Part 10 (1/2)

Ah it is of little use to refer my readers to a book hopelessly out of print) there may be selected my panacea for Ireland, to wit, a Royal Residence there to evoke the loyalty of a warm-hearted people,--I called my fable ”The Unsunned Corner:” I e of this book Also other papers, as ”Bits of Ribbon,” suggesting as just and wise the more profuse distribution of honours,--in particular reco an Alfred or an Albert Order Also, many of my Rifle ballads,--whereof, more anon And ”The Over-sharpened Axe”--applicable to modern Boardschool Educationals: and Colonel Jade'sGimlet,” a fable on Content, &c &c With plenty more notabilia--which those who have the book can turn to if they will

I could fill es with the critiques _pro_ and _con_ this queer book has provoked, but it is useless now that the world has let it die

CHAPTER XVII

STEPHAN LANGTON--ALFRED

I wrote ”Stephan Langton, a Story of the Ti John,” because, 1st, I had little to do in the country; 2dly, I wished to give sohbourhood, raphical connection with Surrey; 3dly, I had the run of Mr Drummond's library, and consulted there soh a rapid one; 4thly, I wanted to show that though in a Popish age England's heart, and especially Langton's, was Protestant, quite a precursor of Luther As this book is extant, at Lasham's, Guildford, I refer my readers to it One curious matter is that hbourhood that streah Albury to visit ”The Silent Pool” and other sites of scenes invented by e inn and the flyiven to us a new sort of fainally published by Hurst & Blackett in 2 vols, illustrated by Cousins: that edition is very scarce now

The tragedy at the ”Silent Pool” and the _Auto-da-fe_ are perhaps thein Combe Valley is the most picturesque

I quote a few particulars from one of my diaries ”This book tended to clearof another book could do _that_ Its seed is truly recorded in the first chapter as to the two stone coffins still in the chancel of St

Martha's I began the book on Noveht weeks, on January 21, 1858, reading for the work included

In two months more it was printed by Hurst & Blackett I intended it for one full volume, but the publishers preferred to issue it in two scant ones; it has since been reproduced by Lasham, Guildford, in one vol, at one-and-sixpence; it was 14s I consulted and partially read for it (as I wanted accurate pictures of John's reign in England) the histories of Tyrrell, Hollingshed, Huna Charta, Jaustus, Mil's Lives of the Popes, Ranke's Life of Innocent III, Maitland on the Dark Ages, Ritson's Life of Robin Hood, Salmon's, Bray's, and Brayley's Surrey, Tupper's and Duncan's Guernsey, besides the British and National and other Encyclopaedias and Dictionaries as required It was a work of hard and quick and fervid labour, not an idle piece of ical accuracy in every detail More than thirty localities in our beautiful county Surrey are painted in the book; of other parts of England twelve; of France and Italy twelve; there are e) depicted; and soh invented as accessories: I preferred Stephan to the coical reasons: it is clearly nearer the Greek, and is spelt so in ancient records”

King Alfred's own Poems

One of the rarest of the books I have written (if any biblioe desires to collect the Alfred's Poelish metres;” for the little volu only of 250 copies, which soon vanished, a few of the dated 1850,--thefrom the private press aforesaid I constructed it purposely for the ”Jubilee Edition of the Works of King Alfred,” learning as well as I could (by the help of Dr Bosworth's Dictionary and a Gralo-Saxon,--and I confess considerably assisted by Mr Fox's prose translation of Boethius There are thirty-one poe of Alfred's own, but theout of Latin into the language of his own people to help their teaching I turned it into English verse in thirty-one different e in the rhythinal: there were no rhyle: in the judglo-Saxon critics my version was fairly close, and for the poetical part ofis of the slipshod order of half rhymes or alternate prose and verse--too co throughout Without transcribing the little voluive a true idea of it: but here shall co cheerily In ht days,-- But now all wearily Chaunt Icheerfully As I could then?” &c &c

Here is a verse of another:--

”O Thou that art Maker of heaven and earth, Who steerest the stars, and hast given theh throne, And turnest all swiftly the heavenly zone,” &c

Yet another:--

”What is a etter Of richest geoods in ripe array, And though for hiain:--

”I have wings like a bird, and more swiftly can fly Far over this earth to the roof of the sky, And now must I feather thy fancies, O s behind,” &c

And for a last word:--

”Thus quoth Alfred--'If thou growest old And hast no pleasure, spite of weal and gold, And goest weak,--then thank thy Lord for this, That He hath sent thee hitherto ht and pleasures past away; And say thou, Come and welcome, come what may'”

These are little bits taken casually: to each of the poems I have added suitable comment in prose Mr Bohn in his well-known series has added lo-Saxon preface to that volu, was the translator of this book: and frolish, as it is now done Awhile he put word for word; awhile sense for sense He learned this book, and translated it for his own people, and turned it into song, as it is now done” His Old English song, that is, Anglo-Saxon alliteration, is all now lish metres It ell praised by many critics; but at present is out of the market When I am ”translated” ain in a volureat king's thousandth year, 1848, is one of the exploits of my literary life, undertaken and accomplished by Mr

Evelyn, the brothers Brereton, Dr Giles, and e, where Alfred was born We arranged s and banquets in several places, notably Liverpool, where Mr Brareat feast in co Alfred's works was at least begun at Dr Giles's private printing-press, whilst at Wantage itself 20,000 people collected fros, such as ”To-day is the day of a thousand years” froe as a lasting eous procession and an ox roasted whole, with gilded horns and ribbons,--the huge carcase turned like a hare on a gigantic spit by help of a stea coal; and that ox was consumed after a lo-Saxon Magazine ca on the occasion,--but it is obsolete now; and I care not to use up space in reprinting patriotic indignation: for let me state that, considered as a national co, the chief founder of our liberties, this Wantage jubilee was all but a failure; the British lion slu a dead horse to try to wake hinates responded to our appeal: but we did our best, nevertheless, as independent Englishmen, and locally achieved a fair success

If I went into the whole story with anecdotical detail, I should weary rand Liverpool banquet, by way of ending cheerily

_The Day of a Thousand Years_