CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Utility of a knowledge of Anglo-Saxon-Introduction of Christianity and

Literature amongst the Saxons, by the Romish Missionaries-Monasteries

Establishment of Schools and Libraries-Eminent Scholars; Theodore,

Adrian, Benedict, Bede, Aldhelm, Boniface, &c.—Ina founds a Saxon School

at Rome; its benefactors-Alfred the Great, translates Gregory's Pastorale,

Boethius, Bede's Ecclesiastical History, Orosius, &c.-Dunstan Celibacy of

the Clergy-The Benedictine Rule Established-Spread of Monastic Insti-

tutions under Dunstan and Æthelwold, in the reign of Edgar-Ælfric the

Grammarian, his works, principally in Anglo-Saxon, of great value, 1-16

CHAPTER II.

Changes of the Language at the Conquest-Dialects-English Names of

Places chiefly Anglo-Saxon-Classification of Anglo-Saxon MSS. desirable

-Destruction of Libraries in the ravages of the Danes, and during the Civil

Wars of York and Lancaster-Scarcity of Writing Materials-Palimpsests——

Anglo-Saxon Language never extinct in England-Boethius printed at Tavis-

tock-Saxon Grammar apocryphal-Destruction of MSS. at the Reformation

-Testimony of Bale-Leland appointed the King's Antiquary-Abp. Parker

encourages the Saxon learning to aid the Cause of the Reformed against the

Romish Faith-Scriptures in the vulgar-Celibacy of Priests-Queen Eliza-

beth's hatred of the Married Clergy-First Specimens of the Anglo-Saxon

Language printed in England-Transubstantiation-Saxon Homilies on

that subject-Zeal of Abp. Parker and his Clergy in collecting Saxon

MSS.-Order in Council to aid him in that object-He employs persons in

collecting Books and MSS.-The Saxon Letters cut by John Day, 17-36

CHAPTER III.

John Joscelin, his Preface to the Saxon Paschal Homily, the first Work

printed in Saxon Characters; collects materials for an Anglo-Saxon Dic-

tionary and Grammar-Laurence Nowel, transcribes the Saxon Laws,

afterwards published by Lambarde; his Saxon-English Dictionary, &c.—

Fox's Saxon Gospels, Preface addressed to Queen Elizabeth-Fox's Mar-

tyrology Other Works intended by him-Lambarde's Perambulation of

Kent Ælfredi Regis Res Gesta-Fate of the Saxon School at Tavistock-

John Stowe, his Collections-Saxon Charter of William I.—Voyages of Oh-

there and Wulstan, in Hakluyt—Prayers, Creeds, &c., by Freherus—Tem-

porary decline of Saxon Learning-Camden, his Remains-Verstegan—

L'Isle's Saxon Monuments-Method of studying Saxon in the seventeenth

Century-L'Isle projects other Works-Sir Henry Spelman founds a Saxon

Lecture at Cambridge; his Glossary and other Works-Sir John Spel-

man's Anglo-Saxon Psalter-Whelock, the first Anglo-Saxon Professor, pub-

lishes Alfred's Bede, the Anglo-Saxon Laws, and Saxon Chronicle, and pro-

jects a Dictionary—John de Laet-Casaubon, his Treatise de Quatuor Lin-

guis Comment.-Francis Junius, publishes Cadmon, and, with Dr. Mares-

chall, the Anglo-Saxon Gospels; his MS. Collections now in the Bodleian-

An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary projected by Sir S. D'Ewes,

37-63

CHAPTER IV.

William Somner translates the Saxon Laws into Latin and English; is pre-

sented to the Spelman Lecture; his Anglo-Saxon Dictionary; his collections

in MS. at Canterbury-Progress of the English Language-Dr. T. Mares-

chall, an Anglo-Saxon Grammar begun by him-Hickes's Inst. Gram. A.-S.

et Moso-Gothicæ. Gibson's Saxon Chronicle-Rawlinson's Boethius-

Thwaites's Heptateuch, &c.-Nicolson's patronage-Thwaites engaged by

Hickes to superintend the publication of the Thesaurus-His Notæ in A.-S.

Nummos, and Grammatica A.-S., &c.-Wanley's Epitome of Somner's Dic-

tionary-Benson's Vocabularium Saxonicum,
64-77

-

CHAPTER V.

Hickes's Thesaurus, Contents, &c. Catalogue of Anglo-Saxon MSS.
for it compiled by Wanley-Plan of studying Saxon-Wotton's Conspectus
-Hickes the great promoter of Saxon Learning-Wanley, value of his Ca-
talogue; he projects an Anglo-Saxon Bible, Bishop Nicolson's encourage-
ment; offers assistance to Miss Elstob in her Edition of the Psalter; Libra-

rian to the Earl of Oxford, and compiled a Catalogue of the Harleian MSS.

-Alfred's Orosius and other Works projected by Elstob; he translates

Sermo Lupi into Latin for Hickes; his proposals for an Edition of the Saxon

Laws-Miss E. Elstob publishes Ælfric's Saxon Homily on the Birth-day of

St. Gregory, and English-Saxon Grammar; her proposals for an Edition of

the Saxon Homilies; ended her days in comparative poverty,

78-96

CHAPTER VI.

The Clergy patronize Saxon Literature-Nicolson commences a Saxon

Grammar; he and Gibson obtain Subscriptions for Hickes's Thesaurus-

Oratio Dominica-Harris's Kent-Hearne's Works-Johnson's Translation

of the Anglo-Saxon Laws-Wilkins's Leges Anglo-Saxonicæ, Preface by

Nicolson-Bede's Ecclesiastical History, by Smith-Wotton's Conspectus,

translated by Shelton-Anglo-Saxon Lecture founded at Oxford, by Raw-

linson; his Will-Cadmon, with Illustrations, projected-Dr. Johnson's

History of the English Language-Ballard projects Alfred's Orosius, with

Preface on Anglo-Saxon Literature, its Utility, &c.—Edward Lye, his Anglo-

Saxon and Moso-Gothic Grammars; his Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, pa-

tronized by Archbishop Secker; the Work completed by Manning-Hal-

bertsma's Defence of Lye-Archæologia-Barrington's Orosius-Voyages

of Othere and Wulstan-Alfred's Will, by Manning-Tooke-Warton-

Strutt Henshall-Thorkelin's De Elfrico, &c.-Adelung's Essays-The

first Saxon Professor elected at Oxford-Gough's Special Bequest to the same

-Particulars of Rawlinson's Bequest,
97-117

CHAPTER VII.

New Era in Saxon Literature-Turner's History of Anglo-Saxons-

Ingram's Inaugural Lecture; Works projected by him-Henshall's Etymo-

logical Organic Reasoner, its Author vilely persecuted-Conybeare's Octavian

-Lingard's Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church-MS. Collections of the

Rev. J. Webb, used by Mr. Bosworth-Continental Scholars and their Works;

Grimm, Thorkelin, Rask, Grundtvig-Conybeare's Lectures on Anglo-Saxon

Poetry; his Illustrations projected-Heywood on Distinction of Ranks-Sis-

son's Grammar-Miss Gurney's Saxon Chronicle-Silver's Lecture on the

Study of Anglo-Saxon-Ingram's Saxon Chronicle-Anglo-Saxon Gram-

mars-Bosworth's Elements, and Compendious Grammar-Warton's History

of English Poetry, by Price-Conybeare's Illustrations-Alfred's Will, and

Boethius, by Cardale-Sharon Turner on Anglo-Saxon Literature-Fox's

Menologium-Systems of Rask and Grimm-Phillips's Anglo-Saxon Laws

-The Heliand-Soames's Anglo-Saxon Church-Dissection of the Saxon

Chronicle-Rask's Grammar, by Thorpe,
118-140

CHAPTER VIII.

Formation of a Society to Publish Saxon Works-Dr. Grundtvig's Pro-

spectus Society of Antiquaries adopt a similar plan, appoint a Committee,

and issue a Prospectus-Cadmon, Layamon, and the Exeter Book, pro-

jected-Cadmon, published by Mr. Thorpe, with an English version;

Milton probably indebted to it—Silver's Lecture-Palgrave's Hist. A.-S.,

and A.-S. Commonwealth—Allen on Royal Prerogative_Hunter's Gram-

mar-Kemble's Beowulf-Anglo-Saxon Gospels, Proposals for an edi-

tion of Thorpe's Analecta, Contents, &c.-Reviews of A.-S. Works—

A.-S. Controversy-Europe during the Middle Ages, remarks on-

Thorpe's Apollonius-Cardale's Boethius-Soames's A.-S. Church-Wright

on A.-S. Poetry-Appendix B. to Rymer's Fœdera-Wright's Coup-d'œil-

Michel's Bibliothèque Anglo-Saxonne-Beowulf, with English Translation by

Kemble,
141-161

CHAPTER IX.

Bosworth's A.-S. Dictionary-Introduction on the German and Scandina-

vian Languages, &c., Friesic, Platt Deutsch, Gothic, German, &c.-Materials

used in the Dictionary-Essentials of Grammar-Abstracts of Rask and

Grimm-Reasons for the adoption of the Roman letter-Accents-Parallels-

Indexes to the Work, rendered more valuable by an ingenious plan-Guest's

Hist. English Rhythms-Principia Saxonica-Books announced-Reliquiæ

Antiquæ-Wright's Essay on the Literature, &c. of A.-S.-Kemble's A.-S.

Charters; utility of this class of Documents-A.-S. Laws and Chronicle of

the Record Commission-Utility of A.-S. in Philology-Dialects-Numerical

strength of the Saxon-Names of Persons and Places, &c.-Religion-

Plan of Study Conclusion,

162-180

HISTORICAL SKETCH

OF

ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE.

CHAPTER I.

We live in an age and country in which a vast system of centralization seems likely, if persisted in, to annihilate every local power hitherto employed for the keeping society in a well ordered condition. It appears desirable before the complete extinction of what has been sanctioned by the practice of centuries, and therefore of importance to us, that we should "enquire for the old way, and if it be the good and right way, then to walk therein." Without knowing the language of a people we cannot become thoroughly acquainted with their social state. The study of the Anglo-Saxon language, therefore, comes to us recommended by the additional inducement that it was the speech of our forefathers, in which are recorded the laws which governed them, and the faith in which they believed.

There appears to be something truly patriotic in the revival of this language by the Reformers of the sixteenth century; and, although personal might have intermixed with purer motives, in their promotion of this new and comparatively barren study, we owe them a lasting debt of gratitude, which we can best repay by encouraging and promoting what they so zealously began. If their knowledge was less critical than ours,

A