i 3 o HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. poetry ; and besides propagating among hisII. subjects , former compositions of that kind *which he found in the Saxon tongue", heexercised his genius in inventing works of a likenature", as well as in translating from theGreek the elegant fables of Æsop. He also gaveSaxon translations of Orosius’s and Bede’s his-tories; and of Boethius concerning the consolationof philosophy And he deemed it nowisederogatory from his other great characters ofsovereign , legislator , warrior , and politicianthus to lead the way to his people in the pursuitsof literature.

Meanwhile, this prince was not negligent inencouraging the vulgar and mechanical arts,which have a more sensible , though not acloser connexion with the interests of society.He invited , from all quarters, industrious foreign-ers to re-people his country, which had beendesolated by the ravages of the Danes”. Heintroduced and encouraged manufactures of allkinds ; and no inventor or improver of anyingenious art did he suffer to go unrewarded".He prompted men of activity to betake them-selves to navigation, to push commerce into themost remote countries, and to acquire riches by

S! Asser. p. 13.

" Spellman, p. 124. Abbas. Rieval. p. 353 -

9 * W. Malm. lib. 2. cap. 4. Brompton, p. 814*

” Asser. p. 13. Flor. "'ft igorn. p. 588.

' Asser. p. 22.