Writings of Alfred
HISTORIC R OYAL SPEECHES AND WRITINGS
The British Monarchy web site [http://www.royal.gov.uk]
ALFRED ‘THE GREAT’ (r . 871-899)At the age of 38, Alfred learnt to read and write in Latin as well as
English. This passage is prompted by his translation in the 890s of 'De
Consolatione Philosophiae' (Consolations of Philosophy) by the Roman
philosopher Boethius. (Bracketed passages are Boethius' words, the
rest are Alfred's own.)
"[You know that I never greatly delighted in covetousness and the possession
of earthly power, nor longed for this authority], but I desired instruments and
materials to carry out the work I was set to do, which was that I should
virtuously and fittingly administer the authority committed to me.
Now no man, as you know, can get full play for his natural gifts, nor conduct
and administer government, unless he has fit tools, and the raw material to
work upon. By material I mean that which is necessary to the exercise of
natural powers; thus a king's raw material and instruments of rule are a wellpeopled
land, and he must have men of prayer, men of war, and men of work.
As you know, without these tools no king may display his special talent.
Further, for his materials he must have means of support for the three classes
above spoken of, which are his instruments; and these means are land to
dwell in, gifts, weapons, meat, ale, clothing, and what else soever the three
classes need. Without these means he cannot keep his tools in order, and
without these tools he cannot perform any of the tasks entrusted to him.
[I have desired material for the exercise of government that my talents and my
power might not be forgotten and hidden away], for every good gift and every
power soon grows old and is no more heard of, if Wisdom be not in them.
Without Wisdom no faculty can be fully brought out, for whatsoever is done
unwisely can never be accounted as skill. To be brief, I may say that it has
ever been my desire to live honourably while I was alive, and after my death
to leave to them that should come after me my memory in good works."