Alfred (opera)

Alfred (1740) is a masque written by David Mallet and James Thomson. The masque is about Alfred the Great, and was first performed at Cliveden, country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales, on 1 August 1740, to commemorate the accession of George I and the birthday of the Princess Augusta. It was the vehicle for the British patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!".

Quotes

• Who has not known ill fortune, never knew
  Himself, or his own virtue.
  • Act I, Scene I.

• What proves the hero truly great,
  Is never, never to despair.
  • Act I, Scene III.

• Rule Britannia, rule the waves:
  Britons never will be slaves.
  • Act II, Scene X.

External links

• Full text on GoogleBooks, as published in the 1759 edition of the collected works of David Mallet.