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CHOICE

SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE.

CHAPTER I.

ANGLO-SAXON, SEMI-SAXON, AND OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE.

A.-ANGLO-SAXON.

1.- CAEDMON, A. D. 650. The Creation. (Manual, p. 26.)

(From Guest's English Rhythms, vol. ii. p. 32.)

Ne was her tha giet, nymthe heolster-sceado,

Wiht geworden; ác thes wida grund

Stod deop and dim fremde,1

Idel and unnyt.

drihtne

On thone eagum wiat Stith-frihth cining, and tha stowe

beheold

Dreama lease.

weorc

3

Geseah deorc ges

Semian sinnihte, sweart under

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Ne had there here as yet, save the vault-shadow,

Aught existed; but this wide
abyss

Stood deep and dim-strange to
its Lord,
Idle 2 and useless.

On it with eyes glanc'd
The stalwart king, and the place

beheld

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1 Fremde has a double ending in the nominative -- one vowel, the other consonantal.

2 Idel, A. S., barren, idle. Deserts idle.- Othello Idle pebbles. Lear.

3 Seman is the active verb; semian, I believe, is always neuter. In Caedmon 4.

4 Wan, in the sense of dismal, was long known to our poetry:

Min is the drenching in the sea so wan. — Chaucer, Knightes Tale.

ANSOLACINGLO-SAXO.

Sweart synnihte, side and wide,

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CHAP. L

Swart with lasting night, wide and
far,
Wan pathways.

Then glory-bright,

Was the spirit of Heaven's-Guard o'er the water borne,

With mighty speed.

Bade the Angel-maker, (The Life-dispenser) light to come forth

O'er the wide abyss. Quick was
fulfill'd
The high King's hest

was holy light,

round him

Over the waste, as the Maker

bade.

2. KING Alfred.

Ohther's Narrative, in Translation of Boëthius. (Manual, p. 28.)

(From Marsh's Origin and History of the English Language, pp. 125–128.)

Fela spella him sædon tha Beor- Many things him told the Beornas, ægther ge of hyra agenum mas, both of their own land and of lande ge of thæm lande the ymb the land that around them about hy utan waron; ac he nyste hwat were; but he wist-not what (of-) thæs sothes wær, forthem he hit the sooth was, for-that he it self sylf ne geseah. Tha Finnas him not saw. The Finns him thought, thuhte, and tha Beormas spræcon and the Beormas spoke nigh one neah an getheode. Swithost he language. Chiefliest he fared thifor thyder, to-eacan thæs landes ther, besides the land's seeing, for sceawunge, for them hors-hwal- the horse-whales, for-that they um, forthæm hi habbath swythe have very noble bones in their æthele ban on hyra tothum, tha teeth, these teeth they brought teth hy brohton sume thæm cy-some (to-) the king: and their hide nincge and hyra hyd bith swythe god to scip-rapum. Se hwæl bith micle læssa thonne othre hwalas, ne bith he lengra thonne syfan elna lang; ac on his agnum lande is se betsta hwæl-huntath, tha beoth eahta and feowertiges elna lange, and tha mæstan fiftiges elna lange; thara he sæde that he syxa sum ofsloge syxtig on twam dagum. He was swythe spedig man on them ææhtum the heora speda on beoth, that is on wild-deorum. He hæfde tha-gyt, tha he thone cyningc sohte, tamra deora unbebohtra syx hund. Tha deor hi hatath hranas, thara wæron syx stæl-hranas, tha beoth swythe dyre mid Finuum, for-thæm hy fod tha wildan hranas mid.

is very good for ship-ropes. This whale is much less that other whales, not is he longer than seven ells long; but in his own land is the best whale-hunting, they are eight and forty ells long, and the largest fifty ells long; (of-) these he said that he (of-) six some slew sixty in two days. He was (a) very wealthy man in the ownings that their wealth in is, that is in wild-deer. He had yet, when he the king sought, (of-) tame deer unsold six hundred. These deer they hight reins, (of-) them were six stale-reins, these are very dear with (the) Finns, for-that they catch the wild reins with (them).

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