Hwæt dó ic þæt ic éce lif áge? what shall I do that I may possess eternal life? Ic wát þæt hit býð sáwl and lic-homa I know that it is soul and body. Peáh hwyle of deáđe a-ríse though one arise from death. peáh-pe ic sceal ealle wucan fæstan though I shall fast all the week. Swylce þú hí ge-sceópe as if thou hadst created them. pý-læs þú þínne fót æt stáne æt-sporne lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Tó-pón-pæt he his ríce ge-brædde in order that he might extend his empire. A'-þý un-weordra pe hine manige men forseón so much the unworthier because many men despise him. Od-pæt þú cume tó þám fyrmestan till thou come to the first. Od-pæt se A-lýsend com until the Redeemer came. pá-hwile-pe ge leóht habban while ye have light. pá-hwíle-pe he on life býð while he is a-live. Ær-pam-pe se hana tuwa cráwe before the cock crow twice. Ær-pám-pe ge hine biddad before ye ask him. ponne þú þe ge-bidde when thou prayest. ponne he hám cymd when he cometh home. Sege ús hwænne pás ping ge-weorđon tell us when these things shall come to pass. Ge nyton hwænne seó tíd is ye know not when the time is. Ic axige hwær seó offrung síg I ask where the offering is. Hwar synd þa nigene? where are the nine? Sceáwa hwæder hit síg þínes suna pe ne síg look whether it be thy son's or be not. Sam hit sý sumor sam winter whether it be summer or winter. Gif wén sý if there be hope. Gif we secgad, of heofone—if we say, of heaven----Nemne him wyrd for-stóde unless fate had opposed him. þú sædest þæt þú ne mihte wítan hú-meta he his weólde thou saidst that thou couldst not know how he ruled it. Hú Boetius hine singende ge-bæd how Boëtius singing prayed. Bútan for but has an indicative, for unless a subjunctive; as, Bútan ic w'at but I know. Bútan we gán unless we go. Hú ne with an indicative, and hwæder with a subjunctive, are used to make prepositions interrogative; as, Hú ne dód man-fulle swa? do not the wicked so? Hwæder ge nú sécan gold on treowum do ye now seek gold on trees? Cwyst þú, or segst þú? sayest thou? cwede ge say ye? &c. serve the same purpose with an indicative; as, Segst þú mæg se blinda pone blindan lædan? may the blind lead the blind? Cwede ge hæbbe ge sufol? have ye mext? Uton (-an) with an infinitive, expresses a wish or intention; as, Uton gan let us go. The negative ne not stands (like L. non, ne, F. ne) before the verb; as, Ne for-læt he eów he will not forsake you. Two(') or more negatives are often used, ne being usually prefixed to each word capable of taking it; as, Ne wép þú ná weep not. þá næs nán cræft þæt ic ne cúđe then there was no art that I knew not. Se-pe nis náđer ne geboren ne ge-sceapen fram nánum ódrum who is neither born nor created by any other. Bútan but, only takes ne before it; as, We nabbad búton(2) fíf hláfas we have but five loaves. VII.-Syntax of Interjections. Wa wo takes a dative; as, Wá þám men!(3) wo to the man! where sý (beó) be, or býð shall be is understood. (') The doctrine, therefore, that "two negatives make an affirmative," is as foreign to the true spirit of the English as it would be to that of the Greek language. (2) Comp. F. nous n'avons que. (3) L. væ homini! G. weh dem manne! Wá is me(4)! wo is me! On the other interjections, of which the following are the chief, nothing need be added: lá! O, oh, lo! ea-lá! oh, halloo, alas! efne! behold! wá-lá-wá (wei-lá-wei) well-a-way! hwæt! lo! indeed! Leóf(5) is used as an expletive; as, Gea(6), leóf, ic hæbbe yea marry have I. (*) Ούαι μοι ἐστι. (5) Analogous to our P. and familiar use of the word dear. (*) G. and D. ja. K CHAPTER VIII. PROSE EXTRACTS. N.B. Some words that have already occurred are not explained in the notes to this and the next chapter. I.-S. Matthew, xii. 1-13. The Gospels (1), and parts of the Old Testament, were rendered into A. S. by one or more ecclesiastics named Ælfríc, in the 9th or 10th century; the former from the Vulgate, the latter from some other early Latin translation. The sense therefore, differs now and then from that of the original, and of our authorised version. 1. Se Hælend (2) fór on reste-dæg (*) ofer æceras (4); sód-líce his leorning-cnihtas (5) hyngrede, and híg ongunnon (6) pluccian (7) þa ear and etan. 2. Sóð-líce þá þa sundor-hálgan (8) þæt ge-sáwon, hí (1) The extracts from the Gospels are from Mr. Thorpe's edition, the only one founded on a collation of the best MSS. (2) Hælend (II. 2.) Saviour, healer (G. Heiland), from hælan to heal the Name Jesus is thus rendered throughout the A. S. Gospels. (3) Day of rest, sabbath: rest II. 3; G. rast. (4) Acer (II. 2.) (corn) field; ȧypog, L. ager, G. acker: hence acre. (5) Disciples: cniht (II. 2.) youth, servant; hence knight: G. knecht servant; comp. L. puer. (7) I. 1. to pluck; G. pflücken. (6) On-ginnan (III. 1.) to be-gin. |