to the Anglo-Saxon student, entitled "Hemingii Chartularium Ecclesiæ Wigorniensis." In the second volume of the collected works of Selden, by Dr. Wilkins, 1726, appeared the "Proœmium regularis concordia Angliæ nationis monachorum sanctimonialumque orditur," which, five years before, had been inserted in the Paris edition of the works of St. Anselm.* The same year, a second edition of Somner's Gavelkind was published, in which his life, by White Kennet, with additions, was inserted. The appendix contains some charters, &c., in Saxon, accompanied by English or Latin translations. Hearne, in his edition of " Johannis Glastoniensis Chronica,” printed the poetical fragments on the death of Byrhtnoth, from a MS. in the Cotton Library, since burnt. He also added the Law of Athelstan respecting coiners, (before printed in Wotton's Conspectus,) in Saxon, with an interlinear English version.

The celebrated" Orator" Henley, in his zeal for teaching every thing that he knew, as well as in attempting to teach what he did not know, gave the world, in 1726, a second edition of his "Complete Linguist," containing, amongst other things, "An Introduction to an English Grammar; A Compendious Way to master any Language in the world; A Dissertation on the Saxon, and a Grammar of it; being No. X. of the Complete Linguist." In the preface he professes to give a History of the Gothic tongues, on which but little reliance can be placed. The grammar, extending to sixty-one pages, appears to be an imperfect abstract of that of Hickes, published in the Thesaurus. The first edition of this collection was in 8vo, 1719, entitled, " The Complete Linguist, or an Universal Grammar of all the considerable Tongues in being," &c.

In 1735 was published the first edition of Wotton's Conspectus of Hickes's Thesaurus, "translated by Maurice Shelton of Barningham Hall, in the county of Suffolk, Esq., one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said county." The

• It had before this been printed by Selden, in his Notes to Eadmer, folio, 1623. It was then MS. Otho, A. xii.

work appears, notwithstanding the high opinion that the author himself entertained of it, to have fallen still-born from the press. A letter of Clarke to Bowyer, about the period, thus sarcastically alludes to it:-"I am so much surprised at the achievement of your friend in Suffolk, that I know not what to say to it. He must surely have a great love for translation, to think of undertaking such a work; or, perhaps, he might imagine that it would give him a considerable figure among his brethren of the quorum, and show that he was acquainted with our laws in their first original, and able to take them, as Ralpho did first matter

Edward Rowe-Mores also mentions Wotton's book as being "translated into English by Mr. Shelton for his own improvement, and published to show that one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace may have sense and learning. Further use of the publication we know not; for those who seek after this, or any other sort of knowledge, will have recourse to the original."†

But Shelton's object was a more laudable one; nor was he alone in wishing to see such a desirable object effected, namely, that of making the study of Anglo-Saxon more popular than it had been, by rendering the Saxon text into English instead of Latin. This was the object of Miss Elstob in her English-Saxon Grammar, and in her Homily on the Birth-day of St. Gregory, as well as in her larger collection of Homilies, also accompanied by an English translation. The Queen, too, patronized the Saxon learning; and Miss Elstob, as well as others, thought that the Saxon tongue might even become the study of many of her own sex. The same motives seem to have guided Henley in his Saxon Grammar; and Shelton has observed in his dedication, that he was not without hopes that some, unable to read the originals, would at least read his translation; and that those who

Nichols's Bowyer, 142.

† E. R. Mores's Dissertation, p. 27.

could, may be the more easily induced to resort to the originals themselves.* So far, then, we must admit that this translation merits our commendation. To the same effect writes one of Shelton's correspondents:-" If our antiquaries, in their translations of the Saxon laws and antiquities, had followed another method, and given us an English instead of a Latin interpretation, it would have been much more natural and easy; first, as there is no sort of analogy between the Latin and the Saxon; and, in the next place, an English translation would at the same time preserve the original Saxon, and give us the propriety of the present English. For want of which, several words pass for obsolete, or rather barbarous, which, if regard be had to the original Saxon, they are genuine and significant."†

On the publication of the first edition, it was favourably noticed in the "Literary Magazine, or Select British Library,” for March 1735. From the Preface to the second edition, we learn that Mr. Lye, although a mere stranger, wrote him two letters in commendation of his book, "full of the Gothic and Saxon learning." Another, whom he styles a Cornish gentleman, "genteely and handsomely expressed his approbation” in a letter to him, recommending him to pursue his intention (announced in the preface to the first edition) of publishing an English translation of Hickes's Epistolary Dissertation, together with his other dissertations in the same language. Notwithstanding the unsuccessful result of the first impression, he ventured upon a second two years afterwards, the first having become scarce, though from what cause, unless the destruction of the copies, we cannot tell. "The expense of both impressions," he tells us, "has been wholly my own, which was not inconsiderable, and is likely never to be made up to me." Afterwards we are told, that if this second edition has the good fortune of answering his expectations better than the first, so as to run off with a quick sale, he shall offer in due time, in some of the best newspapers, "Proposals for printing by subscription, (without which he would not pro

Preface to Shelton's Translation of Wotton, p. iv. Ed. 1737.

† Ibid. p. vi.

ceed,) Dr. Hickes's Epistolary Dissertation to Sir Bartholomew Shower, to which I have been earnestly courted by some learned gentlemen." With the exception, however, of certain portions of this Dissertation, which he has given in the notes to his translation of Wotton, he appears to have done nothing towards the work, although it is probable that Hickes's Preface was translated by him, or some other individual, about this time.* At the end of the "Short View" are the Testaments of Æthelflede, widow of Duke Athelstan, and of Ælflede, widow of Brihtnoth, Hymnus Athanasii, and certain Laws concerning coiners, all of which are given in Saxon, followed by English translations. The tract written by Thwaites on Saxon Money, first printed in Latin, 1708, is then added in an English version; the Saxon Alphabet with the compounds, and some remarks on the same, conclude the work.

Dr. Wilkins, in the year 1737, published an enlarged and, much improved edition of the "Concilia Magna Britanniæ et Hiberniæ," in four folio volumes. In the publications of Widmore, "An Enquiry into the Time of the First Foundation of Westminster Abbey," 1743, and "History of Westminster Abbey," 1751, will be found two or three Saxon charters relating to his subject. About this time, an Anglo-Saxon Grammar was compiled by Dr. Squire, but never printed. He, however, published, in 1745, an Enquiry into the Constitution of the Anglo-Saxon Government, reprinted with additions in 1753.

A new impulse was given to the Saxon learning in the year 1750, by the establishment of an Anglo-Saxon Lecture in the University of Oxford. Dr. Richard Rawlinson “gave, by indenture, the yearly sum of L.87, 16s. 8d., the rents and profits of certain estates which he inherited under the will of his grandfather, Daniel Rawlinson, to the University of Oxford, for the maintenance and support of an Anglo-Saxon

Preface to Translation of Wotton by Shelton, xiv. xv. In a London bookseller's Catalogue for 1835, I observe amongst other things bound together, "Hickes's Preface to his Thesaurus, with the Passion of the blessed Stephen, the Proto-martyr, Saxon and English," &c.

Lecture or Professorship for ever;" but, from some cause
or other, this desirable object was not carried into effect
until many years afterwards. The particulars of Rawlinson's
bequest were published in 1755, at Oxford, in a tract, entitled,
"The Deed of Trust and Will of Richard Rawlinson of St.
John Baptist College, in Oxford, Doctor of Laws, concerning
his endowment of an Anglo-Saxon Lecture, and other Bene-
factions, to the College and University of Oxford."* Dr.
Rawlinson also made a collection of Charters, Deeds, &c., of
many of which he had fac-similes engraved, intending the
work apparently for publication.

A new edition of Cadmon was in contemplation about this
period, in which several persons had engaged to take a share.
It was proposed to print the Saxon text, with an English
translation to be made by Edward Lye, accompanied by
engravings from the illuminations in the MS. Fifteen plates
were engraved at the expense of Edward Rowe-Mores and
Dr. Charles Lyttleton.† James Fletcher agreed to pay all
the expenses of printing. Wise had been engaged on a Disser-
tation on the true age of Cadmon, the Saxon Dialects, &c.,
and Ballard was to have had some share in the work. At the
suggestion of Dr. Lyttleton, the MS. Index to Cadmon,
compiled by Junius, (which had migrated from the Bodleian
to Queen's College,) was to have been printed and annexed
to the engravings, and the whole work was by him recom-
mended to the Antiquarian Society for publication, but
without success. The original engraved plates are now in
the possession of Sir Henry Ellis of the British Museum.‡
Some corrections which Junius had made in his own copy of
Cadmon were printed by Edward Rowe-Mores in 1751, at
Oxford, entitled, "Notæ in Cædmonis Paraphrasin,” in two
leaves 4to, and are occasionally met with bound up at the
end of Junius's edition.

Although not scarce, I have been unable to meet with this tract.

With the following title, " Figuræ quædam antiquæ ex Cædmonis mo-
nachi Paraphraseos in Genesim Exemplari in Bibliotheca Bodleiana adservato
delineatæ ; ad Anglo-Saxonum Mores Ritus atque Edificia seculi præcipue
decimi illustranda in lucem editæ. Anno Domini M.DCC.LIV."

See Thorpe's Cædmon, Introd.