▁historical . ▁He ▁says ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁chosen ▁to ▁place ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Eth and une ▁in ▁the ▁V ale ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁Hor se , ▁despite ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁concrete ▁evidence ▁for ▁this ▁pla cement ▁( many ▁sch ol ars ▁now ▁believe ▁it ▁was ▁probably ▁fought ▁at ▁Ed ington , ▁W ilt shire ). ▁He ▁says ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁chosen ▁to ▁include ▁leg ends ▁about ▁Alfred , ▁even ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁histor ically ▁unlikely . ▁ ▁D edic ation ▁ ▁The ▁poem ▁opens ▁with ▁a ▁verse ▁dedic ation ▁to ▁Ch est erton ' s ▁wife . ▁He ▁begins ▁by ▁comment ing ▁on ▁Alfred ▁and ▁his ▁legacy . ▁Ch est erton ▁asks ▁his ▁wife ▁to ▁remember ▁their ▁travel s ▁together ▁to ▁research ▁the ▁poem , ▁and ▁clos es ▁with ▁verse ▁that ▁seems ▁meant ▁for ▁her ▁personally . ▁ ▁Book ▁I ▁: ▁The ▁V ision ▁of ▁the ▁King ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁with ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁Hor se ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁Hor se ▁V ale ▁and ▁how ▁it ▁has ▁seen ▁un t old ▁ages ▁pass ▁by . ▁Among ▁these ▁periods ▁was ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁bar bar ian ▁invas ions ▁that ▁followed . ▁The ▁Dan es ▁have ▁inv aded ▁and ▁nearly ▁conquer ed ▁England , ▁and ▁now ▁drive ▁the ▁W esse x ▁King ▁Alfred ▁into ▁hiding ▁on ▁the ▁river ▁island ▁of ▁Ath el ney . ▁While ▁there , ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁appears ▁to ▁Alfred ▁and ▁gives ▁him ▁words ▁of ▁cons olation . ▁▁ ▁Book ▁II ▁: