CHAPTER VIII

ALFRED IN SOMERSET BEYOND PEDRIDA 92–132

The central episode of Alfred’s career 92 Suddenness of the surprize at Chippenham 94 Apprehension of attack on north coast of Wealcyn 95 Alhstan, bishop of Sherborne 96 Meditations of king Alfred _id._ Danish invasion of Wessex 97 Placable temper of the West Welsh 98 Hostility of the ‘North Welsh’ _id._ Alfred’s disguise 99 f. The Jewel must be buried 100 Selwood 101 Story of Denewulf _id._ Hingston Down 102 The Danes in Exeter _id._ The Danes at Cynwit 103 The political import of Pedrida 104 f. Selwoodshire 105 The Transpedridan dialect 106 The Devonian ‘u’ 107 The Pixies 108 Somerset in Alfred’s day 109 Subsidence of the land 110 f. Elm-trees 112 Red Deer 113 Leland’s _Itinerary_ 115 Etymology of ‘Pedrida’ 117 British policy of Wessex _id._ f. Aldhelm’s letter to Gerontius 119 His little church at Bradford-on-Avon 120 Associations of Glastonbury _id._ ff. Asser’s _Life of Alfred_ 124 The Fort at Athelney 128 Brixton Deveril 129 The buried Jewel not recovered 130 The Peiwar Kotal (1878) 131 ‘What follows is like a dream’ 132