ALFRED.

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with which , notwithstanding the multiplicity and Curgency of his affairs, he employed himself in thepursuits of knowledge. He usually divided histime into three equal portions : One was employedin steep, and the refection of his body by dietand exercise; another in the dispatch of business;a third in study and devotion r And that he mightmore exactly measure the hours, he made use ofburning tapers of equal length , which he fixedin lanthorns " ; an expedient suited to that rudeage , when the geometry of dialling and themechanism of clocks and watches were totallyunknown. And by such a regular distribution ofhis time, though he often laboured under greatbodily infirmities this martial hero, who foughtin person fifty-six battles by sea and land " 7 , wasable , during a lite of no extraordinary length ,to acquire more knowledge, and even to composemore books, than most studious men, though blest:with the greatest leisure and application , have ,in more fortunate ages, made the object of theiruninterrupted industry.

Sensible , that the people, at all times,especially when their understandings are obstructedby ignorance and bad education, are not muchsusceptible of speculative instruction, Alfredendeavoured to convey his morality by apologues,parables , stories , apophthegms , couched in

85 Asser. p. 20. W. Malm. lib. 2. cap. 4. Ingulf, p. 870.

Asser. p. 4. 12 , 13, 17.

* 7 W. Malm, lib. 4. cap. 4.

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