I

'ALFRED. 125

in this court, together with the alderman ; and chap.the proper object of the court was the receiving II#of appeals from the hundreds and decennaries,and the deciding of such controversies as arosebetween men of different hundreds. Formerlythe alderman possessed both the civil and militaryauthority; but Alfred, sensible that this conjunctionof powers rendered the nobility dangerous andindependent , appointed also a sheriff in eachcounty ; who enjoyed a co-ordinate authoritywith the former in the judicial function 7+ . Hisoffice also impowered him to guard the rights ofthe crown in the county , and to levy the finesimposed ; which in that age formed no con-temptible part of the public revenue.

There lay an appeal, in default of justice,from all these courts to the king himself in coun-cil ; and as the people, sensilple of the equity andgreat talents of Alfred placed their chief confidencein him, he was soon overwhelmed with appealsfrom all parts of England. He was indefatigablein the dispatch of these causes 7! ; but findingthat his time must be entirely engrossed by thisbranch of duty, he resolved to obviate the .incon-venience, by correcting the ignorance or corrup-tion of the inferior magistrates , from which itarose ". He took care to have his nobility instructed

7 * Ingulf, p. 870.

7! Asser. p. 20.

Ibid. p. 18. 21. Flor Wigorn. p. 594. AbbasReval. p. 355.