There were no clocks or watches in those days, and yet it was very necessary to have some plan for keeping the time, in order that his business might go on regularly, and also that the movements and operations of his large household might proceed without confusion.
Alfred invented a plan.

It was as follows: He observed that the wax candles which were used in his palace and in the churches burned very regularly, and with greater or less rapidity according to their size.

He ordered some experiments to be made, and finally, by means of them, he determined on the size of a candle which should burn three inches in an hour.

It is said that the weight of wax which he used for each candle was twelve pennyweights, that is, but little more than half an ounce, which would make, one would suppose, a _taper_ rather than a candle.

There is, however, great doubt about the value of the various denominations of weight and measure, and also of money used in those days.