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Alfred's Law

Alfred's Wars

Final Victory

THE YOUTH OF KING ALFRED - THE BATTLE OF ASHDOWN

Asser Bishop of Sherborne

ASSER (d. c. 909), Welsh monk, chiefly remembered as the friend, teacher, counsellor, and biographer of Alfred the Great. Born in Wales, he became a monk at St. David's Abbey, Pembrokeshire. Alfred was the fourth son of Ethelwulf, King of Wessex, whose father Egbert had secured the general over-lordship. In 886, eager to learn Latin, Alfred summoned Asser, who had acquired some reputation for learning, to his court in Wessex, and on St. Martin's Day (Nov. 11), 887, as Asser himself tells us, the Latin lessons began. Thereafter Asser divided his time between the court and his own community, and became Alfred's friend as well as his teacher. The king made him abbot of the monasteries of Congresbury and Banwell, Somerset, and later appointed him bishop of the diocese of Devon and Cornwall. At the time of his death he was bishop of Sherborne, Dorset.


THE YOUTH OF KING ALFRED

I think it right in this place briefly to relate as much as has come to my knowledge about the character of my reverend lord Alfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, during the years that he was an infant and a boy.


He was loved by his father and mother, and even by all the people, above all his brothers, and was educated altogether at the court of the king. As he advanced through the years of infancy and youth, his form appeared more comely than that of his brothers in look, in speech, and in manners he was more graceful than they. His noble nature implanted in him from his cradle a love of wisdom above all things but, with. shame be it spoken, by the unworthy neglect of his parents and nurses, lie remained illiterate even till he was twelve years old or more but he listened with serious attention to the Saxon poems which he often heard recited, and easily retained them in his docile memory. He was a zealous practiser of hunting in all its branches, and hunted with. great assiduity and success for skill and good fortune in this art, as in. all others, are among the gifts of God, as we also have often witnessed.


On a certain day, therefore, his mother was showing him and his brothers a Saxon book of poetry, which she held in her hand, and said, " Whichever of you shall the soonest learn this volume shall have it for his own " Stimulated by these words, or rather by the Divine inspiration, and allured by the beautifully illuminated letter at the beginning of the volume, lie spoke before all his brothers, who, though his seniors in age, were not so in grace, and answered, " Will you really give that book to one of us, that is to say, to him who can first repeat it to you?" At this his mother smiled with satisfaction, and confirmed what she had before said. Upon which the boy took the book out of her hand, and went to his master to read it, and in due time brought it to his mother and recited it.


THE BATTLE OF ASHDOWN

In the year of our Lord's incarnation 871 which was the twenty-third of king Alfred's life, the pagan army, of hateful memory, left the East Angles, and entering the kingdom of the West Saxons, came to the royal city, called Reading, situated on the south bank of the Thames, in the district called Berkshire; and there, on the third day after their arrival, their jarls, with great part of the army, scoured the country for plunder, while the others made a rampart between the rivers Thames and Kennet on the right side of the royal city. They were encountered by Ethelwulf, ealdorman of Berkshire, with his men, at a place called Englefield; both sides fought bravely, and made long resistance. At length one of the pagan jarls was slain, and tile greater part of the army destroyed; upon which the rest saved themselves by flight, and the Christians gained the victory.


Four days afterwards, Ethelred, king of the West Saxons and his brother Alfred, united their forces and marched to Reading, where, on their arrival, they cut to pieces the pagans whom they found outside the fortifications. But the pagans, nevertheless, sallied out from the gates, and a long and fierce engagement ensued. At last, grief to say, the Christians fled, the pagans obtained the victory, arid the aforesaid ealdorman Ethelwulf was among the slain.


Roused by this calamity, the Christians, in shame and indignation, within four days assembled all their forces, and again encountered the pagan army at a place called Ashdune which means the "Hill of the Ash." The pagans had divided themselves into two bodies, and began to prepare defences, for they had two kings and many jarls, so they gave the middle part of the army to the two kings, arid the other part to all their jarls. Which the Christians perceiving, they divided their army also into two troops, and also began to construct defences. But Alfred, as we have been told by those who were present and would not tell an untruth, marched up promptly with his men to give them battle for king Ethelred remained a long time in his tent for prayer, hearing the mass, and said that lie would not leave it till the priest had done, nor abandon the divine protection for that of men. And he did so too, which afterwards availed him much with the Almighty as we shall declare more fully in the sequel. Now the Christians had determined that king Ethelred, with his men, should attack the two pagan kings, but that his brother Alfred, with him troops should take the chance of war against the two jarls. Things being so arranged, the king remained a long time in prayer, and the pagans came up rapidly to fight. Then Alfred, though possessing a subordinate authority, could no longer support the troops of the enemy, unless he retreated or charged upon them without waiting for his brother. At length he bravely led his troops against the hostile army, as they had before arranged, but without waiting for his brother's arrival; for he relied on the divine counsels, and forming his met into a dense phalanx, marched on at once to meet the foe.


But here I must tell those who are ignorant of the fact, that the field of battle was not equally advantageous to both parties. The pagans occupied the higher ground, and the Christians came up from below. There was also a single thorn-tree, of stunted growth, but we have ourselves never seen it. Around this tree the opposing armies came together with loud shouts from all sides, the one party to pursue their wicked course, the other to fight for their lives, their dearest ties, and their country. And when both armies had fought long and bravely, at last the pagans, by the divine judgment, were no longer able to bear the attacks of the Christians, and having lost the greater part of their army, took to a disgraceful flight. One of their two kings, and five jarls, were there slain, together with many thousand pagans, who fell on all sides, covering with their bodies the whole plain of Ashdune.


There fell in that battle king Bagsac, jarl Sidrac the elder, and jarl Sidrac the younger, jarl Osbern, jarl Frene, and jarl Harald; and the whole pagan army pursued its flight, not only until evening but until the next day, even until they reached the stronghold from which they had sallied. The Christians followed, slaying all they could reach, until it became dark.
After fourteen days had elapsed, king Ethelred, with his brother Alfred, again joined their forces and marched to Basing to fight the pagans. The enemy came together from all quarters, and after a long contest gained the victory. After this battle, another army came from beyond the sea, and joined them .


The same year after Easter, the aforesaid king Ethelred, having bravely, honourably, and with good repute, governed his kingdom five years, through much tribulation, went the way of all flesh, and was buried in Wimborne Minster, where he awaits the coming of the Lord, and the first resurrection with the just..