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10 - King Alfred of England by Jacob Abbott · King Alfred of England

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  Speaker 1: Chapter nine of King Alfred of England. This is LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. More information
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  Speaker 1: or volunteer please visit LibriVox dot org. King Alfred of
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  Speaker 1: England by Jacob Abbott, Chapter nine, Reassembling of the Army. Ethely,
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  Speaker 1: though its precise locality cannot now be certainly ascertained, was
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  Speaker 1: in the southwestern part of England, in Somersetshire, which county
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  Speaker 1: lies in the southern shore of the Bristol Channel. There
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  Speaker 1: is a region of marshes in that vicinity, which tradition
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  Speaker 1: assigns as the place of Alfred's retreat, and there was
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  Speaker 1: about the middle of this century a farmhouse there which
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  Speaker 1: bore the name of Ethelny, though its name may have
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  Speaker 1: been given to it in modern times by those who
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  Speaker 1: imagined it to be the ancient locality. A jewel of gold,
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  Speaker 1: engraved as an amulet to be worn about the neck,
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  Speaker 1: and inscribed with the Saxon words which mean Alfred had
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  Speaker 1: me made, was found in the vicinity, and as still
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  Speaker 1: carefully preserved in the museum in England. Some curious antiquarians
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  Speaker 1: professed to find the very hillock rising out of the
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  Speaker 1: low crowns around where the herdsmen that entertained Alfred so
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  Speaker 1: long lived. But this, of course is all uncertain. The
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  Speaker 1: peculiarities of the spot derived their character from the morasses
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  Speaker 1: in the woods and the courses of the sluggish streams
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  Speaker 1: in the neighborhood. And these are elements of a landscape,
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  Speaker 1: scenery which ten centuries of time and of cultivation would
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  Speaker 1: entirely change whatever may have been the precise situation of
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  Speaker 1: the spot. Instead of being as at first a mere
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  Speaker 1: hiding place and retreat, it became, before many months, as
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  Speaker 1: was intimated in the last chapter, a military camp, secluded
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  Speaker 1: and concealed. It is true, but still possessing and a
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  Speaker 1: considerable degree that characteristics of a fastness and a place
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  Speaker 1: of defense. Alfred's company erected something which might be called
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  Speaker 1: the wall. They built a bridge across the water where
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  Speaker 1: the herdsman's boat had been accustomed to plow. They raised
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  Speaker 1: two towers to watch and guard the bridge. All these
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  Speaker 1: defenses were indeed of a very rude and simple construction.
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  Speaker 1: Still they answered the purpose intended. They afforded a real protection,
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  Speaker 1: and more than all that produced a certain moral effect
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  Speaker 1: upon the minds of those whom they shielded by enabling
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  Speaker 1: them to consider themselves as no longer lurking fugitives depended
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  Speaker 1: for safety on simple concealment, but as a garrison weak,
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  Speaker 1: it is true, but still gathering strength and advancing gradually
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  Speaker 1: toward a condition which would enable them to make a
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  Speaker 1: positive aggressions upon the enemy. The circumstance which occurred to
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  Speaker 1: hasten the development of Alfred's plans, and which was briefly
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  Speaker 1: alluded to the close of the last chapter, was the following.
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  Speaker 1: It seems that quite a large party of Danes, under
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  Speaker 1: the command of a leader named Hubba, had been making
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  Speaker 1: a tour of conquest and plunder in Wales, which country
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  Speaker 1: was on the other side of the Bristol Channel, directly
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  Speaker 1: north of Ethann, where Alfred was beginning to concentrate a force.
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  Speaker 1: He would be immediately exposed to an attack from this
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  Speaker 1: quarter as soon as it should be known that he
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  Speaker 1: was at Ethelney, as the distance across the channel was
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  Speaker 1: not great and the Danes were provided with shipping. Ethelney
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  Speaker 1: was in the country called Somersetshire, to the southwest of Somersetshire,
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  Speaker 1: a little below it, on the shores of the Bristol
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  Speaker 1: Channel was a castle called Castle Kenworth in Devonshire. The
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  Speaker 1: Duke of Devonshire, who held this castle, encouraged by Alfred's
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  Speaker 1: preparations for action, had assembled a considerable force here to
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  Speaker 1: be ready to co operate with Alford in the active
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  Speaker 1: measures which he was about to adopt. Things being in
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  Speaker 1: this state, Hubba brought down his forces to the northern
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  Speaker 1: shores of the Channel, collected together all the boats in
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  Speaker 1: shipping that he could command, crossed the channel, and landed
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  Speaker 1: on Devonshire shore o'doon. The Duke, not being strong enough
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  Speaker 1: to resist, fled and shut himself up with all his
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  Speaker 1: men in the castle. Hubba advanced to the castle walls, and,
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  Speaker 1: sitting down before them, began to consider what to do.
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  Speaker 1: Hubba was the last surviving son of Ragnar Lodbrog, whose
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  Speaker 1: deeds and adventures were related in the former chapter. He was,
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  Speaker 1: like all the other chieftains among the Danes, a man
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  Speaker 1: of great determination and energy, and he made himself very
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  Speaker 1: celebrated all over the land by his exploits and conquests.
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  Speaker 1: His particular horde of marauders, too, were specially celebrated among
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  Speaker 1: all the others, on account of a mysterious and magical
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  Speaker 1: banner which they bore. The name of the banner was
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  Speaker 1: the Reefan, that is, the raven. There was the figure
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  Speaker 1: of a raven woman or embroidered on the banner. Hubba's
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  Speaker 1: three sisters had woven it for their brothers when they
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  Speaker 1: went forth across the German Ocean to avenge their father's death.
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  Speaker 1: It possessed, as both the Danes and Saxons believed, supernatural
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  Speaker 1: and magical powers. The raven on the banner could foresee
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  Speaker 1: the results of any battle into which it was born.
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  Speaker 1: It remained lifeless and at rest whenever the result was
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  Speaker 1: to be adverse, And on the other hand, it fluttered
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  Speaker 1: its wings with a mysterious and magical vitality when they
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  Speaker 1: who bore it were destined to victory. The Danes consequently
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  Speaker 1: looked up to the banner with a feeling of profound
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  Speaker 1: veneration and awe, and the Saxons feared and dreaded its
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  Speaker 1: mysterious power. The explanation of this pretended miracle is easy.
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  Speaker 1: The imagination of superstitious men in such a state of
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  Speaker 1: society as that of these half savage days, is capable
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  Speaker 1: of much greater triumphs over the reason and the senses
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  Speaker 1: than is implied in making them believe that the wings
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  Speaker 1: of a bird are either in motion or at rest,
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  Speaker 1: whichever it fancies, when the banner on which the image
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  Speaker 1: is embroidered is advancing to the field and fluttering in
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  Speaker 1: the breeze. The Castle of Kenworth was situated on a
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  Speaker 1: rocky promontory and was defended by a saxon wall. Hubba
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  Speaker 1: saw that it would be difficult to carry it by
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  Speaker 1: a direct assault. On the other hand, it was not
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  Speaker 1: well supplied with water or provisions, and the numerous multitude
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  Speaker 1: which had crowded into it would i, hubb A thought,
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  Speaker 1: be speedily compelled to surrender by thirst and famine if
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  Speaker 1: he were simply to wait a short time till their
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  Speaker 1: scanty stock of food was consumed. Perhaps the raven did
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  Speaker 1: not flutter her wings when Hubba approached the castle, but
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  Speaker 1: by her apparent lifelessness pertrended calamity if an attack were
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  Speaker 1: to be made. At all events, Hubba decided not to
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  Speaker 1: attack the castle, but to invest it closely on all sides,
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  Speaker 1: with his army on the land and with his vessels
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  Speaker 1: on the side of the sea, and thus reduce it
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  Speaker 1: by famine He accordingly stationed his troops and his galleys
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  Speaker 1: of their posts, and established himself in his tent quietly
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  Speaker 1: to await the results. He did not have to wait
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  Speaker 1: so long as he anticipated. O Doon, finding that his
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  Speaker 1: danger was so imminent, nay, that his destruction was inevitable
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  Speaker 1: if he remained in his castle thus shut in, determined
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  Speaker 1: in the desperation to which the emergency reduced him to
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  Speaker 1: make a sally. Accordingly, one night, as soon as it
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  Speaker 1: was dark, so that the indications of any movement within
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  Speaker 1: the castle might not be perceived by the sentinels and
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  Speaker 1: watchmen of his lines, he began to marshal and organize
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  Speaker 1: his army for a sudden and furious onset upon the
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  Speaker 1: camp of the Danes. They waited, when all was ready,
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  Speaker 1: till the first break of day. To make the surprise
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  Speaker 1: most effectual, it was necessary that it should take place
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  Speaker 1: in the night. But then, on the other hand, the
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  Speaker 1: success that they should be successful would require, in order
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  Speaker 1: to be followed up with advantage the light of day.
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  Speaker 1: Odoon chose therefore the earliest dawn is the time for
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  Speaker 1: his attempt, as this was the only period which would
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  Speaker 1: give him at first darkness for his surprise and afterward
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  Speaker 1: light for his victory. The time was well chosen, the
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  Speaker 1: arrangements were all well made, and the result corresponded with
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  Speaker 1: the character of the preparations. The sallly was triumphantly successful.
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  Speaker 1: The Danes, who were all except their sentinels sleeping quietly
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  Speaker 1: and secure, were suddenly aroused by the unearthly and terrific
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  Speaker 1: yells with which the Saxons burst onto the lines of
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  Speaker 1: their encampment. They flew to arms, but the shock of
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  Speaker 1: the onset produced a panic in confusion, which soon made
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  Speaker 1: their cause hopeless. Odon and his immediate followers pressed directly
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  Speaker 1: forward into Ubbah's tent, where they surprised the commander and
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  Speaker 1: massacred him on the spot. They seized, too, to their
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  Speaker 1: inexpressible joy, the sacred banner which was in Hubba's tent,
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  Speaker 1: and bore it forth, rejoicing in it not merely as
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  Speaker 1: a splendid trophy of their victory, but as a loss
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  Speaker 1: to their enemies, which fixed and sealed their doom. The
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  Speaker 1: Danes fled before their enemies in terror and the consternation
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  Speaker 1: which they felt when they learned that their banner had
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  Speaker 1: been captured and their leader slain. Was soon changed into
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  Speaker 1: absolute despair. The Saxons slew them without mercy, cutting down
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  Speaker 1: sums they were running before them in their headlong flight,
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  Speaker 1: and transfixing others with their spears and arrows. As they
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  Speaker 1: lay upon the ground, trampled down by the crowds and
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  Speaker 1: the confusion. There was no place of refuge of which
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  Speaker 1: they could fly except their ships. Those therefore that escaped
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  Speaker 1: the weapons of their pursuers fled in the direction of
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  Speaker 1: the water, where the strong and fortunate gained the boats
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  Speaker 1: and the galleys, while the exhausted of the wounded were drowned.
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  Speaker 1: The fleet sailed away from the coast, and the Saxons,
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  Speaker 1: on surveying the scene of the terrible contest, estimated that
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  Speaker 1: there were twelve hundred dead bodies lying in the field.
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  Speaker 1: This victory, and especially the capture of the raven, produced
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  Speaker 1: vast effects on the minds of both the Saxons and
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  Speaker 1: of the Danes, animating and encouraging the one and depressing
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  Speaker 1: the other with superstitions as well as natural and proper fears.
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  Speaker 1: The influence of the battle was sufficient, in fact, wholly
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  Speaker 1: to change Alfred's position and prospects. The news of the
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  Speaker 1: discovery of the place of his retreat, and of the
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  Speaker 1: measures which he was maturing for taking the field again
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  Speaker 1: to meet his enemies. Spread throughout the country, the people
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  Speaker 1: were everywhere ready to tick up arms and join him.
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  Speaker 1: There were large bodies of Danes in several parts of
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  Speaker 1: his dominions still, and they, alarmed somewhat at these indications
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  Speaker 1: of new efforts of resistance on the part of their enemies,
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  Speaker 1: began to concentrate their strength and prepare for another struggle.
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  Speaker 1: The main body of the Danes were encamped at a
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  Speaker 1: place called Edendone in Wiltshire. There is a hill near
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  Speaker 1: which the army made their main position, and the marks
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  Speaker 1: of their fortifications have been traced there, either in imagination
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  Speaker 1: or reality in modern times. Alfred wished to gain more
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  Speaker 1: precise and accurate information than he yet possessed of the
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  Speaker 1: numbers and situation of his foes, and in order to
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  Speaker 1: do this, instead of employing a spy, he conceived the
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  Speaker 1: design of going himself into sguise to explore the camp
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  Speaker 1: of the Danes. The undertaking was full of danger, but
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  Speaker 1: yet not quite so desperate as at first might seem.
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  Speaker 1: Alfred had had abundant opportunities during the months of his
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  Speaker 1: seclusion to become familiar with the modes of speech and
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  Speaker 1: the manners of peasant life. He had also, in his
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  Speaker 1: early years stored his memory with Saxon poetry. As has
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  Speaker 1: already been stated, he was fond of music, too, and
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  Speaker 1: well skilled in it, so that he had every qualification
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  Speaker 1: for assuming the character of one of those roving harpers
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  Speaker 1: who in those days followed armies to sing songs and
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  Speaker 1: make amusement for the soldiers. He determined consequently to assume
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  Speaker 1: the disguise of a harper and to wander into the
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  Speaker 1: camp of the Danes, that he might make his own
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  Speaker 1: observations on the nature at magnitude of the force with
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  Speaker 1: which he was about to contend. He accordingly clothed himself
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  Speaker 1: in the garb of the character which he was to assume, and,
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  Speaker 1: taking his harp upon his shoulder, wandered away in the
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  Speaker 1: direction of the Northland's camp. Such a strolling countryman, half musician,
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  Speaker 1: half beggar would enter without suspicion or hindrance into the camp,
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  Speaker 1: even though he belonged to the nation of the enemy.
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  Speaker 1: Alfred was readily admitted, and he wondered at will about
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  Speaker 1: the lines to play and sing to the soldiers wherever
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  Speaker 1: he found groups to listen, intent apparently on nothing but
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  Speaker 1: his scanty pittance of pay, while he was really studying
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  Speaker 1: the utmost attention and care the number and disposition and
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  Speaker 1: discipline of the troops, and all the arrangements of the army.
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  Speaker 1: He came very near discovering himself. However, by overacting his part.
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  Speaker 1: His music was so well executed, and his ballads were
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  Speaker 1: so fine, that reports of the excellence of his performance
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  Speaker 1: reached the commander's ears. He ordered the pretended harper to
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  Speaker 1: be sent into his tent, that he might hear him
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  Speaker 1: play and sing. Alfred went, and thus he had the
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  Speaker 1: opportunity of completing his observations in the tent, and in
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  Speaker 1: the presence of the Danish king. Alfred found that the
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  Speaker 1: Danish camp was in a very unguarded and careless condition.
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  Speaker 1: The name of the commander or king was Gunthrum. Alfred,
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  Speaker 1: while playing in his presence, studied his character, and it
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  Speaker 1: is not improbable at the very extraordinary course which he
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  Speaker 1: afterward pursued in respect to Gunthrom may have been caused
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  Speaker 1: in a great degree by the opportunity he now enjoyed
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  Speaker 1: of domestic access to him, and of obtaining a near
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  Speaker 1: and intimate view of his social and personal character. The
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  Speaker 1: guns from treated the supposed harper with great kindness. He
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  Speaker 1: was much pleased, both with his singing and his songs,
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  Speaker 1: being attracted to, probably in some degree by a certain
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  Speaker 1: mysterious interest which the humble stranger must have inspired. Or
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  Speaker 1: Alfred possessed a personal and intellectual traits of character which
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  Speaker 1: could not but have given to his conversation and his
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  Speaker 1: manners a certain charm, notwithstanding all his efforts to disguise
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  Speaker 1: or conceal them. However this may be Gunthram gave Alfred
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  Speaker 1: a very friendly reception, and the hour of social intercourse
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  Speaker 1: and enjoyment which the general and the ballad singer spent
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  Speaker 1: together was only a precursor of the more solid and
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  Speaker 1: honest friendship which afterwards subsisted between them as allied sovereigns.
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  Speaker 1: Alfred had one person with him whom he had brought
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  Speaker 1: from Ethelny, a sort of attendant to help him carry
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  Speaker 1: his heart and to be a companion for him on
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  Speaker 1: the way. He would have needed such a companion even
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  Speaker 1: if he had only been what he seemed but for
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  Speaker 1: a spy going in disguise into the camp of such
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  Speaker 1: ferocious enemies as the Danes. It would seem absolutely indispensable
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  Speaker 1: that he should have the support and sympathy of a friend. Alfred,
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  Speaker 1: after finishing his examination of the camp of Gunthrum, and
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  Speaker 1: forming secretly in his own mind as plans for attacking it,
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  Speaker 1: moved leisurely away, taking his heart and his attendant with him,
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  Speaker 1: as if going on in search of some new place
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  Speaker 1: to practice his profession. As soon as he was out
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  Speaker 1: of freach of observation, he made a circuit and returned
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  Speaker 1: safety to Ethylene. The season was now spring, and everything
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  Speaker 1: favored the commencement of his enterprise. His first measure was
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  Speaker 1: to send out some trusty messengers into all the neighboring
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  Speaker 1: counties to visit and confer with his friends at their
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  Speaker 1: fear as castles and strongholds. These messengers were to announce
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  Speaker 1: to such Saxon leaders as they should find that Alfred
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  Speaker 1: was still alive and that he was preparing to take
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  Speaker 1: the field against the Danes again, and were to invite
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  Speaker 1: them to assemble at a certain place appointed in a forest,
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  Speaker 1: with as many followers as they could bring, that the
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  Speaker 1: king might there complete the organization of the army and
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  Speaker 1: hold consultation with them to mature their plans. The wood
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  Speaker 1: on the borders of which they were to meet was
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  Speaker 1: an extensive forest of willows, fifteen miles long and six broad.
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  Speaker 1: It was known by the name of Selwood Forests. There
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  Speaker 1: was a celebrated place called the Stone of Egbert, where
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  Speaker 1: the meeting was to be held. Each chieftain whom the
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  Speaker 1: messengers should visit was to be invited to come to
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  Speaker 1: the Stone of Egbert at the appointed day with as
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  Speaker 1: many armed men, and yet in as secret and noiseless
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  Speaker 1: a manner as possible, so as thus while concentrating all
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  Speaker 1: their forces in preparation for their intended attack, to avoid
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  Speaker 1: everything which would tend to put gunterrim on his guard.
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  Speaker 1: The Mesa Sngers found the Saxon chieftains very ready to
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  Speaker 1: enter into Alfred's plans. They were rejoiced to hear, as
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  Speaker 1: some of them did now for the first time here,
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  Speaker 1: that he was alive, and that the spirit and energy
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  Speaker 1: of his former character were about to be exiled again. Everything,
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  Speaker 1: in fact, conspired to favor the enterprise. The long and
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  Speaker 1: gloomy months of winter were passed, and the opening spring
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  Speaker 1: brought with it, as usual, excitement and readiness for action.
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  Speaker 1: The tidings of Udin's victory over Hubbah and the capture
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  Speaker 1: of the Sacred raven which had spread everywhere and awakened
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  Speaker 1: a general enthusiasm and desire on the part of all
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  Speaker 1: the Saxon chieftains and soldiers to try their strength once
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  Speaker 1: more with their ancient enemies. Accordingly, those to whom the
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  Speaker 1: secret was entrusted eagerly accepted this invitation, or, perhaps, as
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  Speaker 1: it should rather be expressed, obeyed the summons which Alfred
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  Speaker 1: sent them. They marshaled their forces without any delay, and
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  Speaker 1: repaired to the appointed place in Sellwood. Force Alfred was
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  Speaker 1: ready to meet them. There were occupied with the arrivals
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  Speaker 1: of the different parties and in the mutual congratulations and rejoicings,
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  Speaker 1: growing more bold as their sense of strength increased with
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  Speaker 1: their increasing numbers, and with the ardor and enthusiasm which
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  Speaker 1: their mutual influence on each other inspired. They spent the
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  Speaker 1: intervals of their consultations in festivities and rejoicings, celebrating the
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  Speaker 1: occasion with games and martial music. The forest resounded with
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  Speaker 1: the blast of horns, the sound of trumpets, the clash
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  Speaker 1: of arms and the shouts of joy and congratulation, which
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  Speaker 1: all the efforts of the more prudent and cautious could
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  Speaker 1: not repress. In the meantime, Gunthram remained in his encampment
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  Speaker 1: at Edin Dude. This seems to have been the principal
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  Speaker 1: concentration of the forces of the Danes which were marshaled
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  Speaker 1: for military service. And yet there were large numbers of
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  Speaker 1: the people, disbanded soldiers or non combatants, who had come
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  Speaker 1: over in the train of the armies that had taken
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  Speaker 1: possession of the lands which they had conquered, and had
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  Speaker 1: settled upon them for cultivation, as if to make them
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  Speaker 1: their permanent home. These intruders were scattered in larger or
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  Speaker 1: smaller bodies in various parts of the kingdom, the Saxon
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  Speaker 1: inhabitants being prevented from driving them away by the influence
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  Speaker 1: and power of the armies, which still kept possession of
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  Speaker 1: the field and preserved their military organization complete, ready for
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  Speaker 1: action at any time whenever any organized Saxon force should appear. Gunthram,
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  Speaker 1: as we have said, headed the largest of the armies.
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  Speaker 1: He was aware of the increasing excitement which was spreading
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  Speaker 1: among the Saxon population, and he even heard rumors of
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  Speaker 1: the movements which the bodies of Saxons made in going
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  Speaker 1: under their several chieftains to the Sellwood forest. He expected
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  Speaker 1: that some important movement was about to occur, but he
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: had no idea the preparations so extended and for so
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: decisive a demonstration, were so far advanced. He remained therefore
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: at his camp at Edindwe, gradually completing his arrangements for
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: his summer campaign by making no preparations for resisting any
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: sudden or violent attack. When all was ready, Alfred put
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: himself at the head of his forces, which had collected
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: at the Egbert Stone, or, as it is quaintly spelled
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: in some of the old accounts Ecberthastan, there is a
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: place called Brickstan in that vicinity now, which may possibly
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: be the same name modified and a bridge. By the
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: lapse of time, Alfred moved forward towards Guvernum's camp. He
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: went only part of the way the first day, intending
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: to finish the march by getting into the immediate vicinity
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: of the enemy. On the morrow. He succeeded in accomplishing
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: this object, and a camp the next night at a
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: place called Eclia on an eminence, from which he could
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: reconnoiter from a great distance the position of the army.
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: That night, as he was sleeping in his tent, he
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: had a remarkable dream. He dreamed that his relative Saint Yote,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: who has already been mentioned as the chaplain or priest
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: who reproved him so severely for his sins in the
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: early part of his reign, appeared to him. The aperation
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: bid him not to fear the immense army of Pagans,
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: whom he was going to encounter on the morrow. God,
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: he said, had accepted his penitence and was now about
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: to take him under his special protection. The calamities which
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: had befallen him were sent in judgment to punish the
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: pride and arrogance which he had manifested in the early
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: part of his reign. But his faults had been so
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: expiated by the sufferings he had endured, and by the
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: penitence at the piety which they have been the means
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: of awakening in his heart. And now he might go
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: forward into the battle without fear, as God was about
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: to give him the victory over all his enemies. The
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: king related his dream the next morning to his army.
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: The enthusiasm and ardor which the chieftains and the men
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: had felt before were very much increased by this assurance
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: of success. They broke up their encampment therefore and commenced
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: the march, which was to bring them before many hours
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: into the presence of the enemy, with greater alacrity and
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: eager expectations of success. End of Chapter nine, recording by
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: Ryan Cherrick