Page images
PDF
EPUB

knows no one more powerful than himself, nor even like him: He is always giving, and never wants: He is always Almighty, because he always wishes good and never evil. To him there is no need of any thing. He is always seeing: He never sleeps: He is always alike mild and kind. He will always be Eternal: hence there never was a time that he was not, nor ever will be. He is always free: He is not compelled to any work. From his divine power, he is everywhere present. His greatness no man can measure. He is not to be conceived bodily, but spiritually, so as now wisdom is and reason. But he is wisdom: He is reason itself."

Of David, the king of Israel, we judge by his Psalms; and certainly the exercise of devotion, if left on record, often illustrates, in the most satisfactory manner, not only the views of the individual as to religion itself, but the loftiness and elevation of his soul. For a few moments, then, listen to this Anglo-Saxon king, of the ninth century, when pouring out his heart before God:

"Come now to help me, O Thou who art the only Eternal; the true God of Glory: Father and Son, and so art now; and Holy Spirit, without any separation or mutability, and without any necessity or diminution of power, and who never diest. Thou art always dwelling in the highest brightness, and in highest happiness: in perfect unanimity, and in the fullest abundance. With thee there is no deficiency of good, but Thou art ever abiding, replete with every felicity, through endless time.

To thee, O God, I call and speak. Hear, O hear me, Lord! for thou art my God and my Lord; my Father and my Creator; my ruler and my hope; my wealth and my honor; my house; my country; my salvation and my life! Hear, hear me, O Lord! Few of thy servants comprehend Thee. But Thee alone I love, indeed, above all other things: Thee I seek; Thee I will follow; Thee I am ready to serve. Under thy power I desire to abide, for Thou alone art the Sovereign of all. I pray Thee to command me as thou wilt."

After this, the reader will certainly not object to another proof of the eminence of his devotion:

"Now I have sought Thee: unlock thy door, and teach me how I may come to Thee. I have nothing to bring to Thee, but my good-will; but I myself have nothing else. I know nothing that is

better than to love Thee, the heavenly and the spiritual One, above all earthly things. But I know not how I can come to Thee, unless

Thou permittest me. Teach it to me, and help me. If those,

through Thee, find the truth, who find Thee, give me that truth. If they, through Thee, obtain any virtue who obtain Thee, impart to me that virtue: if wisdom, grant me that wisdom. Add to me the hope of the life everlasting, and pour thy love upon me.

Oh! how thy goodness is to be admired, for it is unlike all other goods. My desire is to Thee; and this most chiefly, because without Thee I cannot come to Thee. If thou abandonest me, then I shall be removed from Thee; but I know that Thou wilt not forsake me, unless I forsake Thee. But I will not forsake Thee, because Thou art the highest good. There is none of those who seek Thee rightly, that may not find Thee. But they only will seek Thee rightly, whom Thou instructest to seek Thee, and teachest how to find Thee."

Many other specimens might be given; for "the subject never occurs to his pen, but he dilates upon it with such visible affection, as to show that this was the habitual and predominant feeling of his lofty and cultivated mind."

Inquire now, as to the earliest existing cause, of all these prodigious acquirements, at such an early period, in a man who passed through the severest civil commotions, and who, establishing himself and his posterity on the throne of England, brought order and subordination out of the greatest confusion; and who, during the greater part of his life, was also the subject of very frequent bodily anguish. Go back to the days of his childhood, and, though greatly above his years in the knowledge of men and things, yet see him passing into youth still unable to read! But when Alfred was twelve years old, Judith, his step-mother, the grand-daughter of Charlemagne, was sitting one day, surrounded by her family, with a manuscript of Saxon poetry in her hands. With a happy judgment, she proposed it as a gift to him who would the soonest learn to read it. The elder princes, one then a king, the others in mature youth or manhood, thought the

reward inadequate to the task, and were silent; but the mind of Alfred, captivated by the prospect of information, and pleased with the beautiful decoration of the first letter of the writing, inquired if she actually intended to give it to such of her children as would the soonest learn to understand and repeat it? His Mother, repeating the promise, with a smile of joy at the question, he took the book, found out an instructor, and learnt to read it. When his industry had crowned his wishes with success, he recited it to her. To this important, though seemingly trivial incident, we owe all the intellectual cultivation, and all the literary works of Alfred, as well as all the benefit which by these he imparted to his countrymen. If this family conversation had not occurred, Alfred would probably have lived and died as ignorant, as unimportant, and as little known, as his three brothers."

The thirst thus excited by his Mother was not to be soon satisfied. In future life, therefore, he was to be seen inquiring for teachers on every subject, or teaching himself where these could not be procured. He was to be seen searching most eagerly for books, and sparing no cost in procuring them. For one book on cosmography, Alfred is said to have given a very large estate!

This strong desire after learning, so effectually implanted by Judith, may, however, be traced to some circumstances in early life, and then his Father appears. Certainly he had neglected his education, so far as the mechanical art of reading goes; but of Alfred he had been particularly fond. When only about five years of age, he had sent him to see the world, under proper care, as far as Italy; and before he had reached his eighth year, his father himself went with him, through France, a second time, as far as Rome. The survey of the Capitol, as well as all that he had seen elsewhere, must have produced strong impressions even on a child, es

pecially such a child, and must have engendered, in a mind like his, great eagerness for knowledge, and the cultivation of his mind.

At a subsequent period of his life, while a young man, there is no doubt that Alfred was a very different character, and often fell into such a misery, that none of his subjects knew where he was; and it seems equally evident, that, during his seclusion and afflicted state, in a little islet, formed by the stagnated waters of the Thone and Parret, in Somersetshire, called Athelway, a great change was effected in his mind. Indeed after this he appears a new character, and, in future life, the subject of such varied excellencies, as the grace and power of God alone can produce; but still the parents of this man may, and must, be allowed their share in forming his mind, and even sowing the seeds of his future eminence.

The greatness of some men, however, consists merely in cultivating their own minds; but to do this, mainly with a view to benefit others, is a much higher character. If it is a great thing to be truly blessed, it is greater still to be a blessing. Such a man was Alfred. With his code of laws and trial by jury; his arrangements for enlightening and civilizing his whole kingdom; his foreign correspondence; and the never-to-be-forgotten sentiment expressed by him in his will, "IT IS JUST THAT THE ENGLISH SHOULD FOR EVER REMAIN FREE AS THEIR OWN THOUGHTS; with any of these we cannot interfere-domestic economy being our present object. Now it so happens, that, in the arrangement and order of his family; in the distribution of his time; in the disposal of his property; and in the education and training of his children; Alfred was as eminent an example to posterity as he was in any one of the excellencies already mentioned. Several of his children died in infancy, but five survived him; and he lived to be rewarded in a great degree for

[ocr errors]

all his vigilant superintendence. His eldest daughter, Ethelfleda, was an extraordinary woman, and is extolled as having been "the wisest lady in England." His youngest son, Ethelweard, became celebrated for his learning. His eldest son and successor, Edward, and his daughter Alfritha, were educated at home, under his own eye, with the utmost care. It was to this son that Alfred, at the close of all his greatness, in this world, addressed his patriarchal adieu, so finely descriptive of his character as a man, a monarch, and a parent:

"Thou," quoth Alfred, "my dear son, set thee now beside me, and I will deliver thee true instructions. My Son, I feel that my hour is coming: my countenance is wan; my days are almost done. We must now part. I shall to another world, and thou shalt be left alone in all my wealth. I pray thee (for thou art my dear child), strive to be a father and a lord to thy people. Be thou the children's father, and the widow's friend. Comfort thou the poor, and shelter the weak; and with all thy might, right that which is wrong. And, Son, govern thyself by law; then shall the Lord love thee, and God, above all things, shall be thy reward. Call thou upon Him to advise thee in all thy need, and so shall He help thee the better to compass that which thou wouldęst."

GEORGE WASHINGTON.-To that of Alfred, I would fain add some notice of another ruler, in modern times; but the information in regard to his earlier years is still very scanty: though, so far as it goes, it tends to the confirmation of all that has been advanced. I refer to that extraordinary man, to whom, above all others, America is indebted, at this moment, for all her civil and religious privileges. The close of his public life may be taken as a specimen of what must have preceded it. The resignation of high and commanding power, but a few years. after it had, in a great degree, by a man's own energy,

*See Spelman's Life, and the History of the Anglo-Saxons, by Sharon Turner; 3d edition. A most interesting work.

« PreviousContinue »