east to west, as is still visible to beholders. | safe from the wintry storm; but after a short This being finished, they gave that dispirited space of fair weather, he immediately vanishes

people good advice, with patterns to furnish them with arms. Besides, they built towers on the sea-coast to the southward, at proper distances, where their ships were, because there also the irruptions of the barbarians were apprehended, and so took leave of their friends, never to return again.-Book I, Chapter 12. (Translation from the Latin, edited by J. A. Giles.)

A PARABLE OF MAN'S LIFE†

out of your sight, into the dark winter from which he had emerged. So this life of man appears for a short space, but of what went before, or what is to follow, we are utterly ignorant. If, therefore, this new doctrine contains something more certain, it seems justly to deserve to be followed." The other elders and king's counsellors by Divine inspiration, spoke to the same effect.-Book II, Chapter 13. (Translation from the Latin, edited by J. A. Giles.)

THE STORY OF (LEDMON ‡

The king, hearing these words, answered, that he was both willing and bound to receive the faith which he taught; but that he would confer about it with his principal friends and counsellors, to the end that if they also were of his opinion, they might all together be cleansed in Christ the Fountain of life. Paulinus consenting, the king did as he said; for, holding a council with the wise men, he asked of everyone in particular what he thought of the new doctrine, and the new worship that was preached? To which the chief of his own priests, Coifi, immediately answered, "O king, consider what this is which is now preached to us; for I verily declare to you, that the religion which we have hitherto professed has, as far as I can learn, no virtue in it. For none of your people has applied himself more diligently to the worship of our gods than 1; and yet there are many who receive greater favours from you, and are more preferred than I, and are more prosperous in all their undertakings. Now if the gods were good for anything, they would rather forward me, who have been more careful to serve them. It remains, therefore, that if upon examination you find those new doctrines, which are now preached to us, better and more efficacious, we immediately receive them with- | solved that they all in turn should sing to the

out any delay."

Another of the king's chief men, approving of his words and exhortations, presently added: "The present life of man, O king, seems to me, in comparison of that time which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow through the room wherein you sit at sup

In this Abbess's Minster was a certain brother extraordinarily magnified and honoured with a divine gift; for he was wont to make fitting songs which conduced to religion and piety; so that whatever he learned through clerks of the holy writings, that he, after a little space, would usually adorn with the greatest sweetness and feeling, and bring forth in the English tongue; and by his songs the minds of many men were often inflamed with contempt for the world, and with desire of heavenly life. And moreover, many others after him, in the English nation, sought to make pious songs; but yet none could do like him, for he had not been taught from men, nor through man, to learn the poetic art; but he was divinely aided, and through God's grace received the art of song. And he therefore never might make aught of leasing or of idle poems, but just those only which conduced to religion, and which it became his pious tongue to sing. The man was. placed in worldly life until the time that he was of mature age, and had never learned any poem; and he therefore often in convivial society, when, for the sake of mirth, it was re

harp, when he saw the harp approaching him, then for shame he would rise from the assem bly and go home to his house.

When he so on a certain time did, that he left the house of the convivial meeting, and was gone out to the stall of the cattle, the care of which that night had been committed to

per in winter, with your commanders and min-him-when he there, at proper time, placed his

isters, and a good fire in the midst, whilst the storms of rain and snow prevail abroad; the sparrow I say, flying in at one door, and immediately out at another, whilst he is within, is

limbs on the bed and slept, then stood some man by him, in a dream, and hailed and greeted him, and named him by his name, saying "Cædmon, sing me something." Then he an

† This is an incident of the visit of Paulinus, who, 4 lying
in the year 625, during the reign of King
Edwin (Eadwine) of Northumbria, came to
England as a missionary from Pope Gregory.

See Eng. Lit., p. 22. The "Minster" referred te was the monastery at Whitby, founded by the Abbess Hilda in 658.

swered and said, "I cannot sing anything, and therefore I went out from this convivial meeting, and retired hither, because I could not." Again he who was speaking with him said, "Yet thou must sing to me.” Said he, "What shall I sing?" Said he, "Sing me the origin of things." When he received this answer, then he began forthwith to sing, in praise of God the creator, the verses and the words which he had never heard, the order of which is this:

"Now must we praise

the Guardian of heaven's kingdom,
the Creator's might,
and his mind's thought;
glorious Father of men!
as of every wonder he,
Lord eternal,

formed the beginning.
He first framed

for the children of earth

the heaven as a roof;

holy Creator!

then mid-earth,

the Guardian of mankind, the eternal Lord,

afterwards produced; the earth for men, Lord Almighty!"

worldly life and take to monkhood: and he that well approved. And she received him into the minster with his goods, and associated him with the congregation of those servants of God, and caused him to be taught the series of the Holy History and Gospel; and he, all that he could learn by hearing, meditated with himself, and, as a cleans animal, ruminating, turned into the sweetest verse: and his song and his verse were so winsome to hear, that his teachers themselves wrote and learned from his mouth. He first sang of earth's creation, and of the origin of mankind, and all the history of Genesis, which is the first book of Moses, and then of the departure of the people of Israel from the Egyptians' land, and of the entrance of the land of promise, and of many other histories of the canonical books of Holy Writ; and of Christ's incarnation, and of his passion, and of his ascension into heaven; and of the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the doctrine of the Apostles. And also of the terror of the doom to come, and the fear of hell torment, and the sweetness of the heavenly kingdom, he made many poems; and, in like manner, many others of the divine benefits and judgments he made; in all which he earnestly took care to draw men from the love of sins and wicked deeds, and to excite to a love and desire of good deeds; for he was a very pious

Then he arose from sleep, and had fast in man, and to regular discipliness humbly sub

mind all that he sleeping had sung, and to those words forthwith joined many words of song worthy of God in the same measure.

Then came he in the morning to the townreeve, who was his superior, and said to him what gift he had received; and he forthwith led him to the abbess, and told, and made that known to her. Then she bade all the most learned men and the learners to assemble, and

was come.

in their presence bade him tell the dream, and sing the poem; that, by the judgment of them all, it might be determined why or whence that Then it seemed to them all, so as it was, that to him, from the Lord himself, a heavenly gift had been given. Then they expounded to him and said some holy history, and words of godly lore; then bade him, if he

could, to sing some of them, and turn them into the melody of song. When he had undertaken the thing, then went he home to his house, and came again in the morning, and sang and gave to them, adorned with the best poetry, what had been entrusted to him.

Then began the abbess to make much of and

jected; and against those who in otherwise would act, he was inflamed with the heat of great zeal. And he therefore with a fair end his life closed and ended.

For when the time approached of his decease and departure, then was he for fourteen days ere that oppressed and troubled with bodily infirmity; yet so moderately that, during all that time, he could both speak and walk. There was

in the neighbourhood a house for infirm men, in which it was their custom to bring the infirm, and those who were on the point of departure, and there attend to them together. Then bade he his servant, on the eve of the night that he was going from the world, to prepare him a place in that house, that he might rest; whereupon the servant wondered why he this bade,

for it seemed to him that his departure was not so near; yet he did as he said and commanded. And when he there went to bed, and in joyful mood was speaking some things, and joking together with those who were therein previously, then it was over midnight that he asked, whether they had the eucharist within?

*

They answered, "What need is to thee of the eucharist? Thy departure is not so near, now thou thus cheerfully and thus gladly art speaking to us." Again he said, "Bring me nevertheless the eucharist.”

When he had it in his hands, he asked, Whether they had all a placid mind and kind, and without any ill-will towards him? Then they all answered, and said, that they knew of no ill-will towards him, but they all were very kindly disposed and they besought him in turn that he would be kindly disposed to them all. Then he answered and said, "My beloved brethren, I am very kindly disposed to you and all God's men." And he thus was strengthening himself with the heavenly viaticum,& and preparing himself an entrance into another life. Again he asked, "How near it was to the

Ravage all the rooms! There the reek ariseth
Gray above the gables. Great on earth the din,
And the slaughter-qualm of men. Then I shake
the woodland,

Forests rich in fruits; then I fell the trees; -
I with water over-vaulted by the wondrous

Powers

10

hour that the brethren must rise and teach the I am all alone, with the iron wounded, people of God, and sing their nocturns?''9 With the sword slashed into, sick of work of

They answered, “It is not far to that." He

battle,

said, "It is well, let us await the hour." And Of the edges weary. Oft I see the slaughter,

then he prayed, and signed himself with Oft the ficrcest fighting.

Christ's cross, and reclined his head on the bol

ween I,

itself to me;

Of no comfort

ster, and slept for a little space; and so with So that, in the battle-brattling, help may bring stillness ended his life. And thus it was, that

me,

5

done.

But the heritage of hammers hews adown at
Stark of edges, sworded-sharp, of the smiths
On me biting in the burgs! Worse the bat-
tle is

the handiwork,

as he with pure and calm mind and tranquil Ere I, with the warriors, have been utterly fordevotion had served God, that he, in like manner, left the world with as calm a death, and went to His presence; and the tongue that had composed so many holy words in the Creator's praise, he then in like manner its last words closed in His praise, crossing himself, and committing his soul into His hands. Thus it is seen that he was conscious of his own departure, from what we have now heard say. Book IV., Chapter 24. (Translated from Latin into Anglo-Saxon by Alfred the Great. Modern English translation by Benjamin Thorpe.)

CYNEWULF (fl. 750)*

RIDDLE II.

Who so wary and so wise of the warriors lives,
That he dare declare who doth drive me on my

A young serving-man all with silver and fine gold,

Hugely then I thunder, tear along in gusts,

With the work of waving gyres! 4 Warriors sometimes kiss me;

Sometimes I to strife of battle summon with my calling

Willing war-companions! Whiles, the horse doth carry

5

Me the march-paths over, or the ocean-stallion | Speak to those who once on earth but obeyed Fares the floods with me, flashing in my jew

† The Christ is a poem dealing with the Nativity and Ascension of Christ, and the Day of That to hithes of Healing homeward led us Judgment. Our extracts are from the hymn

and the poet's dread upon that day, and which He the Spirit-Son of God! And he dealt us closes with a vision of the stormy voyage

some of his poems acrostically by inserting So that we should be aware, from the vessel's Sang the Wolf in woodland, wailed a slaughter- | built. Altogether they ruled in Britain four

Hard hand-swinging there, and of hosts down-called Wippidsfleet; at first in aid of the Britdinging,