BOOK V. ALFRED has added the following remarks of his own on the intrinsic value of worldly advantages: "Now then, now, every creature shunneth that which is contrary to it, and toils very diligently that it be removed from him. But what two are more contrary between themselves than good and evil? They never will be harmonious together. "By this thou mayest understand, that if the prosperities of this present life, through themselves, possessed power of themselves, and were good from their own nature; they would then always cleave to those who work with them good, and not evil. "But there, where they be a good, then are they good through the goodness of the good man that doeth good with them; and he is good through God. If then a bad man hath them, then are they evil through the badness of that man who doeth evil with them; and through the devil." 24 He has followed up these remarks by adding to Boetius's metrum on Nero, the following observations: "What cruelties; what adulteries; and what crimes; and what impiety, that unrighteous Cæsar Nero committed: "He commanded at some time that all Rome city should be burnt after the example, formerly, when Troy's city was burnt. It pleased him also to see how it burnt, and how long, and how light, compared with that other. — "Thinkest now that the Divine power could not have removed the dominion from this unrighteous Cæsar, and have restrained him from that evil if he would? Yes. Oh yes! I know that he might if he had willed. Oh! how heavy a yoke he slipped on all that in his times were living on the earth, and how oft his sword was sullied with guiltless blood! How! Was it not there clear enough that power, of its own worth, is not good, when he is not good to whom it comes ?" 25 He has enlarged on the remark of Boetius on power, so as to exhibit his own sentiments in addition to those of his original. 24 Alfred, p. 34, 35. 25 Ibid. p. 36. BOETIUS had only said "If ever, which is very rare, honours are conferred on the upright, what is pleasing in them but the integrity of those who use them? Thus honour accrues not to the virtues from the dignity, but to the dignity from the virtues." 26 ALFRED, a king, expands this to insert his own feelings on this subject. — CHAP. II. "If then it should ever happen, as it very seldom happens, On power. that power and dignity come to good men, and to wise ones, what is there then worth liking but the goodness and dignity of these persons: of the good king, not of the power. Hence power is never a good, unless he be good that has it; and that is the good of the man, not of the power. If power be goodness, it is so for this, that no man by his dominion comes to the virtues, and to merit; but by his virtues and merit he comes to dominion and power. Thus no man is better for his power; but if he be good, it is from his virtues that he is good. From his virtues he becomes worthy of power, if he be worthy of it." 27 He adds to this, entirely his own, and as if he intended it to be the annunciation to his people of his own principle of government : — "Learn therefore wisdom, and when ye have learned it, do not neglect it. I tell you then, without any doubt, that by that you may come to power, though you should not desire the power. You need not be solicitous about power, nor strive after it. If you be wise and good, it will follow you, though you should not wish it."28 CONNECTED with the subject of power, Alfred has in another place inserted these passages of his "If thou now saw some very wise man that had very good qualities, but was nevertheless very poor, and very unhappy, whether wouldst thou say that he was unworthy of power and dignity?' 26 Boet. lib. ii. pr. 6. VOL. II. D 27 Alfred, p. 31. BOOK V. On the mind. "Then answered Boetius and said- -Not so, Oh, not so. If I found him such, I would never say that he was unworthy of power and dignity, for me thinketh that he would be worthy of every honour that is in this world." 29 WITH the same freedom he amplifies another idea of Boetius, and applies it to express his own high estimate of the human mind. His author says "If you saw among mice, one claiming a right to himself, and power over the rest, to what a horse-laugh would you be moved? But if you look at the body, what can you find weaker than man, whom a bite of his flesh or of something within secretly creeping destroys ?"30 ALFRED's paraphrase: "If you now saw a mouse that was lord over other mice, and established laws for them, and compelled them to pay taxes, how wonderlike you would think it! What derision you would have of this; and to how much laughter would you not be excited. How much more then would it be to compare the body of man with his mind, than the mouse with the man? You may easily conceive it. If you will diligently inquire about it, and investigate, you will find that no creature's body is tenderer than that of man's. The least fly may hurt it, and the gnats with their litttle stings may injure it; and also the small worms that crawl within and without him, even sometimes nearly kill him. Indeed the little fleas may sometimes destroy him. Every living thing may hurt him, either inside or out." 31 He then adds, partly translating and partly imitating Boetius: "But where can a man hurt another except in his body, or in that wealth which we call happiness? No one can injure the reasoning mind, nor make it that it should not be what it is." 32 WE now come to a noble effusion of Alfred's 29 Alfred, p. 59, 60. 31 Alfred, p. 32. 30 Boet. lib. ii. pr. 6. 32 Ibid. mind and heart, on his own power and govern- CHAP. ment. BOETIUS had said "You know that the ambition of mortal things governed us but little, but we desired materials for acting, that virtue might old in silence." not grow ON these few words Alfred has thus expatiated, to express from himself, and on his own situation, his views and feelings as a king, and his principles of conduct. We cannot avoid remembering, on reading this, that he hesitated about accepting the crown at his accession. He seems to allude to this circumstance.— II. ment. "O Reason! thou knowest that covetousness and the pos- On his session of this earthly power, I did not well like, nor strongly principles of governdesired at all this earthly kingdom, but, Oh! I desired materials for the work that I was commanded to do. This was that I might unfractiously and becomingly steer and rule the power that was committed to me - What! thou knowest that no man may show any craft or rule, nor steer any power without tools and materials. There are materials for every craft, without which a man cannot work in that craft. "These are the materials of a king's work, and his tools to govern with; that he have his land fully peopled; that he should have prayer-men, and army-men, and workmen. What! thou knowest that without these tools no king may show his skill. "These are also his materials, that with these tools he should have provision for these three classes; and their provision then is, land to inhabit, and gifts, and weapons, and meat, and ale, and clothes, and what else that these three classes need; nor can he without these keep his tools; nor without these tools can he work any of those things that it is commanded to him to do. "For this purpose I desired materials to employ that power with, that my skill and power might not be given up and concealed. But every virtue and every power will soon become oldened and silenced if they be without wisdom. Therefore no man can bring forth any virtue without wisdom: hence BOOK Alfred on the golden age. whatsoever is done through folly, man can never make that to be virtue. "This I can now most truly say, that I HAVE DESIRED TO LIVE WORTHILY While I lived, AND AFTER MY LIFE TO LEAVE TO THE MEN THAT SHOULD BE AFTER ME MY REMEM- Ir may amuse us to read Alfred's picture of the Golden Age, in which he has added some marking circumstances of his own sentiments to his author's description. "Oh, how happy was the first age of this world, when every man thought he had enough in the fruits of the earth! 34 There were no rich homes, nor various sweet dainties, nor drinks. They required no expensive garments, because there were none then; they saw no such things, nor heard of them. They cared not for luxury; but they lived naturally and temperately. They always ate but once a day, and that was in the evening. They ate the fruits of trees and herbs. They drank no pure wine. They knew not to mix liquor with their honey. They required not silken cloathing with varied colours. They always slept out under the shade of trees. The water of the clear springs they drank. They saw no merchant from island or shore, nor did any one hear of ship-armies, nor speak of battle, nor was the earth yet stained with the blood of slain men, nor were men then wounded, nor did they behold evil-willing men, 33 Alfred, p. 36, 37. 34 Boetius's lines are: "Too happy was the prior age, contented with their faithful ploughs, nor lost in sluggish luxury: it was accustomed to end its late fasts with the ready acorn; nor knew how to confuse the present of Bacchus with liquid honey; nor to mingle the bright fleece of the Seres with the Tyrian poison. The grass gave them healthful slumbers. The gliding river their drink. The loftiest pines their shades. They did not yet cut the depths of the sea; nor did the stranger see new shores with his merchandise collected from every side. The cruel trumpets were silent; nor did the effused blood with bitter hatred tinge horrid arms. Why should an ancient fury move any army against enemies, when no cruel wounds, and no rewards of blood were seen? I wish our times could return to the ancient manners. But the raging love of possessing burns fiercer than the fires of Etna. Alas! who was he that first dug up the weight of the covered gold and gems, desiring to be hid,—those precious dangers?" Boet. lib. ii. met. 5. |