There are of every craft the materials without which man cannot exercise the craft.  These, then, are a king’s materials and his tools to reign with:  that he have his land well peopled; he must have prayer-men, and soldiers, and workmen.  Thou knowest that without these tools no king can show his craft.  This is also his materials which he must have besides the tools:  provisions for the three classes.  This is, then, their provision:  land to inhabit, and gifts and weapons, and meat, and ale, and clothes, and whatsoever is necessary for the three classes.  He cannot without these preserve the tools, nor without the tools accomplish any of those things which he is commanded to perform.  Therefore, I was desirous of materials wherewith to exercise the power, that my talents and power should not be forgotten and concealed.  For every craft and every power soon becomes old, and is passed over in silence, if it be without wisdom:  for no man can accomplish any craft without wisdom.  Because whatsoever is done through folly, no one can ever reckon for craft.  This is now especially to be said:  that I wished to live honorably whilst I lived, and after my life, to leave to the men who were after me, my memory in good works.

ALFRED’S PREFACE TO THE VERSION OF POPE GREGORY’S ‘PASTORAL CARE’

King Alfred bids greet Bishop Waerferth with his words lovingly and with friendship; and I let it be known to thee that it has very often come into my mind, what wise men there formerly were throughout England, both of sacred and secular orders; and what happy times there were then throughout England; and how the kings who had power of the nation in those days obeyed God and his ministers; and they preserved peace, morality, and order at home, and at the same time enlarged their territory abroad; and how they prospered both with war and with wisdom; and also the sacred orders, how zealous they were, both in teaching and learning, and in all the services they owed to God; and how foreigners came to this land in search of wisdom and instruction, and how we should now have to get them from abroad if we would have them.  So general was its decay in England that there were very few on this side of the Humber who could understand their rituals in English, or translate a letter from Latin into English; and I believe there were not many beyond the Humber.  There were so few that I cannot remember a single one south of the Thames when I came to the throne.  Thanks be to God Almighty that we have any teachers among us now.  And therefore I command thee to do as I believe thou art willing, to disengage thyself from worldly matters as often as thou canst, that thou mayst apply the wisdom which God has given thee wherever thou canst.  Consider what punishments would come upon us on account of this world if we neither loved it (wisdom) ourselves nor suffered other men to obtain it:  we should love the name only of Christian, and very few of the virtues.