The Millenary Commemoration of King Alfred was carried out at
Winchester last week in a manner worthy of the °m- elon, the proceedings culminating in the unveiling by Lord Rosebery of a statue of Alfred, executed by Mr. Banjo Thorny. croft, which stands in the Broadway, facing the ancient West Gate. The procession, which marched from the Castle Hall to the site of the statue, was admirably contrived to render homage to Alfred in his triple character of warrior, scholar, and saint. It included the Archbishop of Canterbury, several Bishops and other clerical dignitaries, detachments of soldiers and sailors, and representatives of learned societies and Erni. versities—British, Colonial, and American—to say nothing of a goodly muster of Members of Parliament, Mayors, and Pro. vosts. We cannot conclude this imperfect summary of a bril- liant celebration without a passing mention of the eloquent and moving speech delivered by Colonel T. W. Higginson, the delegate of Harvard University, at the public luncheon on Thursday week. Whatever the antecedent antagonism of an American, said Colonel Hig,ginson, he could not but feel that England is, after all, his second home, and scout the thought of any more serious division between the two members of a great family. After enlarging on the keen interest of Americans in English institutions, and the charm of the calm rural sweetness of English home life, the speaker went on to say how this "deep fraternal tie" had been even more closely knitted by the events of the past few weeks, and how he felt that henceforward and for ever, as the very result of a great crime, a nearer tie had been born; that "the poor wretch himself was building better than he _knew, and even in the darkest moment of his life was striking a blow which, while depriving America of a President, helped to reconcile the two nations for ever."
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