EW relics of antiquity are connected
with more interesting historical asso-
p.;Cia#dns than the jewel represented jin
our engraving. The inscription on the
' face,.;’' t,
XELERED MEE HEHT KEWYREKN, •
Alfred commanded me to be made,”
jcircumstance-^its having; been
I "found.(afibiit the close of the seventeenth
[' century) imJtS^Me of Athelney in
' {iSpnKr-et-'biri^ h ,ive no room for doubt-
it' washiest by King Alfred in
[ fthe, lowest eBbj,\of -Ins' changeful for-
L; .tuuc^'^vlji'ii he took shelter in that spot
('from-the pursuits of the Danes. It
['•was on this vocca^i|3n'that- the circum-
stance i§" pretended .to, have occurred
[' ' which".'has 'beep, e^er since so "closely
attache, d-^t-o Alfr< d's -'•memory, and of
^ ^ ^ ^ » l iE ^ ^ ^ »ti^^ccQ.unt .is given in
ELac early Angl^iUton'Hiomih.„ The
King then '^Snf^urLing through1 hedges and ways, through
.woods and fieldspi®|jthat lie thmugh'TiotlV. guidance arrived
safe at ’Vth’elrn}, and begged/shelter in the house of a certain
swain, and even xdlfig|ntly';sefve^^im and wife. It happened
one day(that this s\\ ,im’<..tfife .headed -her oWi, and the King
sat thereby, warming himself bv* rluwrc^ tlie lamily not Knowing
that ha was the King/ Then wan. the" egil woman suddenly stirred
up, and said .^ th e King in angry- mAqt, '‘Turn thou the loaves,
that they' bum nJfl 'Sdf' I see daily thatithou art a great eater. He
was'quickly obedient’ 'ter thVJevil. woman, because ®|heeds must.”
..The Jewel whichi$> connected;soyimarkabl} with this story, is now preserved
in the -Ashmolean Mpseum at* Ostord.’ J t L two inches and five
eighths -long, Jlgold, and coiitainmg inscription given above a
cblQured vitreous, paste representing, .-apparentlyt^. male figure, holding in each
hand what appears turbe a 'scej^e^tKaugh probably onbyt intended ns ornaments),
and covered crystal^- much ummportant discussion has .arisen
'concerning person thus represented.' Hound the outer edge is aTpurfled
border ofifilligree worh. .