Alfred, as might have been expected, let the cakes burn.As years passed on, california fairfield home selling Alfred found his army diminishing, and the strength of his kingdom wasting away.The noblest human spirits are always, in some periods of their existence, or in some aspects of their characters, strangely weakened by infirmities and frailties, and deformed by sin.But now, alarmed at the imminence of the impending danger, which threatened not only the welfare of his people, but his own kingdom and even his life for one Saxon monarch had been driven from his dominions, as we have seen, and had died a miserable exile at Rome Alfred aroused himself in earnest to the work of regaining his california fairfield home selling lost influence among his people, and recovering their alienated affections.To swear by this bracelet was to place themselves under the most solemn obligation that they could assume.They california fairfield home selling knew very well that even his lifeless remains would not be safe from the vengeance of his foes unless they were placed effectually beyond the reach of these desperate marauders.He accordingly, as his first step, convened a great assembly of the leading chieftains and noblemen of the realm, and made addresses to them, in which he urged upon them the imminence of the danger which threatened their common country, and pressed them to unite vigorously and energetically with him to contend against their common foe.Ceolwulf was california fairfield home selling execrated by his countrymen, who considered him a traitor.The Danes advanced to attack him, expecting that, as he was not sustained by Ethelred's division of the army, he would be easily overpowered and driven from his post.They soon, california fairfield home selling however, all began with one accord to seek the roads which would conduct them to their stronghold at Reading.There is a certain desperation to which men are often aroused in the last extremity, which surpasses courage, and is even sometimes a very effectual substitute for strength and Alfred might, perhaps, have succeeded, after all, in saving his affairs from utter ruin, had not a new circumstance intervened, which seemed at once to extinguish all remaining hope and to seal his doom.
