Considered as a whole, Alfred's reign (871-901) is hte most noteworthy
of any in the annals of the early English sovereigns. It was marked
throughout by intelligence and progress.
His life speaks for itself. The best commentary on it is the fact
that, in 1849, the people of Wantage, his native place, celebrated the
thousandth anniversary of his birth,--another proof that "what is
excellent, as God lives, is permanent."[1]
[1] R. W. Emerson's "Poems."