large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb_33
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_00_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
For the third case, there is a popular tale that Alfred came in contact with a woman and cakes; I select it because it is a popular tale, because it is a vulgar one. It has been disputed by grave historians, who were, I think, a little too grave to be good judges of it. FOR THE THIRD CASE THERE IS A POPULAR TALE THAT ALFRED CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE WOMEN AND KATES I SELECT IT BECAUSE IT IS A POPULAR TALE BECAUSE IT IS A VULGAR ONE IT HAS BEEN DISPUTED BY GRA GRAVE HISTORIANS WHO WERE I THINK A LITTLE TOO GRAVE TO BE GOOD JUDGES OF IT
ie. But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him. The cult of Alfred was a popular cult, from the darkness of the ninth century to the deepening twilight of the twentieth. It is wholly as a popular legend that I deal with him here. I write as one ignorant of everything, except that I have found the legend of a King of Wessex still alive in the land. I will give three curt cases of what I mean. A tradition connects the ultimate victory of Alfred with the valley in Berkshire called the Vale of the White Horse. I have seen doubts of the tradition, which may be valid doubts. I do not know when or where the story started; it is enough that it started somewhere and ended with me; for I only seek to write upon a hearsay, as the old balladists did. For the second case, there is a popular tale that Alfred played the harp and sang in the Danish camp; I select it because it is a popular tale, at whatever time it arose.   ABOUT THE PAST IS MEANT TO EMPHASIZE TRADITION RATHER THAN HISTORY KING ALFRED IS NOT A LEGEND IN THE SENSE THAT KING ARTHUR MAY BE A LEGEND THAT IS IN THE SENSE THAT HE MAY POSSIBLY BE A LIE BUT KING ALFRED IS A LEGEND IN THIS BROADER AND MORE HUMAN SENSE THAT THE LEGENDS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT HIM THE CULT OF ALFRED WAS A POPULAR CULT FROM THE DARKNESS OF THE NINTH CENTURY TO THE DEEPENING TWILIGHT OF THE TWENTIETH IT IS WHOLLY AS A POPULAR LEGEND THAT I DEAL WITH HIM HERE I WRITE AS ONE IGNORANT OF EVERYTHING EXCEPT THAT I HAVE FOUND THE LEGEND OF A KING OF WESSEX STILL ALIVE IN THE LAND I WILL GIVE THREE CURT CASES OF WHAT I MEAN A TRADITION CONNECTS THE ULTIMATE VICTORY OF ALFRED WITH THE VALLEY IN BERKSHIRE CALLED THE VALE OF THE WHITE HORSE I HAVE SEEN DOUBTS OF THE TRADITION WHICH MAY BE VALID DOUBTS I DO NOT KNOW WHEN OR WHERE THE STORY STARTED IT IS ENOUGH THAT IT STARTED SOMEWHERE AND ENDED WITH ME FOR I ONLY SEEK TO WRITE UPON A HERESY AS THE OLD BALLADIST DID 
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