Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
12
RAFAŁBORYSŁAWSKI
themisbeyonddoubt,thatthisamazementmusthaveinvolvedadegree
offlaneurismisdoubtlesseither.Myintentionhere,however,istospeakof
whatmaybecalledunegativeamazement”oranegativeimageofthecity
inOldEnglishpoeticexpression.ByCnegative)Idonotmeantheruined
cityitself,butitsmentalandpoeticconstructemanatingfromwhatwas
lefofitandthusfromwhatwasunknown,unfamiliarorspeculative
aboutthecityitself.Whattranspiresfromthisformofurbanamazement
areinstanceslittleshortofsomeurbanapophasis,thatisaperception
mirroringthemannerofspeakingaboutGodintermsofwhatGodisnot.
Teidentityofthefirstofthetwocitieswhicharetoserveasexam-
plesinthepresentpaperisbeyondanydoubt.ItisRome,acitywhich,
alongwithConstantinopleandJerusalem,wasthesynonymofanurban
structurebeforetheriseofParis,London,andthelikeinthelaterMid-
dleAges.Tobeprecise,itisRomeinthemiddleoftheninthcentury,
anditisRomeasitmaybeimaginedbeingseenthroughtheeyesof
aboywhotravelledtheretwice,firstagedfiveintheyear853andthen
agedsevenoreightin855,whenhecametherewithhisfather,King
ÆthelwulfofWessex.Teboy)snamewasAlfred,theking)sfifhson
andthusapersonwho,initiallyatleast,musthaveseemedunlikelyto
succeedhimonthethrone.AmongthereasonsAlfred)sfatherdecided
totakehisyoungsonwithhimonwhathadtobelongandstrenuous
journeyscouldhavebeenthefactthatAlfred,precededbyfourbroth-
ersinthelinetothecrown,mighthavebeenintendedforareligious
position,andhence,perhaps,hisfather)sintentiontoacquainthimwith
thepoliticalandreligiouscentreoftheChristianworldthatRomewas.
Alfred)sfirstencounterwiththecity,whichhereachedwithasizeable
retinueofnobles,ismarkedbyasingularhonourbestowedonhimby
thethenpope,Leo
IV
.IfwearetobelieveVitaAelfredibyAsser,Alfred)s
lateninth-centurybiographerandapologist:QuotemporedominusLeo
Papaapostolicaesedipraeerat,quipraefatuminfantemAelfredumop-
pidoordinansunxitinregem,etinfliumadoptionissibimetaccipiens
confrmavit.1łuAtthistimethelordPopeLeowasrulingtheApostolic
1Asser(Asserius),DerebusgestisAelfredi(VitaAelfredi),8,TeLatinLibrary,
accessedJanuary5,2015,http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/asserius.html.Henceforth
referredtoasAsser,VitaAelfredi.
