Alfred and Ælfric: A Study of Two Prefaces

Abstract

Alfred's Preface is more interesting because it appears to mark a beginning, much as Caedmon's Hymn marks a beginning. The Preface, for all its brevity, is a moving piece of literature. The image of one of the great men in history shines through Alfred's intelligence, his humanity, his patience in adversity, his compelling vision of a peaceful, literate society, his persuasive power and capacity to evoke the desire to make dreams come true. It sets forth Alfred's own reflections, problems, ideas, and ideology, and it presents dramatically the picture of a man's mind at work, solving problems and presenting solutions. Prefac appears to be like the early papal epistle, which later developed into the standard form of the ars dictaminis: such as Protocol, or Salutation; Arenga, or Proem; Narration, or Statement; Disposition, or Petition and Final Clauses, or Conclusion.

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