Chambers's Encyclopaedia: 1880 Edition

ASSER, JOHN

 

ASSER, JOHN, the learned and congenial biographer of Alfred, was a monk of St Davids, from the Latin name of which, Menevia, he is termed in the old records Asserius Menevensis. About the year 880, his reputation for learning and piety procured him an invitation to the court of Alfred, where he resided at intervals during the rest of the king's life, assisting him in his studies, and enjoying an affectionate confidence, of which he seems to have been every way worthy. The king promoted him to various dinities, and finally made him Bishop of Sherburn. The Saxon Chronicle fixes the date of his death to the year 910. Several works have, with more or less authority, been attributed to A. The only one undoubtedly his, by which we can now judge of him as a man and a writer, is his Annales Rerum Gestarum Aelfredi Magni. This simple and most interesting narrative was first published in 1574 by Archbishop Parker. Its trustworthiness has recently (1842) been questioned by Mr Thomas Wright, in the article 'Asser' of his Biographia Britannica Litteraria. This gentleman has assuredly made the most of the objections to its reliability that can be legitimately urged. Lingard and Dr Pauli have replied to these, and, at present, the general impression of scholars of Anglo-Saxon literature is that there is no good reason for doubting its general accuracy and fidelity. The best edition is that of Wise (Oxf. 8vo. 1722).

 

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25/07/2004

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