Wherefore was God in Golgotha/
Slain as a serf is slain/
And hate He had of prince and peer/
And love He had and made good cheer/
Of them that, like this woman here/
Go powerfully in pain.
In the fourth book of the ballad, Alfred is returning from his mission to gather his chiefs.These moments when Alfred is alone serve to reveal his innermost thoughts, and how he still has much to learn. When he meets the peasant woman in the forest, he sees her lamentable circumstances as a sign of neglect. Be careful to properly translate the word "wherefore" for this first line. It is translated as "for what reason," or "for what purpose." Golgotha is the name for the historical site where Jesus Christ of Nazareth was sacrificed.Thus, Alfred starts his first thought with an analysis of the purpose of suffering.
For the end of the world was long ago, And all we dwell to-day/
As children of some second birth, Like a strange people left on earth/
After a judgment day.
The quote is one of King Alfred's earliest musings on England's fallen state during his exile in Athelney, and lends to the first book's tone of despair. There's obviously something quite pessimistic in Alfred's innermost thoughts-before his eyes, he sees an endless cycle of glories and failures. He describes his kingdom as a mere incarnation of Rome-against which destructive forces have hardly ceased to wane. Alfred's people, or so he believes, are destined to live out the same, inevitable fate of their predecessors. With little control over their own destinies, the English seem a "strange people" left to suffer in vain after an apocalypse.
Your scalds still thunder and prophesy/
That crown that never comes/
Friend, I will watch the certain things/
Swine, and slow moons like silver rings/
And the ripening of the plums.
Book II introduces Alfred's chiefs: Eldred, Mark, and Colan. These three individuals will prove crucial to Alfred's future successes in battle. This quote specifically demonstrates how Eldred, a simple farmer who doubts Alfred's sincerity, has fallen to dangerous passivity. These signs of neglect are clear in the lack of care seen on Eldred's farm. Eldred is a kind and generous Christian who enjoys feasting in the company of his fellow men. In addition, he tires of the romantic poets who envision a bright future for England in the midst of so much defeat. The "scalds" Eldred references would likely have sung Alfred's praises after a successful battle, and predicted similar successes. One of the most important things to remember about the Ballad is that Chesterton constantly contrasts the attitudes of the Christians and Danes regarding the future: while the former frown upon the superstitious ways of fortune tellers, the Danes look to the stars for signs of their fate. Thus, the author uses Eldred's despairing tone to convey how he, and other men like him, have fallen into a state of despair due to a lack of certainty. After all, what do men like Eldred know about battle? He is neither a learned man or a skilled warrior, and tells Alfred that he prefers to remain among the simple, predictable things of agricultural life.
Our monks go robed in rain and snow/ But the heart of flame therein/ But you go clothed in feasts and flames/ When all is ice within.
In this quote, Alfred is speaking to the Danes and expertly comparing the lives of the Christians and the Viking warriors. Certainly, there is a glaring contrast between the Christians' outward appearances and their inward attitudes. Stricken by the poverty that comes with war, they are forced to contend harsh elements that would drive most men to despair. However, the king declares that these men prevail because they are warmed by a love for their mission. Meanwhile, the fearsome and well-outfitted Danes remain cold as ice-for what they conquer, they fight without meaning or purpose.
