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on the Danish camp, defeated the Danes, and besieged them for fourteen days to prevent their escape. But, being as merciful as he was good and brave, he then, instead of killing them, proposed peace: on condition that they should depart altogether from the western part of England, and settle in the East; and that Guthrum should become a Christian in remembrance of the Divine religion which now taught his conqueror, the noble Alfred, to forgive the enemy who had so often injured him.

This Guthrum did. At his baptism, King Alfred was his godfather; and Guthrum was an honorable chief, who well deserved that clemency; for, ever afterwards, he was loyal and faithful to the king. The Danes under him were faithful, too. They plundered and burned no more, but worked like honest men. They plowed, and sowed, and reaped, and led good honest lives.

All the Danes were not like those under Guthrum; for, after some years, more of them came over, in the old plundering and burning way — among them a fierce pirate of the name of Hastings, who had the boldness to sail up the Thames to Gravesend, with eighty ships. For three years, there was a war with these Danes; and there was a famine in the country, too, and a plague, both upon human creatures and beasts. But King Alfred, whose mighty heart never failed him, built large ships nevertheless, with which to pursue the pirates on the sea; and he encouraged his soldiers, by his brave example, to fight valiantly against them on the shore. At last, he drove them all away; and then there was repose in England.

As great and good in peace as he was great and good in war, King Alfred never rested from his labors to improve his people. He loved to talk with clever men, and with travelers from foreign countries, and to write down what they told him, for his people to read. He had studied Latin after learning to read English, and now another of his labors was to translate Latin books into the Anglo-Saxon tongue, that his people might be interested and improved by their contents. He made just laws, that they might live more happily and freely; he turned away all partial judges, that no wrong might be done them; he was so careful of their property, and punished robbers so severely, that it was a common thing to say that under the great King Alfred garlands of golden chains and jewels might have hung across the streets, and no man would have touched one.

He founded schools; he patiently heard causes himself in the court of justice; the great desire of his heart was to do right to all his subjects, and to leave England better, wiser, happier in all ways, than he found it. His industry in these efforts was quite astonishing. Every day he divided into certain portions, and in each portion devoted himself to a certain pursuit. That he might divide his time exactly, he had wax torches or candles made, which were all of the same size, were notched across at regular distances, and were always kept burning. Thus as the candle burnt down, he divided the day into notches, almost as accurately as we now divide it into hours upon the clock. But when the candles were first invented, it was found that the wind and draughts of air, blowing into the palace

through the doors and windows, and through the chinks in the walls, caused them to gutter and burn unequally. To prevent this, the king had them put into cases formed of wood and white horn. And these were the first lanthorns (lanterns) ever made in England.

All this time he was afflicted with a terrible unknown disease, which caused him violent and frequent pain that nothing could relieve. He bore it, as he had borne all the troubles of his life, like a brave good man, until he was fifty-three years old; and then, having reigned thirty years, he died. He died in the year nine hundred and one; but, long ago as that is, his fame, and the love and gratitude with which his subjects regarded him, are remembered to the present hour.

Ethelwulf (eth'el woolf): King of the West Saxons. Osburgha (ōsber'ga). Cow'herd': one who tends cows.

REVIEW.

Compare the "Spider and the Fly," by Mary Howitt, with The Spider and the Bee," by Dean Swift.

How did the spider induce the fly to enter his "parlor"?
What became of the fly?

What is the meaning of the last four lines?
Where did Hans Christian Andersen live?
What does he tell us about the buckwheat?

How many in the class have seen buckwheat grow?

What stories written by Hans Christian Andersen have you read?

What do you know about Robinson Crusoe?
Who wrote "Robinson Crusoe"?

Tell something about his solitary life.
Commit to memory "Somebody's Mother."

What is the lesson to be learned from this poem ?

What do you think of the boy who helped the old lady across the street? Would have assisted her had you

been there?'

you

Who wrote "A Good Samaritan"?

Why called a Samaritan?

In the poem, "Somebody's Mother," we learn of a boy who loves and respects his own mother, and the mother of others. He is kind and brave, polite and thoughtful. The boy mentioned in "A Good Samaritan" was also a noble boy who strove to relieve suffering.

What would you have done if you had been near the poor, thirsty sheep?

Who was Charles Dickens?

What has he told about Alfred the Great?

Why did Alfred learn to read?

Tell the story of how he cooked the cakes?

What is said about the honesty of the people when he was king of England?

Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds. Congreve.

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