"His unique importance in the history of English letters comes from his conviction that a life without knowledge or reflection was unworthy of respect, and his determination to bring the thought of the past within the range of his subjects' understanding. The translations of ancient books by which he tried to reach this end form the beginning of English prose literature."
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Original Language: English
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Sir Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (1943),1975 edition, pp. 269-70.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great
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Alfred the Great
Ælfrēd or Alfred the Great (849–26 October 899), king of Wessex from 871 to 899, was responsible for turning back the Danish invasion of Wessex and for promoting a revival of education, scholarship, law and administration. His translations of theological and philosophical works into Old English are sometimes said to have laid the foundations of English prose.
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