager for national education would have
welcomed the school board. The rebuilder
! OF London would have stood by the coun-
ty council The man who strove 10 equal
Justice TO poor and rich, and who left it IN
/ his will that his own serfs and servants
were to have al his death, fun liberty 10
pass to any master they might choose
would have had a felow-feehng for the
/ great social movement of our century. Nor
could any modern reformer have been
| sterner than Alfred in his demand for eff
cheney in public servants. He inquired
9or instance, into almost all the legal judg
ments given throughout his kingdom. If
! they seemed doubtful justice he asked
/ mildly" of the judges why they gave
such sentence; if they pleaded that they
| know no better judgment to give, he re-
| proved them thus straighly; Il wonder
/ truly at your insolence, that whereas by
| Gods favor and mine you have occupied
| the rank and Office of the wise you have
| neglected the studies and labors of the
/ wise. Either, therefore, az once give up
! the discharge of the temporal duties which
| YOU hold, or endeaVor more zealcusly 10
| study the lessons of wisdom. Such are my
| commands" And most of the judges, As
ser tells us, "chose rather laborously 10
| acquire the knowledge of a new discipline
| than to resign their functions" Very
| troublesome, too. some of his sluggish
| ministers must have found his continual
| instruction, eXhorratiOn and command by
| which," as his friend Asser tells US, me
| directed their attention 10 the common in
terests of the kingdom"
But beyond social reform, the translat-
or of the "COnsolations of Philosophy
| would have taken an interest in the ethi-
| cal movement of to-day, while the mod
ern widening of religious thought would
| have gladdened him VINO in his own eX-
allied spiritual earnestness scarcely ever
| touches upon dogma. Literature would
| have found an easy patron in the author
| whose simple and charming prose may be
read to this day, and whose delight was
| in the poetry of his own land OF his
| interest in ARTS and crate We have at
| least one authentic relic in the beautiful
| alfred Jewel at oxford. Nor would
| the scientific and inventive spirit of our
| day have failed to touch the man who had
| no mean knowledge OF botany and as
tronomy who invented candle-cOck
| contrived the building of a church upon
! the marshy soil of Athelney, and is said
| 70 have turned the course of a river To
| Nansen and modern explorers Alfred
| would have given, not only a ready ear,
| but financial help, for he was known wide
1 ~ as the friend OF travellers and strang-