128 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

c ii a i-. the monks butchered or dispersed, their librariesII. burnt; and thus the only feats of erudition inthose ages were totally subverted Alfred himself* complains, that on his accestion he knew notone person , south of the Thames, who couldso much as interpret the Latin service; and veryfew in the northern parts , who had reached eventhat pitch of erudition. But this prince invitedover the most celebrated scholars from all partsof Europe; he established schools every where forthe instruction of his people ; he founded, atleast repaired the university of Oxford , andendowed it with many privileges, revenues andimmunities; he enjoined by law all freeholderspossessed of two hides 84 of land or more to fendtheir children to school for their instruction ; hegave preferment both in church and state to suchonly as had made some proficiency in knowledge:And by all these expedients he had the satisfaction,before his death , to fee a great change in the faceof affairs ; and in a work of his , which is stillextant, he congratulates himself on the progresswhich learning, under his patronage, had alreadymade in England.

But the most effectual expedient, employed byAlfred, for the encouragement of learning, washis own example, and the constant assiduity,

84 A hide contained land sufficient to employ one plough.See H. Hunt. lib. 6. in A. D. toc8. Annal. Wavers inA. D. 1083. Gervasc of Tilbury says it commonly containedabout ico acres.

with