New-York tribune., 1915-10-30

ALYRED TIE 0REAr. TIE Truth Teller Miir
o. England $3.50. by Beatrice Aaelsiao n,
ford Illustrated. sro. ~. ~. i93. O. =.
Pgtnem's sons
4 worthy work, on a great theme.
Tho theme is, indeed. great in several
senses: Nominally, Of course, and also
actually, whether we regard the per-
sonality OF the man. or his work, or yet
the place which he fills alike IN history
and romance. Il IL noteworthy that in
the long line Of English sovereigns Of
various dynastles Alfred is the only
one who Is called "the Great; for
while the title is also given and not
unworthily 20 Canute, il Is as Danish
rather than as an English king. Other
lands have been more generous. France,
always much given 10 titles OF all sorts,
has had no fewer than six great
Kings; Spain, four; Prussia, Portugal,
Russia and the old German Empire
each thus distinguished two sovereignsj
little Wales called four OF her rulers
great. while Ireland and Hungary are
content with one each. Precisely why
Alfred was selected for this solitary
distinction In the English line II might
be difficult 70 say. Two or three OF the
Henrys, and at least two Of the Ed
wards, might we'll have been chosen.
with Elizabeth and Victoria; not to
mention the Protector. Indeed. several
Of these made a much more striking ap-
peal 70 the Imagination than Alfred, In
the way in which Frederick II Of Prus-
sia and Henry ~ and Louis XIV OF
France won their greatness
Miss Lees's admirable work does not
enter into this discussion In terms, but
it makes clear the ample titles of It's
subject 10 the unique distinction. These
are not, however, the legendary
grounds, familiar to every one Of Ma
caulays multitudinous schoolboys. The
Alfred of pious myth Is not neglected
by the author, but she considers him
chiefly 70 show how vastly greater aud
better is truth than fiction. 1t Is vain
70 talk of him as the founder Of the
English navy, as the inventor OF local
government, as the establisher OF trial
by Jury, as the creator Of the Univer-
sity Of oxford. With all of these
achievements he was, indeed, associat-
ed, but not 10 him or to any one man is
the sole credit Of them due. Still less
judicious is II 10 speak Of him as the
maker of England, though a maker Of
England he unquestionsbly was. We
may rank him in that capacity, among
the sncients, with Canute, the first
William. the second Henry and the first
Edward. Perhaps we may even call
him among them "primus inter pares."
But certainly all these others con-
tributed largely and essentially 70 the
making OF England.
1t was Alfred's special distinction,
as Miss Lees persuasively and con-
vincingly points out. that he made
England English. In the ninth cen
tury the kingdom was still in an en-
bryonic state. A sufficiently strong
influence could have made 1t any Of
several other things than what 1. did
become. Had Alfred perished at
Ethandun, II is not improbable that
England and all the British Isles would
have become Scandinavian. Had AL
fred not compiled his code. the COM
mon law OF England might have be-
come Roman instead Of Anglo Saxon.
Had he not labored with brain and
pen, the language and literature Of Eng
land might have been Morse, or Latin,
instead Of the marvellous complex which
we call English. Had II not been for him
the earlier records Of the realm might
have been forever lost. IL was he who.
at the psychological moment, gave Eng
land the bent which made her forever
English. lie was able 20 establish a
system Of law, OF speech and Of
thought in brief, national genius -
which could survive alike the Danish
and the Norman conquests and cause
the conquerors 70 be assimilated in
time by the conquered.
There Is probably nothing in the
world more ungrateful for e historian
TO do than 20 smash popular idols or
20 dispcl cherished traditions. There
is, however, nothing more essential;
when il needs 10 be done. Miss Lees
mas nNL NL4lIh AlNll Aut kdehf UNA
she will probably not incur the odium
which too often attaches 20 II. Tha.
is because Of the transparent integri-
" OF her purpose. her disinterested
devotion 10 the truth-the truth-tell-
iug which was characteristic OF her
famous subject. II is also because
while she smashes the somewhat fan
tastic effigy OF imaginative legend, she
reveals In its place a far more i'm
pressive and engaging figure. which
L. vital and truthful. Her Alfred Is
10 Jay figure. tricked out in motley
as the hero Of fable. He is every
/ inch a King" and a King in the duaI
senses-if We may cite familiar but
false etymology IN connection with
such theme-ot one who both can
and "kens," King who was grea,
both in doing and in knowing. His
military achievements were not in
considerable. His administrative pow
ers amounted to something like genius
! His literary labors alone would have
entitled him 70 fame. These manifold
works OF his are not merely chronicled
IN the book before Us. They are ana
lyzed, discussed and appraised with
authority, so that the reader gets a
| convincing view Of Alfred net only ~