During the whole of the latter part of his reign
the copying of manuscripts went on, though with only
moderate activity.
[1] MS. Cott. Tib. B xi.--a copy of Alfred's version of the Cura,
or what is left of it--has been connected with Archbishop
Plegmund, the evidence being a Saxon inscription on the
manuscript Wanley, however, doubted the conclusiveness of
this evidence, which, together with most of the text, was lost in
the fire of 1731. --James, xxiii-iv.
[2] Sandys, i. 484.
That Alfred, amid the cares of a troublesome kingship,
could find time to devote to this work, and realised
the importance of vernacular literature, is one of the chief
signs of his greatness. What he did had a lasting influence
upon our literature. He tapped the wellspring of English
prose. Mainly owing to his initiative, from his day till the
Conquest all the literature of importance was in the
vernacular, and the impulse so given to the language as a
literary vehicle was strong enough to preserve it from
extinction during the Norman domination, when it was
superseded as the court and official language. But, so far
as the making and circulation of books is concerned, the
"revival" under Alfred did not prosper.
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