caught more fish this day than in all the three years that we have tarried in this island.’  And the King was glad, and he and his folk were merry; yet he pondered much upon that which had come to pass.  And when night came, the King went to his bed with Ealhswyth his wife.  And the Lady slept, but the King lay awake and thought of all that had come to pass by day.  And presently he saw a great light, like the brightness of the sun, and he saw an old man with black hair, clothed in priest’s garments, and with a mitre on his head, and holding in his right hand a book of the Gospels adorned with gold and gems.  And the old man blessed the King, and the King said unto him, ‘Who art thou?’ And he answered, ’Alfred, my son, rejoice; for I am he to whom thou didst this day give thine alms, and I am called Cuthberht the soldier of Christ.  Now be strong and very courageous, and be of joyful heart, and hearken diligently to the things which I say unto thee; for henceforth I will be thy shield and thy friend, and I will watch over thee and over thy sons after thee.  And now I will tell thee what thou must do.  Rise up early in the morning, and blow thine horn thrice, that thy enemies may hear it and fear, and by the ninth hour thou shalt have around thee five hundred men harnassed for the battle.  And this shall be a sign unto thee that thou mayest believe.  And after seven days thou shalt have by God’s gift and my help all the folk of this land gathered unto thee upon the mount that is called Assandun.  And thus shalt thou fight against thine enemies, and doubt not that thou shalt overcome them.  Be thou therefore glad of heart, and be strong and very courageous, and fear not, for God hath given thine enemies into thine hand.  And He hath given thee also all this land and the Kingdom of thy fathers, to thee and to thy sons and to thy sons’ sons after thee.  Be thou faithful to me and to my folk, because that unto thee is given all the land of Albion.  Be thou righteous, because thou art chosen to be the King of all Britain.  So may God be merciful unto thee, and I will be thy friend, and none of thine enemies shall ever be able to overcome thee.’  Then was King Alfred glad at heart, and he was strong and very courageous, for that he knew that he would overcome his enemies by the help of God and Saint Cuthberht his patron.  So in the morning he arose, and sailed to the land, and blew his horn three times, and when his friends heard it they were glad, and when his enemies heard it they feared.  And by the ninth hour, according to the word of the Lord, there were gathered unto him five hundred men of the bravest and dearest of his friends.  And he spake unto them and told them all that God had said unto him by the mouth of his servant Cuthberht, and he told them that, by the gift of God and by the help of Saint Cuthberht, they would overcome their enemies and win back their own land.  And he bade them as Saint Cuthberht had taught him, to fear God alway and to be alway righteous toward all men.  And he bade his son Edward who was by him to be faithful to God and Saint Cuthberht, and so he should alway have the victory over his enemies.  So they went forth to battle and smote their enemies and overcame them, and King Alfred took the Kingdom of all Britain, and he ruled well and wisely over the just and the unjust for the rest of his days.”