large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb_0
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
G.K.C. DEDICATION Of great limbs gone to chaos, A great face turned to night   Why bend above a shapeless shroud Seeking in such archaic cloud Sight of strong lords and light? DEDICATION OF GREAT LIMBS GONE TO CHAOS A GREAT FACE TURNED TO NIGHT WHY BEND ABOVE A SHAPELESS SHROUD SEEKING IN SUCH ARCHAIC CLOUD SIGHT OF STRONG LORDS AND LIGHT
 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. 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. But since this work was really done by generation after generation, by the Romans before they withdrew, and by the Britons while they remained, I have summarised this first crusade in a triple symbol, and given to a fictitious Roman, Celt, and Saxon, a part in the glory of Ethandune. I fancy that in fact Alfred's Wessex was of very mixed bloods; but in any case, it is the chief value of legend to mix up the centuries while preserving the sentiment; to see all ages in a sort of splendid foreshortening. That is the use of tradition: it telescopes history.  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 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 BUT SINCE THIS WORK WAS REALLY DONE BY GENERATION AFTER GENERATION BY THE ROMANS BEFORE THEY WITHDREW AND BY THE BRITONS WHILE THEY REMAINED I HAVE SURMISED THIS FIRST CRUSADE IN A TRIPLE SYMBOL AND GIVEN TO A FICTITIOUS ROMAN CELT AND SAXON APART IN THE GLORY OF ETHELDON I FANCY THAT IN FACT ALFRED'S WESSEX WAS OF VERY MIXED BLOODS BUT IN ANY CASE IT IS THE CHIEF VALUE OF LEGEND TO MIX UP THE CENTURIES WHILE PRESERVING THE SENTIMENT TO SEE ALL AGES IN A SORT OF SPLENDID FORESHORTENING THAT IS THE USE OF TRADITION A TELESCOPE'S HISTORY
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb
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