this period, the names of Selden and Sir Simonds D'Ewes should not be forgotten. The latter, in particular, made very extensive collections for illustrating the civil and ecclesiastical history of the British Isles; which are now preserved in the Harleian Library. Amongst these is a large collection of Saxon charters, transcribed from various sources, and a transcript of the Saxon Laws. The Lexicons and Glossaries of Junius he transcribed, or caused to be transcribed, apparently for the purpose of digesting them into a Saxon-English Dictionary; although it does not appear that any portion of the work was printed. The first notice respecting the Saxon studies of D'Ewes is in a letter from Sir W. Boswell, in December 1636, to him, who mentions a little Saxon vocabulary, from the Gospels, and a few other printed tracts; at the same time referring his correspondent to the more valuable collection of words by Joscelin, then in the library of Sir Thomas Cotton; and to another made by William L'Isle.* In the letters of Whelock, Spelman Professor at Cambridge, to D'Ewes, there are several notices respecting the Saxon works intended for publication. The Lexicon projected by the latter appears to have been a similar one afterwards completed by Somner; a Saxon-Latin-English one. Towards this work he had offers of help from Whelock and others. There is a letter from John Walden to Sir Simonds, desiring his instructions about the printing of his Saxon Lexicon, by which it would appear that considerable progress had been made in it. A letter from Sir William Dugdale indicates that a work on Coins, and an edition of the Saxon Laws, in addition to the Lexicon, had been in contemplation: and in another letter of his to D'Ewes, he expresses himself gratified that " Mr. Dugard is like to go on so effectively with Ælfricke." It is possible that a want of proper types may have for some time prevented this scheme from taking effect, and the troubles which soon afterwards arose between the King and Parliament entirely suspended it.

* MS. Harl. 374, Art. 102.

† Ibid. 374, Art. 88.

In fact, so terrified was Whelock on hearing that the Scots were committing ravages about Newcastle, that he contemplated secreting the Saxon MSS. somewhere under ground, in a place of safety, and fleeing to the Continent.* The Saxon Laws, we have already seen, were published by Whelock, in 1644.

• MS. Harl. 374, Art. 86.

CHAPTER IV.

HITHERTO We find neither Grammar or Dictionary, which could subserve the student of Anglo-Saxon in his desire to obtain a knowledge of that language. The monuments preserved in it were so few and so latent, that it required infinite courage and patience to attempt to prosecute the knowledge of it. William Somner (to whom we owe the first Anglo-Saxon Dictionary ever printed) was induced to bestow some attention on that language, from the recommendation of Dr. Meric Casaubon. Being sensible, like Spelman before him, of its utility in the study of antiquity, he determined to acquire a knowledge of it to better enable him to carry out his intentions. According to his biographer, Somner was in a manner to invent the language, as well as to restore it; for upon his essays that way he had but two poor MSS., and one of them on so obscure a subject as might have exercised a critic, sooner than instructed a novice.*

One of the labours of Somner, after he had acquired a knowledge of Saxon, was a translation into Latin of the Saxon laws, which Lambarde had published in 1568; this was made as literal as possible, "for the benefit of all who were studious of the Saxon tongue;" to which were added some laws that had been omitted by Lambarde. And for those who could not, or would not, read any other than their mother tongue, he translated the whole into modern English, and the work thus completed, entitled, The ancient Saxon Laws translated

Kennet's Life of Somner.

into English, is amongst his collections in the Cathedral Library at Canterbury. Not content with a knowledge of the Saxon, he studied the Gothic, German, Danish, and other Northern languages. On the publication of Casaubon's work, "De Quatuor Linguis Comment.," &c., he communicated some remarks on the affinity of the old German and Anglo-Saxon languages, which were printed in the Appendix to that work.* He also furnished the valuable Glossary appended to the collection of English Historians, edited by Sir Roger Twisden, aided by Usher and Selden, and published by Cornelius Bee in 1652.

These publications of Somner, and the known tendency of his studies, evinced so fully in his Glossary, marked him out in an especial manner to his friends as the most competent person to compile a Saxon Dictionary. We are told by Casaubon, the friendly counsellor of his studies, that he used all the interest and persuasion of friendship to press upon him this labour. "When Mr. Somner had sufficiently proved himself a master of the language, I ceased not to importune him that he would think of compiling a Saxon Dictionary, by which labour he would best cultivate that language, and receive infinite thanks from all those who were desirous of studying it." Others also joined in this importunity; and many of his judicious and affectionate friends, considering his slender means, offered to contribute to the charges of the impression. But, for a work that required so much time, and so great expense, his friends were to find some competent support and reward, which soon occurred by the death of Whelock. By this event, (which took place in 1657,) the disposal of the Anglo-Saxon Lecture founded by his grandfather fell to Roger Spelman, Esq., whose intention was to bestow it on Mr. Samuel Foster. But Archbishop Usher recommended Somner to the patron for the appointment, to enable him to prosecute the Saxon Dictionary, which, he thought, would more advance the study of that tongue than

"Gulielmi Somneri Cantuariensis ad verba vetera Germanica à V. Cl. Justo Lipsio Epist. Cent. III. ad Belgas Epist. XLIV. collecta, Notæ." † Casaubon de Lingua Saxonica, p. 142.

E

bare academic lectures. The urgent solicitations of Usher prevailed. The reason of the thing, and the will of his grandfather, induced Mr. Spelman to present Somner to the annual salary of that lecture, which the latter would not accept without the consent of Mr. Foster, before nominated to the place; who, preferring the public interest before his own, and Somner before himself, and content with the ecclesiastical benefice, he left the annual donation to Somner, who, receiving the reward, would not omit the duty for which it was received.*

He was sensible enough that, to make a Lexicon to any tongue, was one of the most difficult as well as servile of labours, especially if no collections existed that were available to him. Scattered as the Anglo-Saxon MSS. lay in collections in private hands, and almost unknown in public libraries from want of correct catalogues, he had to find out his materials previous to employing them. The comparatively easy access which we now have to historical muniments, the scholars of the seventeenth century did not enjoy. But by patient industry and perseverance Somner soon accumulated materials. Francis Junius communicated to him a Glossary of Ælfric, which he had transcribed from a copy in the library of Peter Paul Rubenius at Brussels, and which was by him published at the end of the Saxon Dictionary. Two other ancient glossaries in the Cotton Library he also used, and the Glossary of Nowel, already mentioned, was communicated to him by Selden. The collection of Joscelin he received from Sir Simonds D'Ewes; and it is probable that the collection of words from Bede, which it was apparently the intention of Whelock to enlarge into a Dictionary of the language, also came into his hands. With these helps, we are not surprised to learn “that it was not long before he reaped some tolerable fruit, which abundantly compensated for his labours."t

Having, with such friendly aid, commenced his undertaking, but conscious of the scarcity of his materials, he was constantly soliciting the assistance of those scholars whom he

* Kennet's Life of Somner.

Gibson's Life of Spelman. † Pref. ad Dict. Saxon.

Nicolson's Historical Library, Ed. 1736.

Kennet's Life of Somner.