NCEIV9 R4-0803 Flashcards
Lesson 9
Lesson 9 Royal espionage
Alfred the Grea
Alfred the Great acted his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel.
In those days w
In those days wandering minstrels were welcome everywhere.
They were not f
They were not fighting men, and their harp was their passport.
Alfred had lear
Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth, and could vary his programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring.
While Alfred’s
While Alfred’s little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the commander of the Danish invaders.
There had settl
There had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred went.
He noticed at o
He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual.
They lived well
They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions.
There they coll
There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft.
Alfred stayed i
Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney.
The force there
The force there assembled was trivial compared with the Danish horde.
But Alfred had
But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit for prolonged battle: and that their commissariat had no organization, but depended on irregular raids.
So, faced with
So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle but harried the enemy.
He was constant
He was constantly on the move, drawing the Danes after him.
