Branscescumbe, and at Columtune, and at Twyford,m and at Milenburn," and at Exanminster," and at Sutheswerthe, and at Liwtune," and the lands that thereto belong, that are all that I in Weal-district have, except Triconshire.

X. "And mine eldest daughter, the ham at Welewe." XI. "And the midmosts at Cleare, and at Cendefer." XII. "And the youngest," the ham at Welig,w and at Esctune, and at Cippanhamme."

XIII. "And Æthelme, mine brother's son, the ham at Ealdingburn, and at Cumtune, and at Crundell, and at Beading,d and at Beadinghamme, and at Burnham,ƒ and at Thunresfeld,ff and at Esceng.s

XIV. "And Athelwolde, mine brother's son, the ham at Godelming, and at Gildeford, and at Stæning.

XV. "And to Osferth my cousin, the ham at Beccanlea, and Hritheranfeld,m and at Dicceling," and at Suthtune, and at Lullingminster, and at Angmæring, and at Felhhamme, and the lands that thereto belong.

k. l. Branscomb, and Collumpton, County of Devon.

m. Twyford, County of Hants.

n. Milbourn, County of Dorset or Somerset.

o. Axminster, County of Devon.

p. Litten, of which name there is one in Dorset, and one in Somerset. q. Ethelfied.

r. Wellow, County of Hants.

s. His "midmost " daughter was Ethelgiva, the nun.

t. Kingsclere, County of Hants.

u. Probably one of those places in Hampshire which still bear this addition

to their name, viz. Preston Candever, Chilton Candever.

v. His youngest daughter was Elfrida, who married Baldwin II., Earl of Flanders, and dying on June the 7th, 929, was buried in the monastery of St. Peter at Ghent.

w. Willey, County of Wilts.

z. Ashton, County of Wilts.

y. Chippenham, County of Wilts.

z. Æthelm, the eldest son of King Ethelbert, elder brother of Alfred.

a. Aldingbourn, County of Sussex.

b. Compton, County of Sussex.

c. Crundal, County of Hants.

d. Beden, County of Sussex.

e. Bedingham, County of Sussex.

f. Barnham, County of Sussex.

ff. The manor of Thunderfield, in the parish of Horsey, near Ryegate in Surrey, where was formerly a castle of considerable strength.

g. Probably Eashing, in the parish of Godalming, in Surrey, the manor of which also belonged to Alfred.

h. The youngest son of King Ethelbert, who died in arms against his cousin Edward, the son and successor of Alfred, in 905.

i.j. Godalming and Guildford, both in Surrey.

k. Steyning, in Sussex.

1. m. n. Beckley, Rotherfield, and Dichling, all in Sussex.

o. p. q. r. Sutton, Lullington, Angmering, and Felphame, all in Sussex.

XVI. "And to Ealhswith, the ham at Lamburn, and at Waneting," and at Ethandune."

XVII. "And to mine two sons a thousand pounds, to each five hundred pounds.

XVIII. "And to mine eldest daughter, and to the midmost, and to the youngest, and to Ealhswithe, to them four, four hundred pounds, to each a hundred pounds.

XIX. "And to mine aldermen,w to each a hundred mancuses, and to Ethelm, and Athelwolde, and Osferthe, eke so.

XX. "And to Æthered alderman a sword of a hundred

mancuses.

XXI "And to the men that me follow, that I now at Easter-tide fees gave, two hundred pounds: let them give to them, and divide them between, to each as to him to belong they shall judge; after the manner that I to them now have distributed.

a

XXII. "And to the archbishop,y a hundred mancuses, and to Esny bishop, and to Werferthe bishop, and to the [bishop] at Sherborne.

XXIII. "Eke so let them distribute for me, and for mine father, and for the friends that he forethought for, and I forethink for, two hundred pounds; fifty to the mass-priests over all mine kingdom, fifty to God's poor servants, fifty to the distressed poor; fifty to the church that I at rest [rest at]. And I know not certainly whether fees [money] so much is, nor I know but that thereof more may be: but so I ween [think]. If it more be, be it to them all common that I fee [money] bequeathed have. And I will that my aldermen and my ministers there all together be, and this thus distribute.

XXIV. “When had I ere [formerly] in other wise written

s. Ethelswitha, the wife of Alfred, and daughter of Ethelred the Great, Earl of Mercia. She survived.

t. u. Lamburn and Wantage, in Berks, at the latter of which places Alfred was born.

. Edingdon, near Westbury, in Wilts, where Alfred defeated the Danes

in 878.

w. The king's aldermen were his justices itinerant, and other great officers of his own appointment.

x. Mr. Manning says, the "mancus was about 7s. 6d. of our present currency."

y. Ethelred, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died in 888.

z. Esne, Bishop of Hereford, who died, according to Godwin, in 885.

a. Werweth was Bishop of Worcester, a man of singular learning, and employed by Alfred in translating the Dialogues of Pope Gregory I. into the Saxon language.

b. The Bishop of Sherborne was Asser, the great friend and favourite of Alfred he wrote the Annals of that monarch's reign down to the year 893.

concerning mine inheritance, then I had more fee, and more relations, and had to many men the writings intrusted, and in [before] the same witnesses they were written. Then have I now burned those old [deeds] that I recover might. If of these any found should be, let it stand for nothing: for that I will that it now thus be with God's help.

XXV. "And I will the men that land have, the words to list that in mine father's inheritance-writing stand, so as they firmest [soonest] may.

XXVI. "And I will, if I to any men any fee unpaid have, that mine relations that at least repay. XXVII. "And I will the men to whom I my book-land bequeathed have, that they it not give from mine kin, over [after] their day, that it go unto the nighest-hand to me; unless of them any one bairns have; then it is to me most eligible that it go that issue on the male side, the while that any of it worthy be. Mine elder father [grandfather] hath bequeathed his land to the spear-half, and not to the spindlehalf. Wherefore if I have given to any female what he had acquired, then let redeem it my relations if they it while she is living have will: if it otherwise be, let it go after their day, so as we before determined have. For this reason I ordain that they it pay for, because they will succeed to my [estate] that I give may, or to female hand, or to male hand whether I will.

XXVIII." And I beseech in God's name, and in his saints', that of my relations none, nor of my heirs none, do obstruct none of the freedom of those that I have redeemed. And for me the West-Saxon nobles as lawful have pronounced that I them may leave either free either or bond whether I will. But I for God's love, and for my soul's advantage, will that they be of their freedom masters, and of their will, and I, in God the living's name intreat that them no man do not disturb, neither by money-exaction, nor by no manner of means,e that they may not choose such man as they will.

XXIX. "And I will that they restore to the families at Domerham their land-deeds and their free liberty such

c. The word "ofer" appears to have been omitted in the original. d. "Spere-healfe....spinl-healfe." The sexes are here denominated from the implements peculiar to their respective occupations; the male from the spear, the female from the spindle.

e. Alfred having manumitted divers "theowas" and put them into the condition of "ceorles," desires that his heirs would not abridge them of that liberty, but leave them to choose such man for their landlord as they wished; which all "ceorles," by the Saxon constitution, might do.

person to choose, as to them most agreeable may be; for me, and for Elfleda, and for the friends that she did intercede for, and I do intercede for.

XXX. "And seek they also, with a living price, for my soul's health, as it be may, and as it also fitting is; and as ye me to forgive shall be disposed."

Translation of King Alfred's Proverbs, given at Shifford,

A.D. 890.

From an ancient Anglo-Saxon MS. formerly in the Cottonian Library, and quoted by Spelman in his Life of Alfred: but now supposed to be lost. At Shifford sat thanes many,

Many bishops, and many book-learned [men].

Earls wise and knights awful.

There was Earl Alfric, of the law so wise,

And eke Alfred, England's herd['s-man], England's darling;
In England he was king; them he began [to] learn,

So him they might hear, how they their life should lead.
Alfred, he was in England a king well so strong.
He was king and clerk: well he loved God's work.
He was wise in his word, and wary in his speech.
He was the wisest man that was in England.

Thus quoth Alfred, England's darling:-
"Would ye now live and long after your Lord!
And He would you [make to] know wise things,
How you might world's worship obtain.

And eke your souls unite to Christ!"

Wise were the quotations that said the King Alfred. "Mildly I mind you, my dear friend, poor

And rich, loving, that ye all dread your

Lord Christ, love Him and like, for He is

Lord of life: he is one God over all goodness.

He is one bliss over all blessedness.

He is one man, mild master: He one folk's father [common

father],

And darling: He is one right wise and rich king,

That him not shall fail naught of his will

Who Him here in world worship and honour."

Thus quoth Alfred, England's comfort.
"He may no right king be under Christ's self,
But [unless] he be book-learned, and wise of law,
And he his writs well know, and he can
Letters look himself, how he shall his land
Lawfully hold."

Thus quoth Alfred, England's comfort :

"The earl and the atheling too be under the king,
The land to lead with lawful deed;

Both the clerk and the knight with evenly right:
For after that the man soweth,

Thereafter he moweth ;

And every man's doom to his own door cometh."

Thus quoth Alfred :-" The knight behoveth Cunningly to mow for to work the land

Of hunger, and of death.

That the church have grith [quiet], and the churl be in frith [freedom],

His seeds to sow, his meads to mow,

His ploughs to drive to our all behoof:

This is the knight's law to look that it well fare."

So far the translation is equivalent to the original, which may be found in Dr. Giles' "Life and Times of Alfred the Great." Of that which follows, Spelman has not given the original.

Thus quoth Alfred :-" Without wisdom wealth is worth little. Though a man had a hundred and seventy acres sown with gold, and all grew like corn, yet were all that wealth worth nothing, unless that of an enemy one could make it become his friend. For what differs gold from a stone, but by discreet using of it ?"

Thus quoth Alfred:-"A young man must never give himself to evil, though good befals him not to his mind, nor though he enjoys not everything he would: for Christ can when He will give good after evil, and wealth after grace. Happy is he that is made for it."

Thus quoth Alfred:-"A wise child is the blessing of his father. If thou hast a child, while it is little, teach it the precepts that belong to a man; and when it is grown up it will follow them; then shall thy child become such as shall recompense them; but if thou lettest him go after his own will, when he cometh to age it will grieve him sore, and he shall curse him that had the tuition of him: then shall thy child transgress thy admonition, and it would be better for thee that thou hadst no child; for a child unborn is better than one unbeaten."

Thus quoth Alfred :-" If thou growest into age, hast wealth, and canst take no pleasure, nor hast strength to govern thyself, then thank thy Lord for all that he hath