Gentleman's Magazine: And Historical Chronicle

lighte in to helle and dede ther his wille : the thridde day he ros from dethe to liue. He stegh1 fram erthe to heuene, ther he sit in his faderes right hand, as weldinde ther to women. And thenne to comen for to demen" the quike and the dede.

Ich bileue in the holi gost; In sothfast holy chirche. In mennesseo of halewen. In forgiveness of sennes. flesces uprist. that ilke lif to habbe, that eure schal laste. So mote hit bitide. Amen.

4. Speculum humani generis. *

Son is the fore

Fram bedde to the flore,
And werse is the flette
Fram flore to the pette,
And for senne thine
Fram pette to the pine;
Weilawei and wolawo
Thanne is ioye al ouergo.

Be the lef other be the loth
This worldes wele agoth,
Under night and under day
Thine daies flitten away
Thise beth tueye thinges stronge
That everich man heldeth in honde.
Suo sit fairhed P in womman sot,
Suo the geldene begh in suynes throt

Wi tuene hope and drede
Schal man his lif right lede.

8. Symbolum in Anglicana lingua.
I beleue in god fader in heuene
Al mighti, that in dayes seuene
Heuene and erthe haueth wroght
And al that thar inne is of noght.
And in Jesu Crist sone his
One that oure louerd is.
That thorgh the holi gostes might
Kenned was, and flessc tok right,
And of mayden marie boren
To sauuen tho that were forloren,
And tholede after for sennes mine,
Under ponce pilate, pine,
Sore and smart, starke and strong.
And sithen on rode was anhonge,
Wi his wille and deide on trè
His bodi was bered as ower be
Man and wymman that is ded,
Thus ouerkam Jesu the qued.
His soule after to helle lighte
And out of pine thorgh his mighte
Tho gode tok that he ther soghte
And into paradis hem broghte.
Up he ros the thridde day,

Out of the throwe ther he lay,
Hol man and sound, with outen lak,
With his disciples 3ede and spak;

Lighte. A. S. lihtan, "to alight, to descend." Stegh. A. S. stygan, "to mount." G. steigen. m Weldinde. A. S. welden (wealden) "governing." n Demen. A. S. deman, "to deem, judge, doom."

• Mennesse. From A. S. mænig "many," is formed "mænignisse,” “ menynisse," mennesse ;" and in No. 8. following "mendenesse." Gemeinschaft, the word which answers to it in German is formed in same way, the difference being merely the affixed ge, and the termination schaft instead of nis.

* The following verses, which were formerly painted up in the Chapel at Stratfordupon-Avon, illustrate the above lines.

Whoo so hym be thowghte

Inwardly and ofte

From peyt to peyne

That new': schall seys serten

He wolde not doo no syn

All ye world to wyn.

Fisher's Paintings at Stratford-upon-Avon, pl. xvI.

P Fairhed, "beauty."

a Qued, "the evil," Alem. quad, Keltic, gwaeth. Grotius, as quoted by Junius, has the following passage :-"Gothi, id est boni, id nomen a vicinis suis accepere ob hospitalitatem, ut a contrariis moribus suum Quadi, id est mali."

In the "Chornicle of Englande," edited by Ritson, we have this passage, referring to king Llud:

"Tho thes maister was ded

Anon he wende to the qued,

This, therefore, is perhaps the origin of the cant phrase, "To go to quod." In the preceding poem we have in the fourth line,

The "

to pot?"

"And werse is the flette
Fram flore to the pette."

pette" here means the grave. Is this the origin of the phrase, “To go

Vp to heuene after he stegh,
His fader side he sit well negh
On al mighti godes right hond,
Heuene and helle, water and lond,
For to deme quike and dede
He schal come to gode and quede.
The holy gost ileue wel

And holy cherche eueridel
Of holi halewen mendenesse
And of sennes forzeuenesse
Thorgh the mighte of Jesu Crist
And on oure flesches uprist
And on the lif with outen indinge
Jesu Crist us thider bringe. Amen.

11. Salutatio gloriosæ Virginis.

This is not a translation from the preceding Latin hymn in MS., neither can I find any Latin hymn corresponding to it in the "Parnassus Marianus," published at Douay 1624, which contains a great number of hymns in honour of the Virgin, collected from the different Missals and other sources.

Heil and holi ay be thi name,
Fulsum, leuedi, hende," and swete,
To hem that beth thorgh sennes lame,
Hastif helpe thou bihete,

And schildest hem fram schendful* schame,
That here sennes willeth lete;
Help out of euerich blame
Senfulle, that thè willeth grete.

Marie, mayde and moder milde,
Milce" and merci was of the boren
To sauuen and from helle schilde
Alle tho that weren forloren,
For giltes of oure eldren wilde,
Adam and Eve her biforen,
Praie for us to thine childe
That we to his blisse be coren.x

Aud of eche thè wes gode,

Thou were chaste and clene of thoghte,
Thou underfengey lives fode

Of Gabriel that hit te broghte,
And his gretinge wel understode,
Thorgh what Crist in the wonder wroghte,
Of manlich flesch and blode

That he toke that us dere boghte.

Grace thou found in God and loue
Tho' he so holilich thè dighte
That he wolde fro heuene aboue
So lowe in to thin bodi lighte,
Thorgh the to sike is helthe igove
To lame limes to blinde sighte
Out of heuene blisse ischove b
Nis non that the serveth aplighte.c
God is he that iboren was
With oute eurich senful likinge
Of the, ase sonne thorgh glas
Schineth with oute ani brekinge.

▾ Fulsum. The word is here used in a good sense, and is formed the same as gladsome," &c. In a MS. paraphrase of the Magnificat in the library of Caius coll. Camb. it is used in the same sense.

Mi spirite also with herte and thouht on fere
Reioiced hath by fulsum abundaunce,

In God that is my souerayn helthe entere,
And al my joye and my sustenaunce,

Myn hool desire and my full suffisaunce.

Hende. A. S. "courteous, kind."

Schendful. A. S. scendan," to confound, to disgrace."

" Milce, "pity." A. S. milts," mercy, compassion,'

"Hour Louerd myd hys eyen of milce on thè loketh theruore."

R. Gloucester, p. 43.

* Coren. A. S. gecoren, "elected;" thus, Gode gecorene, "chosen of God." Underfenge, A. S. underfon, "to receive."

Dighte" appointed, disposed." A.S. dightan. In Luke xxii. 29. "and ic eow dighte swa min fæder me rice dighte."

To sike, i. e. too sike, "full sikerly, full surely."

bOut of heuene blisse ischoue

"Nis non that thè serveth aplighte," i. e. no one that serveth thee completely is shoved out of heaven's bliss. Gower, Conf. Am. uses the word shove (A. S. scufan) in the same sense.

When he was the strengest in hys yre

Was shoven out of his empyre.-Conf. Am. b. 7.

Aplighte.. Perhaps "on plight," i. e. in readiness, completely. In the old poem of "Guye of Warwicke,"

And they that been of most mighte

Grete worship shall they wynne aplighte.

His birth was blisful solas
To hem that weren thorgh egginge d
Forloren of Satanas

Help us to thi blisse to bringe.

With the is eure and thè aboute
Michel mirthe and ioie and blisse
In heuene of angles route

That the worthschippeth, myde, iwisse.
Wel owen we to the aloutef

And prayen that thou us schilde and wisse Fram deueles doute

That non of their helthe ne misse.

For euerich sor that we haven here
Thorgh the we finde lithingh sone;
For Jesu Crist thin sone dere
Nelle naght werne' the thin bone,
Whan thou bisext with milde chere *
For us that weren dempt1 and fordone
As deueles in to helle fere m
Thorgh sennes that here beth idone.
Place ches" him on for to reste
In this world Crist Godes sone
In thin clene blisful breste,
Wel likede him ther in to wone
And kenned was as brid in neste :
Of milce and merci thou him mone P
That he giue us soules reste
And grace oure fon for to schone.
Blessed was that ilke stounde
That God Almighti on thè thoghte,
Tho he fram heuene to the grounde
Lighte and in thè lownesse soghte;
And that was in thin herte ifounde
Thorgh what we weren alle ibroghte
Out of sor and maked sounde
That ferst yuele weren idoghte."
Be thou, levedi, to all mankenne,
That to the clepeth in here nede,
Right scheld and clensing of senne
And to thin sone oure ernde bede,
That we when we wenden henne
Out of this world thin helthe ifrede "

Smartliche to renne
Thider ther eche god haveth mede.
Ouer alle angles in heuene heze
The sette Crist on his right side
To helpen tho that beth onsleze
And ek forloren thorgh senne of pride
Wend to ward us thin milzfuly eze
So that thorgh thè bet us bitide,
(Clense us ar we deze

Of senne,) thin blisse to bide.
Wymmen weren alle ischentez
In thraldom helde and onworthie
Thorgh Eve that the deuil blente
What Jesu Crist with his maistrie
Tho lettres of hire name wente
And made of Eva Ave Marie
And clensing sente

To wymmen of eche vileinie.
And the fruit that to alle gode
Froweringe is and ek hem strongethb
And soules helthe and liues fode
That worthschipeliche hit underfongeth,
Ripede in thin herte blode

Ase appel that on the trẻ hongeth
So dede up on the rode

He to wham folk cristene longeth.
Of thin wombe Crist his halle
Maked her among mankinde,
To drive awey the deueles alle,
That mannes soules gonnen binde
With bitere pines thane 3alle:
Help us that of the maketh mynde
And doun beth falle
Thorgh the reisinge to finde.
Amen so mote hit euer be
As y have seid in my gretinge
That Jesu Crist sente to the

In thin worthschipe ouer alle thinge :
Help, leuedi, to maken us frè
Out of dedli senne to bringe
That we the blisse isè

Moten in heuenlich woninge. Amen.

Crist, quoth he, the wisse

And geue thè heuene blisse.-Child Horn. (MS. Camb.)

h Lithing, A. S. libian, "to soothe, to mitigate."

i Werne, 66

warn, deny."

Chere, "countenance.'

Dempt, doomed."

m Fere, "fire."

• Wone, "dwell." A. S. wunian.

Ches, "chose." P Mone, "monish." A. S. monian.

9 Schone. Perhaps G. schonen, "to spare." * Stounde, "time" G. stunde.

Idoghte, "thought."

t Ernde, "request, petition."

Ifrede, "freed." A. S. gefredan, "to free." Ps. xxx. I. "gefræd me."

* Smartliche, "quickly."

y Milz ful," pitiful.' A. S. milts.

Ischente," ruined." A. S. scendan, "to ruin, mar.”
Frouering, "flowering?"

Chaucer uses the expression-" He sterte up smertly."

Strongeth. Used in an active sense.

R. H. G.

e Gonnen, "to be fain to do anything." G. gönnen. Caius Coll. Sept. 1838.

REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Germany: the spirit of her History, Literature, Social Condition, and National Economy; illustrated by reference to her Physical, Moral, and Political Statistics, and by comparison with other Countries. By Bisset Hawkins, M.D. Oxon. F.R.S.

IN these days of steam and railroads, when a journey to Constantinople is spoken of with even more indifference than our respected forefathers were wont to contemplate a journey to the Metropolis, when the same process of steam and locomotion is applied to the writing of books, which contain the full and true account of all that the experience of three long months may well be supposed to furnish, it is somewhat refreshing, after being worn out with the fizzing and rumbling of a "Three Months' Ramble" in this region, a Summer" in that, and, credite posteri, a whole "Winter," perchance, in Vienna,-to travel along the road with Dr. Hawkins for our guide, with the satisfactory conviction, that, in the patient research and amiable candour which charac

terises this volume, we have ample security against the crude theories of summer-flitting barristers, or the one-sided views of political partizans. Dr. Hawkins does not profess to present either a geography or a topography of Germany; his endeavour is rather to point out all that is most remarkable and characteristic in that country; all which distinguishes it from its neighbours; all which connects it with the political, literary, and social state of mankind; and all which marks its actual condition and prospects. In the furtherance of this plan, he does not depend upon his own impressions merely, nor take for granted the conclusions of others; but by a careful appeal to statistical facts endeavours, at least, to approximate to an honest and impartial view of Ger

many.

To many readers, who in a book of travels, or even history, expect the excitement of romance or the grouping of the melodrame, this plain and

straightforward volume will appear heavy and prolix; but to all who value facts, who look on Germany as the country of all others most united to us by kindred descent and social affections, to all who may find it convenient to quit (as they always call it)

poor old England, in order that they may educate their children, this book will be invaluable; supplying, as it does, a mass of information not elsewhere to be met with in so collected a form, and in which, we are perfectly sure, the uniform intention of the author has been to state the truth, without any voluntary admission of party bias. And here, perhaps, we may be permitted to add a few words of kind advice to those whom, but too often, the "res augusta domi" tempts to seek abroad the means of obtaining accomplishments for their children which they have it not in their power to obtain for them at home. Alas! these accomplishments are often bought at too dear a price, at the risk of sacrificing those fire-side virtues and holier affections, which, growing with our growth, and daily becoming part and parcel of ourselves, should knit our hearts to that land, which still, by God's blessing, is the pride of every Englishman, and the envy of all nations. No where can we ever find an equivalent for that holiest of all affections, the love of our own home; and vainly shall we hope that this will ever flourish, when the child is brought up a stranger in other lands to that which gave it birth. Now-a-days we can ill afford to lose the affection of even one of our countrymen; but when, for the sake of accomplishments merely, the old squirearchal house is left, and the children are taken from the spot where they are imbibing feelings, (prejudices, if you like,) worth a thousand fold more than all that foreign lands can teach, when, in place of the old and loved domestics, they are surrounded by those with whom they have no bond of union, what can we augur, but that in after years the pride of country, and all the "virtues

never known beyond the hallowed limit" of home, will scarcely if at all exist:

"Household deities! Then only shall be happiness on earth When Man shall feel your sacred power, Your tranquil joys." [and love

But if the change must be made, then we would say, Go to Germany; they are a people who harmonise more with us in character, and you will there incur the least risk of corrupting the morals of your children, at the same time that you can secure for them accomplishments which, if they must be sought elsewhere, can where be so easily acquired as in Germany.

Dr. Hawkins commences his work with a short but able sketch of the History of Germany to the present day. In speaking of the promises made by some of the sovereigns to present their subjects with a constitutional form of government, in the room of an arbitrary one, he has the following just remarks:

"If the sanguine have not obtained all that they expected, and if the immediate results have not been satisfactory to all, something must be allowed to the suddenness of the measure, to the imperfections inseparable to a first experiment, and to the want of training and apprenticeship; for a nation does not accustom itself in a

few years to constitutional forms; they must grow even through centuries to maturity before the fruit can be abundant, One of the wholesome, and grateful.

most fatal political errors of our age, is the belief that every people are ripe for a constitution; and that all, in the first moments of fruition, are capable of converting possession into happiness. The soil must first undergo a slow preparatory cultivation, and many a harvest must be reaped without present profit—but still, not all in vain."

In no country of Europe is the distinction of classes more marked than in Germany; and till of late years the line of demarcation between those of noble and burgher families has been most striking. We live, however, in times when it is impossible that such a state of things could go on in all its galling restrictions. In Prussia, especially, the ruin which in the year 1806 overwhelmed that country, brought, of necessity, a complete change in the policy of its Government. The ap

peal was made to the people, and in order to gain their support, the old system of servitude was abandoned, the plebeian was allowed to purchase the estates of a nobleman, the nobility was declared liable to conscription, and a system of army promotion was introduced, which excluded the pretensions of birth in the choice of a candidate. Nor was this the case in Prussia alone, but in the majority of the German states the old feudal privileges have been gradually lessened. Is it, then, to be wondered at if, having lost their seignorial privileges in a great extent, they still cling to purity of family descent, and point with pride to the many-quartered shield? What may be the end of this state of change, which more or less is pervading all Europe, it is, indeed, impossible to say; a change which is being brought on by the rapid increase of knowledge (so called) in the lower classes, in the diffusion and misrepresentations of newspapers, in the augmentation of the middle ranks in number and wealth, and in the losses and confusion which the higher families have suffered through the ravages of war, the plunder of foreign invasion, the changes of territory, and the whirlwind of revolutions.

"In Germany, this new motion communicated to society is in a certain degree softened and eased by the friendly tone which, more or less, prevails among the different classes of the community; an extreme affability, beginning at the highest point, and gradually descending to the base, seems likely to prevent violent collisions, and to diminish the friction. A truth of inexpressible value in all the relations of life is there acknow

ledged and practised as a fundamental usage of intercourse; namely, that all are to be treated with respect; that no superiority of rank or fortune can warrant arrogance of demeanour or pride of speech. Mankind will far more readily forgive even great vices than a breach of courtesy ; and we have ample experience in all biography and history, that kindness and affability of manner form the real secret of conciliating golden opinions."

This is certainly true of Germany; and it would be well for us at home, if we would abate somewhat of the pride of deportment, which produces great bitterness of feeling in the class immediately beneath our

own.

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Gentleman's Magazine: And Historical Chronicle, Volume 165