and with travellers from foreign countries, and to write
down what they told him, for his people to read. He had studied Latin
after learning to read English, and now another of his labours was, to
translate Latin books into the English-Saxon tongue, that his people
might be interested, and improved by their contents. He made just laws,
that they might live more happily and freely; he turned away all partial
judges, that no wrong might be done them; he was so careful of their
property, and punished robbers so severely, that it was a common thing to
say that under the great KING ALFRED, garlands of golden chains and
jewels might have hung across the streets, and no man would have touched
one. He founded schools; he patiently heard causes himself in his Court
of Justice; the great desires of his heart were, to do right to all his
subjects, and to leave England better, wiser, happier in all ways, than
he found it. His industry in these efforts was quite astonishing. Every
day he divided into certain portions, and in each portion devoted himself
to a certain pursuit. That he might divide his time exactly, he had wax
torches or candles made, which were all of the same size, were notched
across at regular distances, and were always kept burning. Thus, as the
candles burnt down, he divided the day into notches, almost as accurately
as we now divide it into hours upon the clock. But when the candles were
first invented, it was found that the wind and draughts of air, blowing
into the palace through the doors and windows, and through the chinks in
the walls, caused them to gutter and burn unequally. To prevent this,
the King had them put into cases formed of wood and white horn. And
these were the first lanthorns ever made in England.

All this time, he was afflicted with a terrible unknown disease, which
caused him violent and frequent pain that nothing could relieve. He bore
it, as he had borne all the troubles of his life, like a brave good man,
until he was fifty-three years old; and then, having reigned thirty
years, he died. He died in the year nine hundred and one; but, long ago
as that is, his fame, and the love and gratitude with which his subjects
regarded him, are freshly remembered to the present hour.

In the next reign, which was the reign of EDWARD, surnamed THE ELDER, who
was chosen in council to succeed, a nephew of KING ALFRED troubled the
country by trying to obtain the throne. The Danes in the Eas