large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb_15
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
One other consideration needs a note. Alfred has come down to us in the best way (that is, by national legends) solely for the same reason as Arthur and Roland and the other giants of that darkness, because he fought for the Christian civilization against the heathen nihilism. ONE OTHER CONSIDERATION NEEDS A NOTE ALFRED HAS COME DOWN TO US IN THE BEST WAY THAT IS BY NATIONAL LEGENDS SOLELY FOR THE SAME REASON AS ARTHUR AND ROLAND AND THE OTHER GIANTS OF THAT DARKNESS BECAUSE HE FOUGHT FOR THE CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION AGAINST THE HEATHEN ILLISM
ittle too grave to be good judges of it. The two chief charges against the story are that it was first recorded long after Alfred's death, and that (as Mr. Oman urges) Alfred never really wandered all alone without any thanes or soldiers. Both these objections might possibly be met. It has taken us nearly as long to learn the whole truth about Byron, and perhaps longer to learn the whole truth about Pepys, than elapsed between Alfred and the first writing of such tales. And as for the other objection, do the historians really think that Alfred after Wilton, or Napoleon after Leipsic, never walked about in a wood by himself for the matter of an hour or two? Ten minutes might be made sufficient for the essence of the story. But I am not concerned to prove the truth of these popular traditions. It is enough for me to maintain two things: that they are popular traditions; and that without these popular traditions we should have bothered about Alfred about as much as we bother about Eadwig.  THINK A LITTLE TOO GRAVE TO BE GOOD JUDGES OF IT THE TWO CHIEF CHARGES AGAINST THE STORY ARE THAT IT WAS FIRST RECORDED LONG AFTER ALFRED'S DEATH AND THAT AS MISTER OMON URGES ALFRED NEVER REALLY WANDERED ALL ALONE WITHOUT ANY THANES OR SOLDIERS BOTH THESE OBJECTIONS MIGHT POSSIBLY BE MET IT HAS TAKEN US NEARLY AS LONG TO LEARN THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT BYRON AND PERHAPS LONGER TO LEARN THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT PEEPS THAN ELAPSE BETWEEN ALFRED AND THE FIRST WRITING OF SUCH TALES AND AS FOR THE OTHER OBJECTION DO THE HISTORIANS REALLY THINK THAT ALFRED AFTER WILTON OR NAPOLEON AFTER LEIPSIC NEVER WALKED AROUND ABOUT IN A WOOD BY HIMSELF FOR THE MATTER OF AN HOUR OR TWO TEN MINUTES MIGHT BE MADE SUFFICIENT FOR THE ESSENCE OF THE STORY BUT I AM NOT CONCERNED TO PROVE THE TRUTH OF THESE POPULAR TRADITIONS IT IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO MAINTAIN TWO THINGS THAT THEY ARE POPULAR TRADITIONS AND THAT WITHOUT THESE POPULAR TRADITIONS WE SHOULD HAVE BOTHERED ABOUT ALFRED ABOUT AS MUCH AS WE BOTHER ABOUT EDWIG
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