the dragon and the raven-第3节

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monasteries；　with　their　stately　services　and　handsome　vestments；
learning　was　at　the　lowest　ebbso　low；　indeed；　that
when　Prince　Alfred　desired　to　learn　Latin　he　could　find　no
one　in　his　father's　dominions　capable　of　teaching　him；　and
his　studies　were　for　a　long　time　hindered　for　want　of　an
instructor；　and　at　the　time　he　ascended　the　throne　he　was
probably　the　only　Englishman　outside　a　monastery　who　was　able
to　read　and　write　fluently。

〃Tell　me；　father；〃　Edmund　said　after　the　meal　was　concluded；
〃about　the　West　Saxons；　since　it　is　to　them；　as　it　seems；
that　we　must　look　for　the　protection　of　England　against　the
Danes。　This　Prince　Alfred；　of　whom　I　before　heard　you　speak
in　terms　of　high　praise；　is　the　brother；　is　he　not；　of　the　king？
In　that　case　how　is　it　that　he　does　not　reign　in　Kent；　which　I
thought；　though　joined　to　the　West　Saxon　kingdom；　was　always
ruled　over　by　the　eldest　son　of　the　king。〃

〃Such　has　been　the　rule；　Edmund；　but　seeing　the
troubled　times　when　Ethelbert　came　to　the　throne；　it　was
thought　better　to　unite　the　two　kingdoms　under　one　crown
with　the　understanding　that　at　Ethelbert's　death　Alfred　should
succeed　him。　Their　father；　Ethelwulf；　was　a　weak　king；　and
should　have　been　born　a　churchman　rather　than　a　prince。
He　nominally　reigned　over　Wessex；　Kent；　and　Mercia；　but
the　last　paid　him　but　a　slight　allegiance。　Alfred　was　his
favourite　son；　and　he　sent　him；　when　quite　a　child；　to　Rome
for　a　visit。　In　855　he　himself；　with　a　magnificent　retinue；　and
accompanied　by　Alfred；　visited　Rome；　travelling　through　the
land　of　the　Franks；　and　it　was　there；　doubtless；　that　Alfred
acquired　that　love　of　learning；　and　many　of　those　ideas；　far
in　advance　of　his　people；　which　distinguish　him。　His　mother；
Osburgha；　died　before　he　and　his　father　started　on　the
pilgrimage。　The　king　was　received　with　much　honour　by　the
pope；　to　whom　he　presented　a　gold　crown　of　four　pounds
weight；　ten　dishes　of　the　purest　gold；　a　sword　richly　set　in
gold；　two　gold　images；　some　silver…gilt　urns；　stoles　bordered
with　gold　and　purple；　white　silken　robes　embroidered　with
figures；　and　other　costly　articles　of　clothing　for　the
celebration　of　the　service　of　the　church；　together　with　rich
presents　in　gold　and　silver　to　the　churches；　bishops；　clergy；
and　other　dwellers　in　Rome。　They　say　that　the　people　of　Rome
marvelled　much　at　these　magnificent　gifts　from　a　king　of　a
country　which　they　had　considered　as　barbarous。　On　his　way
back　he　married　Judith；　daughter　of　the　King　of　the　Franks；
a　foolish　marriage；　for　the　king　was　far　advanced　in　years
and　Judith　was　but　a　girl。

〃Ethelbald；　Ethelwulf's　eldest　son；　had　acted　as　regent
in　his　father's　absence；　and　so　angered　was　he　at　this　marriage
that　he　raised　his　standard　of　revolt　against　his　father。
At　her　marriage　Judith　had　been　crowned　queen；　and　this
was　contrary　to　the　customs　of　the　West　Saxons；　therefore
Ethelbald　was　supported　by　the　people　of　that　country；　on
his　father's　return　to　England；　however；　father　and　son　met；
and　a　division　of　the　kingdom　was　agreed　upon。

〃Ethelbald　received　Wessex；　the　principal　part　of　the
kingdom；　and　Ethelwulf　took　Kent；　which　he　had　already
ruled　over　in　the　time　of　his　father　Egbert。　Ethelwulf　died　a
few　months　afterwards；　leaving　Kent　to　Ethelbert；　his　second
surviving　son。　The　following　year；　to　the　horror　and
indignation　of　the　people　of　the　country；　Ethelbald　married　his
stepmother　Judith；　but　two　years　afterwards　died；　and
Ethelbert；　King　of　Kent；　again　united　Wessex　to　his　own
dominions；　which　consisted　of　Kent；　Surrey；　and　Sussex。
Ethelbert　reigned　but　a　short　time；　and　at　his　death　Ethelred；
his　next　brother；　ascended　the　throne。　Last　year　Alfred；　the
youngest　brother；　married　Elswitha；　the　daughter　of　Ethelred
Mucil；　Earl　of　the　Gaini；　in　Lincolnshire；　whose　mother　was
one　of　the　royal　family　of　Mercia。

〃It　was　but　a　short　time　after　the　marriage　that　the　Danes
poured　into　Mercia　from　the　north。　Messengers　were　sent　to
ask　the　assistance　of　the　West　Saxons。　These　at　once　obeyed
the　summons；　and；　joining　the　Mercians；　marched　against
the　Danes；　who　shut　themselves　up　in　the　strong　city　of
Nottingham；　and　were　there　for　some　time　besieged。　The
place　was　strong；　the　winter　at　hand；　and　the　time　of　the
soldiers'　service　nearly　expired。　A　treaty　was　accordingly
made　by　which　the　Danes　were　allowed　to　depart　unharmed
to　the　north　side　of　the　Humber；　and　the　West　Saxons　returned
to　their　kingdom。

〃Such　is　the　situation　at　present；　but　we　may　be　sure
that　the　Danes　will　not　long　remain　quiet；　but　will　soon　gather
for　another　invasion；　ere　long；　too；　we　may　expect　another　of
their　great　fleets　to　arrive　somewhere　off　these　coasts；　and
every　Saxon　who　can　bear　arms　had　need　take　the　field　to
fight　for　our　country　and　faith　against　these　heathen　invaders。
Hitherto；　Edmund；　as　you　know；　I　have　deeply　mourned
the　death　of　your　mother；　and　of　your　sisters　who　died　in
infancy；　but　now　I　feel　that　it　is　for　the　best；　for　a　terrible
time　is　before　us。　We　men　can　take　refuge　in　swamp　and
forest；　but　it　would　have　been　hard　for　delicate　women；　and
those　men　are　best　off　who　stand　alone　and　are　able　to　give
every　thought　and　energy　to　the　defence　of　their　country。
'Tis　well　that　you　are　now　approaching　an　age　when　the　Saxon
youth　are　wont　to　take　their　place　in　the　ranks　of　battle。
I　have　spared　no　pains　with　your　training　in　arms；　and　though
assuredly　you　lack　strength　yet　to　cope　in　hand…to…hand　conflict
with　these　fierce　Danes；　you　may　yet　take　your　part　in
battle；　with　me　on　one　side　of　you　and　Egbert　on　the　other。
I　have　thought　over　many　things　of　late；　and　it　seems　to　me
that　we　Saxons　have　done　harm　in　holding　the　people　of　this
country　as　serfs。〃

〃Why；　father；〃　Edmund　exclaimed　in　astonishment；
〃surely　you　would　not　have　all　men　free　and　equal。〃

〃The　idea　seems　strange　to　you；　no　doubt；　Edmund；　and
it　appears　only　natural　that　some　men　should　be　born　to　rule
and　others　to　labour；　but　this　might　be　so　even　without　serfdom；
since；　as　you　know；　the　poorer　freemen　labour　just　as
do　the　serfs；　only　they　receive　a　somewhat　larger　guerdon
for　their　toil；　but　had　the　two　races　mixed　more　closely
together；　had　serfdom　been　abolished　and　all　men　been　free
and　capable　of　bearing　arms；　we　should　have　been　able　to
show　a　far　better　front　to　the　Danes；　seeing　that　the　serfs　are
as　three　to　one　to　the　freemen。〃

〃But　the　serfs　are　cowardly　and　spiritless；〃　Edmund　said；
〃they　are　not　of　a　fighting　race；　and　fell　almost　without
resistance　before　our　ancestors　when　they　landed　here。〃

〃Their　race　is　no　doubt　inferior　to　our　own；　Edmund；〃
his　father　said；　〃seeing　that　they　are　neither　so　tall　nor　so
strong　as　we　Saxons；　but　of　old　they　were　not　deficient　in
bravery；　for　they　fought　as　stoutly　against　the　Romans　as　did
our　own　hardy　ancestors。　After　having　been　for　hundreds　of
years　subject　to　the　Roman　yoke；　and　having　no　occasion　to
use　arms；　they　lost　their　manly　virtues；　and　when　the　Romans
left　them　were　an　easy　prey　for　the　first　comer。　Our
fathers　could　not　foresee　that　the　time　would　come　when
they　too　in　turn　would　be　invaded。　Had　they　done　so；
methinks　they　would　not　have　set　up　so　broad　a　line　of
separation　between　themselves　and　the　Britons；　but　would　have
admitted　the　latter　to　the　rights　of　citizenship；　in　which　case
intermarriage　would　have　taken　place　freely；　and　the　whole
people　would　have　become　amalgamated。　The　Britons；　accustomed
to　our　free　institutions；　and　taking　part　in　the　wars
between　the　various　Saxon　kingdoms；　would　have　recovered
their　warlike　virtues；　and　it　would　be　as　one　people　that　we
should　resist　the　Danes。　As　it　is；　the　serfs；　who　form　by　far
the　largest　part　of　the　population；　are　apathetic　and　cowardly；
they　view　the　struggle　with　indifference；　for　what　signifies
to　them　whether　Dane　or　Saxon　conquer；　they　have　no
interest　in　the　struggle；　nothing　to　lose　or　to　gain；
it　is　but　a　change　of　masters。〃

Edmund　was　silent；　The　very　possibility　of　a　state　of
things　in　which　there　should　be　no　serfs；　and　when　all　men
should　be　free　and　equal；　had　never　occurred　to　him；　but　he
had　a　deep　respect　for　his　father；　who　bore　indeed　the
reputation　of　being　one　of　the　wisest　and　most　clear…headed　of
the　nobles　of　East　Anglia；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　this
strange　and　novel　doctrine　contained　much　truth　in　it。　Still
the　idea　was　as　strange　to　him　as　it　would　have　been　to　the
son　of　a　southern　planter　in　America　half　a　century　ago。　The
existence　of　slaves　seemed　as　much　a　matter　of　course　as　that
of　horses　or　dogs；　and　although　he　had　been　accustomed　to
see　from　time　to　time　freedom　bestowed　upon　some　favourite
serf　as　a　special　reward　for　services；　the　thought　of　a　general
liberation　of　the　slaves　was　strange　and　almost　bewildering；
and　he　lay　awake　puzzling　over　the　problem　long　after　his
father　and　kinsman　had　fallen　asleep。





CHAPTER　II：　THE　BATTLE　OF　KESTEVEN



The　following　morning　early　the　little　party　started。
The　great　chest　was　dug　up　from　its　place　of　concealment；
and　they　resumed　their　ordinary　dresses。　The　ealdorman
attired　himself　in　a　white　tunic　with　a　broad　purple
band　round　the