The moderate monarchy, or Principles of the British constitution, described in a narrative of the life and maxims of Alfred the Great and his counsellors

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BIT

THE

Preface

When man attains the age of maturity, the illusions of younger years mostly vanish. All that he had ardently desired to acquire in life seems not worthy the exertions ; that which he had formerly cherished with the warmest passion, he now looks upon as transient, like all things in this world ; and, besides religion and domestic happiness, little remains to attach himself to, as in former years.

Although the enchanting visions of youth — love, fame, and honours — have fled from his sight, the recollections of the grandeur of some ideals, based on history, whom he venerated in his youth, are not wholly extinguished in maturer age.

Such was the impression which Haller's " Alfred " made upon the translator in his youth, and which has since remained engraved in

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his memory. Many great characters, pictured in history, and others, within his own recollection, who lived in the turbulent times at the close of the last and the beginning of the present century, although appreciated by him, could not eclipse the juvenile impression of the historical romance now before the reader.

The fortunate mixture of grandeur, mildness, and severity, religion and domestic virtues, love of the arts and sciences, combined with valour and heroic deeds, in one individual, also celebrated for his romantic adventures, could not fail to win sympathy and universal admiration, and the more so since not the slightest doubt was held of Haller's veracity, as the fame he had acquired as a philosopher, and author of the poem, the "Alps," was at that time spread all over Germany.

Although this little work, dedicated by Haller to the British nation, in the person of George III., is now out of print, its memory is preserved in every German heart ; it having been written at

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a time when liberty and the wish for a constitutional form of government began to dawn in France and Germany; and a French translation of "Alfred," which appeared almost simultaneously with the original, may, like many a writing of that time, have contributed to hasten the catastrophe which, in spite of its awfulness, has proved fortunate in its consequences to the world.

The learned Haller became, in the last years of his life, almost disgusted at all the branches of science,* for which he had done so much during

* Albert von Haller was a great physician, natural historian, and author, in several branches ; and one of the most learned men of his time. His works are very numerous, and his biography, written by Zimmerman, and brought to the year 1755, forms a considerable volume. If Haller was a celebrated lyrical poet, he was also a great statesman, and as such very useful to his country. His character was the purest, and he was as excellent a citizen as a father. Although a free thinker he was very religious, and an opponent of Voltaire, with whom he was in constant strife. The renowned Cassanova, having once wished to visit the sage of Ferney, Haller observed to him, that Voltaire " presented an effect in direct opposition to the laws of physics, being greater when seen from a distance than when seen closely." Upon the " Heloi'se " of Rousseau, he said " that it was the

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his laborious career, and embraced politics; a proof that the human heart and head do not always feel inclined to give up, even in the most advanced age, all the illusions of life; but still endeavour to contribute, by intellectual power, towards the general weal. The translator — who has not the least ambition of comparing himself to Haller — although not living in Switzerland, nor having, like Haller, preserved the serene views of life, but finding himself bending under hypochondria, and beneath a cloudy sky, he has had the same tendency in translating this work that Haller had in writing it.

worst of all romances, because it was the most eloquent." He despised Rousseau's eloquence, as anti-thesical and paradoxical, and to his opinion, that fictions were admitted into romances, opposed Petrarch, whose love for Laura was real. He had the courage to say, in a letter to Frederick II., who would entirely suppress the Latin language, " that in the event of a monarch succeeding in banishing the language of a Cicero and of a Horace from the republic of sages, he would set an eternal monument to the memory of his ignorance," upon which the great monarch renounced his project. Haller's biography and works will be found in almost every Encyclopaedia, but the above observations are not so generally known.

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Haller's purpose was to picture, in one work, absolute monarchy, which he did in his historical romance, entitled "Usong;" then, moderate monarchy in " Alfred ; " and, finally, moderate republic in a third work, entitled, "Fabius and Cato;" but he scorned to occupy himself with democracy, having witnessed the mischief which it caused, almost under his own eyes, in some Swiss cantons.

In each of these works he has endeavoured to develop the principles of the three several forms of government in their highest degree of perfection ; and in choosing the British constitution as a model of moderate monarchy, the only one which he could, in fact, choose for that purpose, he found that Alfred was the only monarch who combined such virtue, wisdom, and heroism, as rendered him worthy of being acknowledged the founder of that constitution, although historians may not attribute that noble work to him.

On the occasion of the author's writing his

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work, "The Ship, its Origin and Progress," he had to make some researches concerning Alfred's ships and history, and found in his library Haller's "Alfred." His youthful reminiscences of that work were immediately revived ; and on once more reading it through, he found therein what he did not seek, namely, the fourth book, (in this work the fifth book,*) containing the principles of the British constitution in so simple and popular a form, that this part, which in his youth he had not the patience to read, and much less to study, made in his advanced age more impression upon him than Alfred's deeds had done in his youth.

He then resolved upon attempting this translation, for which he thought the present epoch the most appropriate, and on searching for the modern histories of Alfred, found his deeds more or less

* The Sixth Book of Haller's "Alfred" contained Alfred's love, which, although we do not consider it as worthy of its author, we have given in the Second Book. The Introduction and the Conclusion are not by Haller, but extracted from the works of John von Miiller, another Swiss historical author, almost as celebrated as himself.

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described by British historians, but nothing so complete and so brief as Haller's work.

In his researches into Alfred's life, he at first studied the sources whence Haller had derived his knowledge, namely: Asser, John Spelman, Hume, and Littleton ; and also used Lappenberg, King, Turner, &c. ; but while the present translation was penning, two works appeared almost simultaneously, namely, " Six Old English Chronicles," and ** Life and Times of Alfred the Great," which vastly contributed to facilitate his historical researches; and he cannot do less than to publicly thank the learned Dr. Giles, who worked out both the above works, which he owns to have made great use of in the historical notes, and which proved to him that most of what Haller related of Alfred was authentic. Notwithstanding the great credit which the translator gives these works, he trusts that this little book will not be considered as superfluous, as, in spite of the Germanisms, which could not altogether be avoided, it presents a brief, pleasant, and romantic history of the life

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of Alfred, and possesses, besides, a higher tendency, developed in the fifth book.

Small as the work is, it may be divided into three distinct parts : —

1. Alfred's life and deeds: 2. The principles of the British constitution; and 3. Historical and political notes and commentaries, applying to both the preceding parts.

These three parts, as they are now composed, have but one tendency; the author and compiler of the apparently heterogeneous notes and commentaries has united them for one purpose, which may thus be considered: — The transformation of the life of nations may be observed in their manners and customs; but the more that life becomes civilized, the more it loses the irrevocable harmony of its primitive condition, the desire of preserving which, does not expire so speedily in the better part of the nation. This preservation cannot be effected by better means than by warning, and by the recollection of its early stage of perfection.

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The propensities of nations often lose the original purity of their early consecration, and the races, abandoned to themselves, will hardly continue, as they ought, in their primitive state. It is therefore necessary that they should be led, until their tottering inclinations are once more strengthened and sufficiently purified to be again abandoned to themselves, to procure a life of unconscious truth.

It is consequently the recollection of the early perfection, and the retrospective view of its former condition, that seem to present the most suitable means of stopping the progress of the commencing corruption.

In such times as ours, when anomaly has begun everywhere, and even around us, we wish to preserve the knowledge of the better situation of our forefathers, that, by reviving it through examples, we may turn the public mind towards it.

While translating "Alfred," we were induced to study the elements of the British constitution ;

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and having observed, with an unprejudiced eye, the progress of the civilization of nations, and principally that of the British for the last half century we have perceived the inevitable consequences which such civilization must produce on the original character of the people. The simplicity of manners and customs, and the probity impregnated in English hearts has partly and successively vanished, and given place to the love of Mammon, which prevails in all classes in this formerly blessed country.

The love of the arts and sciences, — the train of civilization, — has not yet succeeded in inspiring the minds of the people. On the contrary, they are in England mostly considered as the means of procuring money; and ambition, which also attends civilization, and is the great lever of civil and warlike deeds, is equally neutralized by the love of gold and comfort, and does not go farther than making a short speech as a chairman in an assembly, or on obtaining a commission..

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Virtue is suddenly awakened by adversity, or acquired when civilization has attained so high a perfection in enlightened minds, as to replace the simplicity and probity of former times. This is not the case at present in England, and much good is birth-strangled by civilization in the moment of nativity.

Whether a little book, with historical notes, apparently without a systematic order or tendency, can contribute to the remembrance of the former grandeur of the British constitution and high standing probity of the nation, or in the slightest degree forward their regeneration, we do not pretend to decide; but trust the reader will believe that the sole and pure design of the compiler and writer was to do justice to every opinion, and flatter none, that the reader may examine them, and preserve that which he considers the best; a little attention will enable him to discover to which of these opinions the author inclines.

The author is far from pretending to be a

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reformer; the times are not always alike, and the world reforms itself in the different periods through which it passes. It reforms itself in every epoch just according to the contemporary individuals, and they again according to the times; both reciprocally make and reform each other, and both likewise reciprocally change each other.

When, in the organization of nature, and at the critical moment of decay, a new encheiresis of life is formed; so soon as the positive direction has been given to the inner re-union, all that is external, all that has faded, whether merely spoiled, or rotten to the state of a dead peel, will break and fall asunder; but it may console us, that if the actual time seems to present such a picture of decay or disorganization, it is obliged so to do because the inner encheiresis of life has already begun to form itself.

FKANCIS STEINITZ.

London, June, 1849.

Contents

Preface, iii.

List of Authors, xv.

Introduction, xxi.