157




Ch Hist
Guthlae

CHRISTO
ACADEMIAE
HARVARDIAN
WATTIDIS
TAS
ONY
ECCLE
OF THE
$149
NOV
LIBRARY
DIVINITY SCHOOL.
FROM THE LIBRARY OF
REV. HENRY WILDER FOOTE
OF BOSTON.
Received 26 March, 1891.
I



Ms.





Q
M Duright
万
​Nov. 5. 12.
THE
ANGLO-SAXON VERSION
OF THE
LIFE OF ST. GUTHLAC,
Hermit of Crowland.
^
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN LATIN, BY
FELIX (COMMONLY CALLED) OF CROWLAND.
cir.749?
Now first printed from a MS. in the Cottonian Library.
BY
WITH A TRANSLATION AND NOTES,
CHARLES WYCLIFFE GOODWIN, M.A.
FELLOW OF CATHARINE HALL, CAMBRIDGE.
LONDON:
JOHN RUSSELL SMITH,
4, OLD COMPTON STREET, SOHO SQUARE.
MDCCCXLVIII.


26 March, 139..
From the Library of
Rev. H, W. FOOTE,
C. AND J. ADLARD, PRINTERS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE.


PREFACE.
THE Life of St. Guthlac, Hermit of Crowland,
was originally written in Latin by one Felix, of
whom nothing is with certainty known, further than
what appears upon the face of his work.* From
its being dedicated to Alfwold, king of the East-
Angles, it may be conjectured that the author was
an inmate of some monastery within the realm of
East-Anglia; and he cannot have written later than
A. D. 749,-the year of Alfwold's death. Though
not personally acquainted with Guthlac, Felix drew
his materials from persons who had known and
conversed with the saint, and notwithstanding the
* The Latin Life is printed both in the Bollandine and Benedictine
Acta Sanctorum, under the 11th of April. Felix is usually called a
monk of Crowland. In one MS. he is termed in the prologue,
Catholicæ Congregationis Sancti Bedan vernaculus, from which the
Benedictine editor infers that he was a monk of Jarrow. But this
reading is unsupported by other MSS., and no dependence can be
placed upon it.


iv
PREFACE.
marvellous colouring given to the incidents related,
the memoir may be regarded as, upon the whole,
authentic, and as a curious picture of the belief and
habits of the age.
Upon the work of Felix is founded the poetical
Legend of St. Guthlac, contained in that singular col-
lection of Anglo-Saxon poetry the Codex Exoniensis.
Less important, but not without its value to the
student of our ancient literature, is the prose version
in the same language, now for the first time given
to the public. When and by whom this translation
was made is unknown; the style is not that of
Elfric, to whom it has been groundlessly ascribed.
The florid rhetoric of Felix is much pruned and
cropped, but without the omission of any material
incidents; the writer often paraphrases rather than
translates, and in truth sometimes quite mistakes the
sense of the original.
Only one MS. of this version is known to exist,
preserved in the Cottonian collection, in the volume
marked Vespasian D. xxi. But amongst the con-
tents of the MS. known as the Codex Vercellensis
is an extract comprising two chapters of the Life
of Guthlac. For a transcript of this most interesting


PREFACE.
V
fragment I am indebted to the kindness of Mr.
Benjamin Thorpe. It is curious, as presenting a
text very different from the Cottonian copy; indeed
it has almost the appearance of being part of an in-
dependent translation, though I believe this is not
really the case. I have given all the variations of
importance in the notes at the end of the volume.
The Cottonian MS. is written in a very fair, neat
hand, and, according to Wanley, is the work of the
scribe who wrote the Bodleian Heptateuch, which
latter he assigns to a date shortly after the Conquest.
I have followed carefully the variable spelling and
capricious use of the accent, which are as charac-
teristic of writings of the Anglo-Saxon period as
punctilious uniformity in orthography is of our own.
I have made here and there such alterations as
the received rules of accidence or syntax seemed to
require, and the reading of the MS. will always be
found in the margin, so that the reader may judge
for himself. The original Latin has suggested an
emendation occasionally where the text was evidently
corrupt, and the Vercelli Fragment supplies a few
valuable readings.
In accordance with the prevailing fashion of
b


vi
PREFACE.
editing Anglo-Saxon books, a translation is supplied,
in which literality is chiefly aimed at. It may serve,
however, to make the contents of the book accessible
to others besides students of Anglo-Saxon; and at
the present day, when there seems a growing dispo-
sition to read history at first hand, some persons
may be curious to study the portraiture of a Saxon
hermit drawn by a cotemporary.
LONDON: Nov. 1st, 1847.
CORRIGENDA.
C. W. G.
P. 13, 1. 8.
For reward read crown.
P. 48, title to chap. ix. For began read begiten.
P. 96, 1. 13. The MS. has mægða, but correct mægðe.


THE LIFE
OF
ST. GUTHLAC.
1


INCIPIT PROLOGUS
DE
VITA SCI. GUTHLACI.
URUM
RUM Wealdende riht-gelyfendum a worulda
woruld, minum þam leofestan hlaforde ofer
ealle oðre men eordlice kyningas:-Alfwold East-
Engla kyning, mid rihte and mid gerisenum rice
healdend:-Felix pone rihtan geleafan gesette eallum
geleafullum Godes folcum and ecere gesundfulnysse
hælo and gretincge gesende.¹ pinum wordum and
bebodum ic hyrsumode; da boc ic gesette pe pu
ahtest, be life pære² arwurðan gemynde Guðhlaces
hluttrum wordum and tacnum. Ic forpan halsige
and bidde pone gelæredan and pþone geleaffullan, gif
he her hwyle hleahterlic word onfinde, pæt he þæt
us ne wíte; ac gemune and gepence ælc para
tælendra and hleahterfulra, þæt³ on [wordum]
Godes rice ne wunað ac on ánwylnysse pas halgan
geleafan; and pa hælo middaneardes gemune¹
and gepence na fram idelum pancum gepoht, ac
fram fiscerum gebodod and gesæd. Ac gif hwylc
¹ MS. gesend.
MS. pa on Godes rice ne wuniað.
2 MS. þæs.
4
MS. ac gemune.


PROLOGUE.
To the truly-believing in our Lord, for ever and
ever, to my dearest lord above all other men,
earthly kings:-Alfwold, king of the East-Angles,
rightly and worthily holding the kingdom:-I, Felix,
have set forth the true belief, and the blessing of
eternal salvation for all God's faithful people, and send
greeting. Thy words and commands I have obeyed;
the book which thou bespakest I have composed,
concerning the life of Guthlac, of venerable memory,
with clear words and testimonies. I therefore beg
and beseech the learned and the faithful, if he here
find any ridiculous phrase, that he blame us not
therefore. But let each of these censorious and
derisive persons reflect and consider that God's
kingdom standeth not in [eloquence] but in stead-
fastness of the holy faith; and reflect and consider
that the salvation of earth was not devised with
light thoughts, but was preached and declared by
fishermen. And if any man censure our attempt


4
PROLOGUE.
6
man ure angin and weorc tale (swa ic menige
wat on Angel-cynne mid þam fægerum stafum ge-
gylde, fægere¹ and glæwlice gesette, þæt hig þas
boc sylfe² settan mihton), ne wíte he ponne us
swa [we]³ neode and hæse gehyrsumodon* and
word gefyldon. Forpan lá þu leornere gif þu mid
pan peawe tælendra me hleahtrige, warna þe sylfne
þær þu þe hleahtres wene, þæt þu þær semninga ne
wurde mid dymnysse bystro ablend. Þæt bið
blindra þeaw ponne hi5 on leohte beoð, þæt hig
sylfe nyton buton hi on peostrum dwelion. On
halgum gewrihtum bið oft unwisdom [blindnes]
geciged, forpon se fruma ealles yfeles ærest ponan
cymð. For þisum þingum þonne pu leornere ic pe
manige þæt þu þa fremdan ne tæle, þelæs þu fram
oprum eft swá fremde getæled sig. Ac pylæs ic
lenge pone panc hefige para leornendra mid ge-
segenum þara fremdra tælnysse, swa swa ic7 strange
sæé and mycele oferlide, and nu becume to pære
smyltestan hyde, Guðlaces lifes. Forþon þu abade
æt me þæt ic pe write and sæde be pære drohtnunge
Guðlaces and his lifes bysene, ic pe forpon hyrsu-
mode and ic forþon write swa me þa dihteras sædon
pe his lif geornost cuðon; ærost hwylc were se
fruma oppe on hwylcum ende he hit eft gelædde.
For pisum þingum ic pas boc sette; þæt pa pe his
lif þæs eadigan weres cuðon, þæt him ponne þig
8
¹ MS. fæger.
5 MS. he.
2 MS. sylf. 3 [we] not in MS.
[blindnes] not in MS.
4 MS. gehyrsum.
7 MS. seo. 8 MS. bec.


PROLOGUE.
5
and work (as I know many in England who might
have written this book themselves, gilded with fair
letters, fairly and cleverly composed), let him not
blame us who have but obeyed compulsion and com-
mand, and fulfilled an order. Therefore, O! learner,
if thou deridest me after the manner of censurers,
take heed to thyself, lest whilst thou thinkest of
laughter, thou become suddenly blinded by the ob-
scurity of darkness. It is the manner of blind
men when they are in the light, that they know
not but that they wander in the dark. In the holy
Scriptures folly is often called [blindness], because
from thence comes the beginning of all evil. For
this cause I admonish thee, O! learner, that thou
censure not strangers, lest thou be afterwards as a
stranger censured by others. But lest I longer
weary the mind of learners by talking of the censure
of strangers, I sail as it were over a strong and
mighty sea, and now come to that most quiet haven,
the life of Guthlac. As thou didst require of me
that I should write and relate concerning the con-
versation of Guthlac and the example of his life, I
have accordingly obeyed thee, and I write as those
informants told me who knew his life most accu-
rately; in the first place what was its beginning,
and then to what end he brought it. For this
cause I have composed this book, that as for those
who knew the life of the blessed man they may be


6
PROLOGUE.
geneahhor his lifes to gemyndum come; and pam
oðrum þe hit ær ne cupon swá swá ic him rúmne
weg and geradne tæhte. pas pingc pe ic her on-
wríte, ic geleornode fram gesegenum þæs arwyrðan
abbodes Wilfrides. Swilc eac manige oðre me pæt
sædon, pe mid pam eadigan were waron and his lif
hira eagum ofersawon. Ne tweoge ic aht pa mine
dihteras pæt hi mihton gemunan and eall asecgan
pa wundru pises eadigan weres; waron hi swiðe
wide cube and mære geond Angel-cynnes land. Ic
forpon pinum bebodum hyrsumede and pin word
and willan hæbbe gefylled and þæt gewrit pisse
andweardan hyrde swá ic mihte mid wisdome minra¹
foregengena and para yldrena gesette; pone fruman
on þam fruman ic gesette, and pone ende in þam
ende.
2
¹ MS. minre.
2 MS. þære.


PROLOGUE.
the more abundantly reminded of his life; and that to
others who knew it not before, I might as it were
point out a wide and straight way. The things which
I here write, I learned from the relation of the ve-
nerable abbot Wilfrid. Also many others have
related it to me who were with the blessed man,
and saw his life with their own eyes. Nor doubt
I aught that my informants were able to re-
member and relate all the wonders of this blessed
man; they were very widely known and famous
through England. I accordingly have obeyed thy
commands, and have fulfilled thy word and will,
and I have composed the text of this present book
as I best might, with the wisdom of my predecessors
and their elders; the beginning I have put in the
beginning, and the end at the end.


8
THE LIFE OF
I.
ΟΝ
2
N pam dagum Æpelredes þæs mæran kyninges
Myrcna, was sum æþel¹ man on pære heh-peode
Myrcna-rice; se was haten Penwald. He was þæs
yldestan and þæs æpelstan cynnes þe Iclingas wæron
genemnede. He was for worulde welig and myccle
gestreon hæfde, and papa he welegost was and
mæst gestreon hæfde, da gyrnde he him his ge-
mæccan to nymanne. He him pa ana geceas on
þæra² mædena heape pe þær fægorost wæs and
æpelestan kynnes; seo was gehaten Tette: and hi
pa samod waron oð þone fyrst þæt God foresceawode
þæt pæet wif mid bearne geeacnod was. Da se tíma
com þæt heo þæt bearn cennan scolde, pa sæmninga
com tacn of heofenum, and þæt bearn³ swytelice
mid inseglum beclysde: efne, men gesawon ane
hand on pam fægerestan readan hiwe of heofonum
cumende; and seo hæfde ane gyldene róde, and
was ateowod manegum mannum, and helde toweard
toforan þæs huses duru þær þæt cild inne acenned
was. Đa men þa calle pe pat gesawon piderweard
efeston pæt hig þæt tacen swutelicor geseon woldon
and ongitan. Seo hánd þa gewende mid þære róde
up to heofonum. Đa men pa ealle pe pat tacen
gesawon, hi hi pa calle on eordan astrehton, and
God bædon pæt he heom geswutelian scolde hwæt
þæt tacn and þæt forebeacn beon scolde þe him þær
1 MS. æþela.
2 MS. þære.
3 MS. tacn.


ST. GUTHLAC.
9
I.
IN the days of Ethelred, the famous king of the
Mercians, there was a noble man of the province
of Mercia, who was called Penwald. He was of the
oldest and noblest family, who were named Iclings.
He was in worldly things wealthy and had great
riches, and when he was wealthiest and had the most
riches, he desired to take to himself a wife. He
chose from the multitude of maidens the one who
was fairest, and of the noblest kin; she was called
Tette. And they were together until the time that
God ordained that the woman became with child.
When the time came that she should give birth to
the child, suddenly there came a sign from heaven,
and clearly as with a seal marked out the child.
Lo! men saw a hand of the fairest red hue coming
from heaven; and it held a golden rood, and was
manifested to many men, and it leaned forward
before the door of the house wherein the child was
born. Thereupon all the men who saw it hastened
thitherward, that they might more clearly see and
understand the sign. The hand then returned with
the rood up to heaven. Then all the men who saw
the sign, stretched themselves on the earth, and
prayed God that he would show them what that sign
and portent should be, which was there so un-
18


10
THE LIFE OF
swá færlice æteowod wæs. Da hi pa þæt gebed
gefylled heafdon, þa com þær sum wif mid miccle
rædlicnysse yrnan of þam huse pe pat cild inne
acenned wæs, and cleopode, and cwæð þus to pam
mannum: Beoð ge staþolfæste and gehyrte, forpan
pæs toweardan wuldres man on pisum middanearde
her ys acenned. Ɖa hi þa men þæt word gehyrdon,
pa spræcon hig heom betwynan þæt þæt wære god-
cundlic tacn þe þær ætywed was, forpon pe pæt bearn
þær acenned wæs. Sume hig þonne cwædon þæt þurh
godcunde stihtunge pære¹ ecan eadignysse him wäre
seo gifu forestihtod, þæs haliges tacnes pe him æt
his acennednysse ætywad wæs. Waron men swipe
wundriende be pære wisan and be pam tacne pe pær
ætywed wæs: and efne ær þon pe sunne on setl eode
hit was ofer eall middel Engla-land cud and mare.
1
II.
Da þæs ymbe eahta niht þæs pe mon pæt cild
brohte to pam halgan þwéale fulwihte-bæpes, da wæs
him nama sceapen of pæs cynnes gereorde and of pære
peode Guplac, swa hit ware of godcundlicre stihtunge
gedón, þæt he swa genemned were: forpon swá þa
wisan leorneras secgað on Angel-cynne þæt se nama
standed on twam³ gewritum: Guðlac se nama ys on
romanisc, Belli múnus: forpon peah he mid world-
lice* geswince menige earfoðnysse adreah, and peah
mid gecyrrednysse pa gife pære ecan eadignysse mid
1MS. in þære ece.
3 MS. feawum.
2 MS. sunna.
4 MS. woruldlicre.


ST. GUTHLAC.
11
expectedly displayed to them. When they had
ended this prayer, a woman came in great haste
running out of the house wherein the child was
born, and said thus to the men: Be firm and of
good heart, for a man of future glory is born here
on this earth. When the men heard this word,
they said among themselves, that it was a divine
sign that was there showed to them, inasmuch as
the child was born there. Some of them then said,
that by divine providence the gift of eternal bliss was
fore-ordained to him, in virtue of the holy sign that
was shown to them at his birth. Men were much
amazed at the matter and at the sign which was
there displayed; and behold, ere the sun set it
was known and famous over all the middle of
England.
II.
About eight nights afterwards, when they brought
the child to the holy laver of baptism, a name
was given him from the appellation of the family and
from the clan, Guthlac, as though it were done by
divine providence, that he should be thus named.
For thus the wise teachers in England say, that the
name consists of two terms; the name Guthlac is in
Latin, Belli munus; for that he not only endured
many troubles with worldly labour, but also by con-
version received the gift of eternal bliss with the


12
THE LIFE OF
sige eces lifes onfengc, and swá mid þam apostolum
cwepende: Beatus vir qui suffert temptationem; quia
cum probatus fuerit accipiet coronam vite quam re-
promisit dominus diligentibus sé. Pæt ys on englisc:
Eadig man bið, cwæð he, se þe her on worulde manig-
fealdlice geswincnysse and earfoðnysse dreogeð, for-
pon mid pam pe he gecostod bið and geswenced,
ponne onfeh he ecum beage; and þæt God gehet
eallum þam pe hine lufiað. After pon pe he wæs
abwegen mid pam pweale pas halgan fulluhtes, da was
he eft to pære fæderlican healle gelædd and þær
gefedd. Mid pam pe seo yld com þæt hit sprecan
mihte æfter cniht-wisan, ponne was he nawiht hefig,
ne unhyrsum his yldrum on wordum, ne pam pe hine
feddon, nænigum oppe yldran oppe gingran. Ne he
cnihtlice galnysse næs begangende, ne idele spel-
lunge folcricra manna, ne úngeliclice olæcunge, ne
leaslicetunge: ne he mistlice fugela¹-sangas ne wur-
pode, swá oft swa cnihtlicu yldo begæð. Ac on his
scearpnysse þæt he weox, and wearð glæd on his
ansyne, and hluttor and clæne on his mode, and bil-
wíte on his þeawum. Ac on him wæs se scima
gastlicre beorhtnysse swá swyde scinende, þæt ealle
þa men pe hine gesawon on him geseon mihton þa
þing þe him towearde waron. Da wæs æfter sið-
fate þæt mægen on him weox and gestipode on his
geogode, pa gemunde he þa strangan dæda þara un-
manna and þæra woruld-frumena; he þa, swa he of
¹ MS. fugelas.


ST. GUTHLAC.
13
victory of eternal life, saying thus with the apostle :
Beatus vir qui suffert temptationem, quia cum pro-
batus fuerit accipiet coronam vite, quam repromisit
Dominus diligentibus se. That is in English:
Blessed is the man, saith he, who here in the world
endureth manifold labours and troubles, for whereas
he is tempted and tried, then receiveth he the ever-
lasting reward; and this hath God promised to all
who love him. After he was washed in the laver of
holy baptism, he was led to his father's hall and
there nourished. When the age came that the child
should speak in child-fashion, he was no whit dull,
nor disobedient to his parents in their commands,
nor to those who nurtured him, either elder or
younger. Nor was he addicted to boyish levities,
nor the vain talk of vulgar men, nor unseemly
fawning, nor lying flattery. Nor did he study the
various cries of birds, as childish age is often wont.
But he grew up in sharpness, and was blithe in
countenance, and pure and clean in his disposition,
and innocent in his ways. And in him was the
lustre of divine brightness so shining, that all men
who saw him could perceive in him the promise of
what should hereafter happen to him. After a time,
when his strength waxed and he grew up to man-
hood, then thought he on the strong deeds of the
heroes, and of the men of yore. Then, as though he


14
THE LIFE OF
slæpe onwoce, weard his mod oncyrred, and he
gesomnode miccle scóle and wered his gepoftena
and hys efen-hæfdlingas, and him sylf to wæpnum
feng. pa wræc he his æfpancas on his feondum,
and heora burh bærnde and heora túnas ofer-
hergode; and he wide geond eorpan menigfeald
wæl felde and sloh and of mannum heora æhta nam.
pa was he semninga innan manod godcundlice and
læred þæt he pa word hete, ealle pa he swa [genam]¹
he het priddan dæl agifan þam mannum þe he hit
ær ongenæmde. Da was ymbe nigon winter pæs
pe he pa ehtnysse begangende was se eadiga
Guthlac, and he hine sylfne betweox pises and-
weardan middaneardes wealcan dwelode. pa gelamp
sume nihte³ mid pam pe he com of farendum wege,
and he hys pa werigan lima reste, and he menig
þing mid his mode pohte; da was he færinga mid
Godes ege onbryrd, and mid gastlicre lufan his heorte
innan gefylled and mid þy he awoc he gepohte pa
ealdan kyningas pe iú wæron, purh earmlicne deað
and purh sarlicne utgang þæs mánfullan lifes, pe
pas world forleton; and pa micclan welan pe hig
ær-hwilon ahton he geseh on hrædlicnysse ealle
gewítan; and he geseah his agen lif dæghwamlice
to pam ende efstan and scyndan. Da was he
sæmninga mid pam godcundan egesan innan swá
swype onbryrded, pæt he andette Gode gif he him
þæs mergen-dæges geunnan wolde, pæt he his peow
:
4
2
[Genam] not in MS. 2 MS. weolc 7 welode. 3 MS. niht.
4 MS. and mid by he geþohte pa caldan kyningas þa iú wæron he
awoc purh, etc.


ST. GUTHLAC.
15
had woke from sleep, his disposition was changed,
and he collected a great troop and host of his com-
panions and equals, and himself took weapons.
Then wreaked he his grudges on his enemies, and
burned their city, and ravaged their towns, and
widely through the land he made much slaughter,
and slew and took from men their goods. Then
was he on a sudden inwardly admonished of God,
and taught that he should thus give command; of
all things which he had so taken he bade give back the
third part to those from whom he had taken it.
It was about nine years that he was thus engaged
in hostile raids, the blessed Guthlac, and he thus
wandered amidst the tumult of this present world.
It happened on one night when he had come from
an expedition, and he rested his weary limbs, and
thought over many things in his mind, that he
was suddenly inspired with divine awe, and his heart
within was filled with spiritual love; and when he
awoke, he thought on the old kings who were of
yore, who thinking on miserable death, and the
wretched end of sinful life, forsook this world; and the
great wealth which they once possessed, he saw all
on a sudden vanish; and he saw his own life daily
hasten and hurry to an end. Then was he suddenly
so excited inwardly with godly fear, that he vowed
to God, if he would spare him till the morrow, that
he would be his servant. When the darkness of


16
THE LIFE OF
beon wolde. Mid þy pære nihte þystro gewíton and
hit dæg was, pa arás he and hine sylfne getacnode
insegle Cristes rode. Đa bead he his geferum pet
hi fundon him oderne ealdorman and latteow hira
geferscipe; and he him andette and sæde pæt he
wolde beon Cristes peow. Mid þam pe his geferan
pas word gehyrdon, þa wáron hi swipe wundriende,
and swype forhte for pam wordum þe hi þær ge-
hyrdon pa hi ealle to him aluton and hine bæédon
þæt he næfre pa þing swa gelæste swa he mid
wordum gecwæð. He pa hwæpere heora worda ne
gimde, ac pæt ilce þæt he ær geþohte þæt he þæt
forðlæstan wolde; barn him swá swype innan þære
Godes lufan þæt na læs þæt an þæt he þas woruld
forseah, ac swilce hys yldrena gestreon and his eard,
and pa sylfan his heafod-gemacan þæt he þæt eall
forlet, Ɖa he was feower and twentig wintra eald,
pa forlet he ealle pas woruld-glenga, and eallne his
hiht on Crist gesette: and pa æfter pon pæt he
ferde to mynstre pe ys gecweden Hrypadún, and
þær þa gerynelican sceare onfeng, Sce Petres
þæs apostoles under Ælföryde abbodyssan: and
syppan he to sceare and to pam munuc-life feng,
hwat he nænigre wætan onbítan nolde pe drun-
cennys¹ purh cóme. And pa for pan þingum hine
þa broðra hatedon, þy he swá forhæbbende wæs:
and þa rade syþþan hi þa hluttorlicnysse his modes,
and pa clænnysse his lifes ongéaton, þæt hig ealle
¹ MS. druncennysse.


ST. GUTHLAC.
17
night was gone, and it was day, he arose and signed
himself with the mark of Christ's rood. Then bade
he his companions that they should find them
another captain and leader of their company; and
he confessed to them, and said that he would be
Christ's servant. When his companions heard these
words, they were greatly astonished, and very alarmed
for the words which they had heard. Then they all
bowed to him, and begged him that he never would
perform the things which he had in words ex-
pressed. He however cared not for their words, but
the same thing that he had first intended, that
would he perform. God's love burnt so within him,
that not only did he despise this world, but also his
parents' wealth and his home, and even his com-
panions he all forsook. When he was four and twenty
years old, he forsook all the pomps of the world,
and set all his hope on Christ. And after that he
went to a monastery, which is called Hrypadun,
and there received the mystical tonsure of St. Peter
the apostle, under abbess Ælfthrytha. And after
he had taken the tonsure and the monastic life, lo!
he would taste no liquid through which drunkenness
comes. And for these things the brethren hated
him, because he was so abstinent; but soon after,
when they perceived the purity of his mind, and the
cleanness of his life, they all loved him. He was in


18
THE LIFE OF
hine lufedon. Was he on ansine mycel and on
lichaman clane, wynsum on his mode, and wlitig
on ansyne; he was lide and gemetfæst on his
worde, and he was geþyldig and eadmod; and á seo
godcunde lufu on hys heortan hat and byrnende.
Mid by he pa was in stafas and on leornunge ge-
togen, pa girnde he his sealmas to leornianne: þa
weron pa wæstm-berendan breost pæs eadigan weres
mid Godes gife gefyllede and mid þam lareowdóme
þæs hean magistres Godes, þæt he was on godcund-
lican peodscipe getyd and gelæred.
Mid þam pe
he was twa gear on pære leornunge, da hæfde he
his sealmas geleornod and canticas, and ymnas, and
gebeda æfter cyriclicre endebyrdnysse. pa ongan
he wurdigan þa gódan þeawas þara godra on þam life,
eadnysse,¹ and hyrsumnysse, gepyld, and polemod-
nysse, and forhæfednysse his lichaman; and ealra
para godra mægen he was begangende. Ɖa ymbe twá
winter pas pe he his lif swa leofode under munuc-
hade pæt he pa ongan wilnian westenes and sunder-
setle. Mid by he gehyrde secgan and he leornode
be þam ancerum, þe geara on westene and on sundor-
settlum for Godes naman wilnodon and heora lif
leofodon, da was his heorte innan þurh Godes gifu
onbryrdod, þæt he westenes gewilnode. Da wæs
sona ymbe unmanige dagas pæt he him leafe bad æt
pam beowum pe par yldest wæron þæt he féran moste.
'Perhaps a mistake for eadmodnysse.


ST. GUTHLAC.
19
figure tall, and pure in body, cheerful in mood, and
in countenance handsome; he was mild and modest
in his discourse, and he was patient and humble;
and ever in his heart was divine love hot and burning.
When he devoted himself to letters and learning, he
was desirous of learning his psalms. Then was the
fruitful breast of the blessed man filled with God's
grace, and with the teaching of God the great
master he became instructed and learned in divine
discipline. When he had been two years on this
study, he had learned his psalms, and canticles, and
hymns, and prayers, after ecclesiastical order. Then
began he to study the good observances of the virtuous
in that life, gentleness and obedience, patience and
long suffering, and abstinence of body; and he
cultivated the virtues of all good men. After he
had passed about two years of his life thus in the
monastic state, he began to long for the wilderness
and a hermitage. When he heard tell and learned
concerning anchorites who of yore longed for the
wilderness and hermitages for God's name, and
passed their lives there, his heart was inwardly in-
spired with the love of God to long for the wilder-
ness. So then not many days after, he begged
leave from the servants [of God] who were the
eldest there, that he might depart.


20
THE LIFE OF
III.
Ys on Bretone-lande sum fenn unmætre mycel-
nysse þæt onginneð fram Grante eá naht feor
fram þære cestre, dy ylcan nama ys nemned Grante-
ceaster. Þær synd unmæte¹ moras, hwilon sweart
water-steal, and hwilon fúle éa-ripas yrnende, and
swylce eac manige ealand and hreod and beorhgas
and treow-gewrido, and hit mid menigfealdan big-
nyssum widgille and lang purhwunad on nord-sa.
Mid pan se foresprecena wer and pære eadigan
gemynde Guðlac³ pas wídgillan westenes pa ungear-
awan stowe þær gemette, pa was he mid godcunde*
fultume gefylst, and pa sona pan rihtestan wege þyder
togeferde. pa was mid þam pe he þyder com pæt he
frægn þa bigengcan pas landes, hwær he on pam
westene him eardung-stowe findan mihte. Mid þy
hi him menigfeald þing sædon be pære wídgilnysse
þæs westenes. pa was Tátwine gehaten sum man,
sæde pa þæt he wiste sum ealand synderlice digle,
þæt oft menige men eardian ongunnon, ac for menig-
fealdum brogum and egsum, and for annysse þæs
widgillan westenes þæt hit nænig man adreogan ne
mihte, ac hit ælc forpan befluge. Mid þam pe se
halga wer Guðlac þa word gehyrde, he bæd sona þæt
he him pa stowe getæhte, and he þa sona swa dyde;
eode pa on scip, and þa ferdon begen þurh þa rugan
fennas op þæt hi comon to pære stowe pe man hateð
¹ MS. unmætre.
3 MS. Guðlaces.
2 MS þene wunað.
* MS. godcundre.


ST. GUTHLAC.
21
III.
There is in Britain a fen of immense size, which
begins from the river Granta not far from the city,
which is named Grantchester. There are immense
marshes, now a black pool of water, now foul run-
ning streams, and also many islands, and reeds, and
hillocks, and thickets, and with manifold windings
wide and long it continues up to the north sea.
When the aforesaid man, Guthlac of blessed memory,
found out this uncultivated spot of the wide wilder-
ness, he was comforted with divine support, and
journeyed forthwith by the straightest way thither.
And when he came there he inquired of the inhabit-
ants of the land where he might find himself a
dwelling-place in the wilderness. Whereupon they
told him many things about the vastness of the wil-
derness. There was a man named Tatwine, who
said that he knew an island especially obscure, which
ofttimes many men had attempted to inhabit, but
no man could do it on account of manifold horrors
and fears, and the loneliness of the wide wilderness;
so that no man could endure it, but every one on
this account had fled from it. When the holy man
Guthlac heard these words, he bid him straightway
show him the place, and he did so; he embarked in
a vessel, and they went both through the wild fens
till they came to the spot which is called Crowland;


22
THE LIFE OF
Cruwland : wæs þæt land on middan þam westene
swá gerád geseted pæs foresædan fennes,¹ swyde
digle, and hit swype feawa men wiston buton pam
anum þe hyt him tæhte; swylc þær næfre nænig
man ær eardian ne mihte ær se eadiga wer Guðlac to-
com for pære eardunga para awerigedra gasta. And
he pa se eadiga wer Guðlac forhogode sona þa
costunge þæra awerigdra gasta, and mid heofonlicum
fultume gestrangod weard, betwyx pa fenlican
gewrido pas widgillan westenes, þæt he ana ongan
eardian. Ða gelamp mid þære godcundan stihtunge,
þæt he on pa tíd Sce Bartholomei pas apostoles þæt
he com to pam ealande, forpan he on eallum þingum
his fultum sohte. And he pa gelufode pære stowe
digelnysse, and he pa gehet þæt he wolde ealle dagas
his lifes þær on pam ealande Gode peowian. Mid þy
he þa unmanige dagas þær wæs, þa geondsceawode he
þa þing þe to pære stowe belumpon. Ɖa pohte he
þæt he eft wolde to pam mynstre feran and his ge-
broðra gretan, forpan he ær fram heom ungegret
gewat. Đa pæs on mergen mid ban hit dag was
pa ferde he eft to pam mynstre; pa was he pær
hundnigantig nihta mid þam broðrum: and þa syþþan
he hig grette, he þa eft hwærf to pære stowe þæs
leofan westenes mid twam cnihtum. Da wæs se
eahtoða dæg pæs kalendes Septembres, pe man on
þa tíd wurðað Sce Bartholomei þæs apostoles, pa se
eadiga wer Guðlac com to pære foresprecenan stowe,
3 MS. pa.
1 MS. fennas,
2 MS. feawe.


ST. GUTHLAC.
23
this land was in such wise (as he said) situated in
the midst of the waste of the aforesaid fen, very ob-
scure, and very few men knew of it except the one
who showed it to him; as no man ever could inhabit
it before the holy man Guthlac came thither, on ac-
count of the dwelling of the accursed spirits there.
And the blessed man Guthlac disregarded the tempta-
tion of the accursed spirits, and was strengthened
with heavenly support, so that he began to dwell
alone among the fenny thickets of the wide wilder-
ness. It fell out, by divine providence, that he came
to the island on the day of St. Bartholomew the
apostle; for he sought in all things his support. And
he was enamoured of the obscurity of the place, and
vowed that he would serve God on that island all
the days of his life. When he had been there not
many days, he looked about at the things which ap-
pertained to the place. Then he thought that he
would return again to the monastery, and salute his
brethren, for he had before gone away from them
without taking leave. So in the morning, when it
was day, he went back to the monastery; there he
remained with the brethren ninety nights. And
after he had taken leave of them, he returned back
again to the place of his beloved wilderness with two
servants. It was the eighth day before the kalends of
September, which is observed as the day of St.
Bartholomew the apostle, when the holy man Guthlac


24
THE LIFE OF
to Cruwlande, forpon he his fultum on eallum þingum
ærest to pam sundor-setle sohte. Hæfde he pa on
ylde six and twentig wintra pa he ærest se Godes
cempa on pam westene mid heofenlicre gife geweorðod
gesæt.¹ pa sona wið þam scotungum þara werigra
gasta þæt he hine mid gastlicum wæpnum gescylde,
he nam pone scyld þæs Halgan Gastes geleafan; and
hyne on þære byrnan gegearowode pæs heofonlican
hihtes; and he him dyde heolm on heafod clænera²
gepanca; and mid þam strælum þæs halgan sealm-
sanges³ á singallice wið þam awerigedum gastum
sceotode and campode. And nu hwæt ys swa swipe
to wundrianne pa diglan mihte ures Drihtnes, and
his mildheortnysse domas; hwa mag pa ealle
asecgan! Swá se æpela lareow ealra þeoda Scs Paulus
se apostol, pone ure Drihten ælmihtig God fore-
stihtode to godspellianne his folce; he was ær-pon
ehtere his pære halgan cyrcan, and mid pan þe he
to Damascum ferde pære byrig, þæt he was of pam
þystrum gedwolum abroden Iudea ungeleafulnysse
mid þam swege heofonlicre stefne; swá þonne pære
arwurdan gemynde Gudlac of pære gedrefednysse
pissere worulde was gelæded to campháde þæs ecan
lifes.
¹ MS. geweorðod. Gesæt þa.
3 MS. sealm-sangas.
2 MS. clænere.
•


ST. GUTHLAC.
25
came to the aforesaid place Crowland, for that he
sought his support first in all things in regard to his
solitary life. He was six and twenty years of age
when, endowed with heavenly grace, God's soldier
first settled in the wilderness. Then straightway,
that he might arm himself against the attacks of the
wicked spirits with spiritual weapons, he took the
shield of the Holy Spirit, faith; and clothed himself
in the armour of heavenly hope; and put on his
head the helmet of chaste thoughts; and with the
arrows of holy psalmody he ever continually shot and
fought against the accursed spirits. And now how
greatly must we admire the secret might of our Lord,
and the judgments of his mercy; who can tell them
all? As the noble teacher of all nations, St. Paul
the apostle, whom our Lord Almighty God fore-ap-
pointed to preach the gospel to his people; he
was before a persecutor of his holy church, and whilst
he journeyed to the city Damascus he was delivered
from the dark errors of the Jews' unbelief by the
sound of a heavenly voice; so Guthlac of venerated
memory was led from the tribulation of this world
to the victory of eternal life.
2


26
THE LIFE OF
IV.
Be þam halgan were hu he eardode on þære stówe.
Onginne ic nu be dam life dæs eadigan weres
Guðlaces, swa swa ic gehyrde secgan pa pe his lif
cudon, Wilfrid and Cissa; ponne secge ic swá æfter
þære endebyrdnysse. Wæs þær on pam ealande
sum hlaw mycel ofer eorðan geworht, pone ylcan
men iú geara for feos wilnunga gedulfon and bræcon.
pa was þær on opre sidan pæs hlawes¹ gedolfen
swylce mycel water-sead ware. On þam seade
ufan se eadiga wer Guthlac him hus getimbrode,
sona fram fruman pas pe he pæet ancer-setl² gesæt.
Pa gepohte he pæt he nador ne wyllenes hrægles ne
línenes brucan nolde, ac on fellenum gegyrelan þæt
he wolde ealle his dagas his lifes alifian; and he hit
swá ford-gelæstende wæs. Elce dæge was his
bigleofan swyle gemetegung³ of þære tíde þe he þæt
westen eardigan ongan, þæt he nawiht ne onbyrigde
buton berenne hlaf and water; and ponne sunne
was on setle, ponne pigede he það andlyfene pe he
bigleofode. Sona þæs pe he westen eardigan ongan,
þa gelamp hit sume dæge mid [þy he] pan gewune-
lican peawe his sealm sang and his gebedum befeal,
pa se ealda feond man-cynnes (efne swa grymetigende
leo, pæt he his costunga attor wíde todæled,) mid
by he pa his yfelnysse mægen and grymnysse attor
¹ MS. hlawas.
4 MS. berene.
2 MS. ancer-setle.
5 MS. þæs.
3 MS. to gereorde.
6 [by he] not in MS.


ST. GUTHLAC.
27
IV.
Concerning the holy man, how he dwelt in the place.
I begin now to speak of the life of the blessed
man Guthlac, as I have heard those relate who knew
his life, Wilfrid and Cissa; and according thereto I
tell it in order. There was on the island a great
mound raised upon the earth, which same of yore
men had dug and broken up in hopes of treasure.
On the other side of the mound a place was dug, as
it were a great water-cistern. Over this cistern the
blessed man Guthlac built himself a house at the
beginning, as soon as he settled in the hermit-station.
Then he resolved that he would use neither
woollen nor linen garment, but that he would live
all the days of his life in clothing of skins; and so
he continued to do. Each day, from the time
that he began to dwell in the wilderness, the ab-
stemiousness of his diet was such, that he never
tasted aught but barley-bread and water; and when
the sun was set, then took he his food on which he
lived. Soon after he began to dwell in the wilder-
ness, it happened one day, when he had, after his
wonted custom, sung a psalm and fell to his prayers,
that the old enemy of mankind (who, even as a roar-
ing lion, scatters wide the venom of his temptations),
whilst he [was scattering abroad] the might of his


28
THE LIFE OF
[todælde]¹ þæt he mid pan þa menniscan heortan
wundode, pa semninga swá he of gebendum bogan
his costunge streale on þam mode gefæstnode þæs
Cristes cempan. Da he pa se eadiga wer mid pære
geættredan streale gewundod was pas awerigedan
gastes, da was his mod pæs eadigan weres swiðe
gedrefed on him, be þam onginne pe he ongan þæt
westen swá ana cardigan. Mid þam he pa hine
hider and þyder gelomlice on his mode cyrde, and
gemunde pa ærran synna and leahtras pe he gefre-
mede and geworht hæfde, and pa máran and un-
mættran² him sylfa dyde ponne he wende þæt he hi
æfre gebetan mihte. Da hæfde hine seo deofollice
stræl mid ormodnysse gewundodne: wæs se eadiga
wer Guðlac mid pære ormodnysse þri dagas ge-
wundod, þæt he sylfa nyste hwider he wolde mid
his móde gecyrran. Da wæs þy pryddan dæge pære
æfter-fylgendan nihte pæt he pam tweogendum
gepohtum fæstlice wiðstód; and efne swá witedom-
lice mupe pat he sang and clypode to Gode, and
cwæð: In tribulatione mea invocavi Dominum, et
reliqua. Pæt ys on englisc: Min Drihten on minre
geswincnysse ic pe to clypige, ac gehyr þu me and
gefultuma me on minum earfeðum. Da wæs sona
æfter pon pæt his se getreowa fultum him to com,
Scs Bartholomeus; and na læs þæt he him on slæpe
atywde, ac he wæccende pone apostol on engellicre
fægernysse geseah and sceawode. And he pa sona
' [todælde] not in MS.
2 MS. unmættra.


ST. GUTHLAC.
29
wickedness and the venom of his cruelty, that he
might wound the hearts of men therewith, suddenly,
as from a bended bow, he fixed the dart of his
temptation in the soul of Christ's soldier. When,
therefore, the blessed man was wounded with the
poisoned arrow of the accursed spirit, his soul (the
blessed man's) was greatly troubled within him,
about the undertaking he had begun, namely, to
dwell thus alone in the wilderness. Then he turned
himself hither and thither continually in his mind,
and thought of his former sins and wickednesses
which he had committed and wrought, and how that
he himself had done greater and more enormous
sins than he thought he could ever compensate for.
Thus had the devilish arrow wounded him with
desperation: the blessed man Guthlac was three
days wounded with this despair, so that he himself
knew not whither he would turn with his thoughts.
It was upon the night following the third day
that he firmly withstood these doubting thoughts;
and thereupon with prophetic mouth he sang and
cried to God, and said: In tribulatione meâ invocavi
Dominum, et reliqua. That is, in English: My Lord,
in
my trouble I cry unto thee, and hear thou me, and
support me in my tribulations. It was soon after this
that his faithful support, St. Bartholomew, came to
him, and did not appear to him in sleep, but waking
he saw and beheld the apostle in angelic beauty.


30
THE LIFE OF
se eadiga wer Guðlac swype blipe was pas heofon-
lican cuman; and him sona his heorte and his
gepanc call was onlihtod; and he pa hrædlice pa
yfelan and pa twyfealdan gepohtas forlet, and hine
se heofonlica cuma frefrode, Scs Bartholomeus, and
hine mid wordum trymede and strangode, and hine
het þæt he ne tweode, ac pæt he wære ánrad; and
þæt he him on fultume beon wolde on eallum his
earfeðum. Da se halga Guðlac pas word gehyrde
his pas getreowan freondes, pa was he mid gastlicre
blisse gefylled, and his geleafan fæste on God sylfne
getrymede and fæstnode.
V.
Swylce eac gelamp on sumne sæl, mid þy he be
pære drohtnunge smeade his lifes, hu he Gode
gecwemlicost mihte lybban, da comon semninga
twegen deoflu to him of pære lyfte slidan and pa to
him cuðlice spræcon and cwadon: We syndon
gewisse pines lifes, and pines geleafan trumnesse
we witon, and eac pin gepyld we cunnon únofer-
swyped; and þær we pin fandedon, and costodon,
þat we mid manigfealde cræfte úre¹ wæpna wið þé
sendon. We nu heonon-ford nellað þe leng swencan
ne pe bysmrian; na læs þæt an þat we pe þæs nu
nellað lettan þæs þu ær gepoht hæfdest, ac we þe
eac wyllað secgan be pam eallum pe iu geara westen
2
1 MS. úra.
2 MS. westene.


ST. GUTHLAC.
31
And forthwith the blessed man Guthlac was right
glad of the heavenly visitor; and his heart and mind
was soon all enlightened, and he quickly let go the
bad and desperate thoughts; and the heavenly visitor,
St. Bartholomew, comforted him, and confirmed
and strengthened him with his words, and bid him not
despair, but be constant; and said that he would be
his support in all his tribulations. When the holy
Guthlac heard these words of his faithful friend, he
was filled with spiritual joy, and strengthened and
fixed his faith firmly upon God himself.
V.
It happened, also, on one occasion, when he was
reflecting upon the conduct of his life, how he might
live most acceptably to God, there came suddenly
two devils to him, sliding down from the air, and
they spoke plainly to him, and said: We are ac-
quainted with thy life, and the firmness of thy faith
we know, and also we know thy patience to be un-
conquered; and therein we tried and proved thee,
whilst with manifold craft we directed our weapons
at thee. We now henceforth will no longer trouble
nor injure thee; not only will we now cease to
hinder thee from that which thou didst first intend,
but we will even tell thee respecting all those who
of yore inhabited the wilderness, how they lived


32
THE LIFE OF
eardedon, hu hi heora lif leofodon. Moyses ærest
and Helias hi fæston, and swylce eac se Hælend
ealles middaneardes on westene he fæste, and eac
swylce pa mæran munecas pa mid Egiptum wæron
and þér on westenum wunedon: pa purh heora for-
hæfdnysse on heom ealle uncyste ofaslógon and
ácwealdon. Ponne gif þu þæt wilnast þæt þu of þe
þa ær gefremedan synna aþwéan wylt, ponne scealt
þu þinne lichaman þurh forhæfdnysse wæccan; forpon
swá myccle swa þu þe her on worulde swypor swincst,
swá þu eft byst on ecnysse fæstlicor getrymed; and
swá myccle swá þu on pisum andweardan life má
earfoða drigast, swá myccle þu eft on toweardnysse
gefehst; and ponne þu on fæsten her on worulde
gestihst, ponne bist þu ahafen for Godes eagum.
Forbon pin fæsten ne sceal beon þæt an twegra
daga fyrst oppe preora oppe álce dæge, pæt þu þe
swá on¹ tela myccle forhæfdnysse ahebbe, ac on
seofon nihta fyrstes fæstene bip to clænsienne pone
man. Swá on six dagum ærest God ealles middan-
eardes fægernysse gehiwode and gefrætwode, and on
pam seofopan he hine reste, swa ponne gedafenað
pam pe gelice purh six daga fæsten pone gast
gefrætwian, and ponne by seofoðan dæge2 mete
picgan and pone³ lichaman restan. Da se eadiga
wer Guðlac pas word gehyrde, pa aras he sona and
to Gode clypode, and hyne gebæd and pus cwæð:
Syn mine fynd, min Drihten God, á on-hinder ge-
¹ MS. on swá.
2 MS. dæg.
3 MS. his.


ST. GUTHLAC.
33
their lives.
Moses first, and Elijah, they fasted,
and also the Saviour of all the earth, he fasted in
the wilderness; and also the famous monks who were
in Egypt and dwelt there in deserts; they, through
their abstinence, slew and quelled in themselves all
corruption. Therefore, if thou desirest to wash from
thee the sins thou didst once commit, thou shouldst
afflict thy body with abstinence; because by how
much the more severely thou afflictest thyself in this
world, by so much the more firmly shalt thou be
strengthened to eternity; and by how much thou
sufferest more troubles in this present life,, so much
the more shalt thou receive in future; and when
thou advancest here in the world in fasting, thou
shalt then be exalted in God's eyes. Therefore thy
fasting must not be a space of two or three days,
nor on each day, that thou shouldst exalt thyself
thereupon as a very great abstinence, but it is
necessary by a fast of seven nights' duration to
cleanse the man. As on six days God first formed
and adorned the beauty of the whole earth, and on
the seventh rested himself; so, also, beseems it thee
in like manner by six days' fast to adorn the spirit,
and then on the seventh day to take meat and to
rest the body. When the blessed man Guthlac
heard these words, he arose and cried to God, and
prayed, and thus said: Let my foes, my Lord God,
•
28


34
THE LIFE OF
cyrde, forpon ic pe ongite and oncnawe, forþon þe
þu eart min scyppend. pa sona æfter þam wordum
se awyrigeda gast efne swá smic beforan his ansyne
áidlode. He pa forseah pa deofollican láre, for þam
pe he calle pa ydele ongeat; ac pa feng [to]¹ méd-
mycclan bigleofan, þat was to pam berenan hláfe,
and pone pigede and his lif bileofode. Da pa
awyrigedan gastas pæet ongeaton pæt he hig ealle
forhógode and heora lara, hig þa þæt mid wependre
stefne sorhgodon, þæt hi oferswidde waron; and
se eadiga wer swá gesigefæstod wearð þæt he pa
bysmornysse forhogode heora lára and heora costunga.
Swylce eac gelámp on sumue sæl ymb únmanige
dagas pæt he waccende pa niht on halgum gebedum
awunode. pa on pære nihte stilnysse gelamp
semninga, þæt þær comon mycele meniu para
awyrigedra gasta, and hi eall þæt hus mid heora
cyme fyldon; and hi on ealce healfe inguton ufan
and neoðan and eghwonen. Hi wæron on ansyne
egslice and hig hæfdon mycele heafda, and langne
sweoran, and mægere ansyne: hi wæron fúlice and
orfyrme on heora beardum; and hi hæfdon³ ruge
earan, and woh nebb and redelice eagan, and fúle
muðas; and heora topas waron gelíce horses twuxan;
and him waron pa protan mid lege gefylde, and
hi wæron ongristlice on stefne: hi hæfdon woge
sceancan, and mycele cneowu and hindan greate,
2 MS. manigre.
¹ [to] not in MS.
3 MS. and ruge earan and hi hæfdon woh nebb.


ST. GUTHLAC.
35
be for ever turned backwards, for I know and under-
stand thee, that thou art my Maker. Immediately
after these words the accursed spirit vanished from
before his face like smoke. Then despised he the
devilish doctrine, for he understood that it was all
vain; and he took a moderate meal, that is, the
barley loaf, and ate it, and supported his life. When
the cursed spirits understood that he despised them
all, and their doctrines, they bewailed with lament-
able voice that they were overcome; and the blessed
man was so victorious that he despised the blas-
phemies of their doctrines and of their temptations.
Also it happened, on a time not many days after,
that he was passing the night waking in holy prayers.
Then in the stillness of the night it happened
suddenly that there came great hosts of the accursed
spirits, and they filled all the house with their
coming; and they poured in on every side, from
above and from beneath, and everywhere. They
were in countenance horrible, and they had great
heads, and a long neck, and lean visage; they were
filthy and squalid in their beards; and they had
rough ears, and distorted face, and fierce eyes, and
foul mouths; and their teeth were like horses' tusks;
and their throats were filled with flame, and they
were grating in their voice; they had crooked
shanks, and knees big and great behind, and dis-


36
THE LIFE OF
and misscrence tán,¹ and hás hrymedon on³ stefnum ;
and hi pa swá ungemetlicum³ gestundum foron and
swá unmetlice ege, pæt him puhte pæt hit eall
betweox heofone and eorðan hleoprode pam eges-
licum stefnum. Næs pa nænig yldend to pam þæt
syppan hi on þæt hus comon hi pa sona pone halgan
wer eallum limum gebundon, and hi hine tugon
and læddon ut of pære cytan, and hine pa læddon
on pone sweartan fenn and hine pa on pa horwihtan
water bewurpon and besencton. Æfter pon hi
hine læddon on pam redum stowum þæs westenes,
betwux pa piccan gewrido para bremela þæt him
wæs eall se lichama gewundod. Mid þy hi pa lange
on pære þystrunge hine swa swencton, pa léton hi
hine ane hwíle abídan and gestandan; heton hine pa
þæt he of pam westene gewite, oppe gif he þæt
nolde, ponne woldon hi hine mid máran bysmerum
swencan and costian. He pa se eadiga wer Guðlac
heora worda ne gimde, ac he mid witegiende muðe
pus cwæð: Drihten me ys on þa swypran healfe, for-
pon ic ne beo oncyrred fram þe. Da æfter pan þa
awerigedan gastas hine genamon and hine swungon
mid isenum swipum, and pa æfter pon hi hine
læddon on þam ongryrlican fiðerum betwux þa
cealdan faca pære lyfte. pa he pa was on pære
heannysse pære lyfte, pa geseah he ealne norð-dæl
heofones, swylce he were pam sweartestan wolcnum
ymbseald swiðlicra þeostra. Da geseah he færinga
MS. mís crocetton.
3 MS. ungemetlicre.
2 hás runigendum stefnum.
4 MS. unmetlicre. 5 MS. orwehtan.


ST. GUTHLAC.
37
torted toes, and shrieked hoarsely with their voices;
and they came with such immoderate noises and
immense horror, that it seemed to him that all
between heaven and earth resounded with their
dreadful cries. Without delay, when they were
come into the house, they soon bound the holy man
in all his limbs, and they pulled and led him out of
the cottage, and brought him to the black fen, and
threw and sunk him in the muddy waters. After
that they brought him to the wild places of the
wilderness, among the dense thickets of brambles,
that all his body was torn. After they had a long
time thus tormented him in darkness, they let him
abide and stand a while; then commanded him to
depart from the wilderness, or if he would not do
so, then they would torment and try him with greater
plagues. He, the blessed man Guthlac, cared not
for their words, but with prophetic mouth he thus
spake: The Lord is on my right hand, that I be
not turned back from thee. After that the cursed
spirits took him and beat him with iron whips, and
after that they brought him on their creaking wings
amidst the cold regions of the air. When he was
at this height in the air he saw all the north part
of heaven as it were surrounded by the blackest
clouds of intense darkness. Then he saw suddenly
*


38
THE LIFE OF
2
5
unmæte¹ werod para awerigedra gasta him ongean
cuman; and hi pa sona þær tosomne gegaderodon, and
hi pa sona ealle pone halgan wer gelæddon to pam
sweartum tintreh-stowum, helle dura hi hine
gebrohton. Da he pa þær geseah pa fulnysse pæs
smyces and þa byrnendan³ lega and pone ege þære
sweartan deopnysse, he pa sona was forgitende ealra
para tintrega and þæra wíta þe he fram þam awyr-
gedum gastum ær dreah and ápolode. Hi pa sona
pa awyrgedan gastas betwux pa grimlican lega*
inhruron and feollon, and þær þara árleasra manna
sawla mid manigfealdum wítum getintregodon.
Da se eadiga Guthlac pa micelnysse geseah para
wíta, þa was he for þæra egsan swyde afyrht. Đa
cleopodon sona pa awyrgedan gastas mid mycelre
cleopunge and pus cwædon: Us ys miht geseald þe
to sceofanne on pas wítu pisse deopnysse, and her
[is] þæt fyr þæt þu sylfa on þe onberndest; and
for pinum synnum and gyltum helle duru þe ongean
openað. Mid by þa awyrgedan gastas þisum wordum
béotodon, da andswerode he heom þus, and cwæð:
Wá eow peostra bearn and forwyrde tudder, ge
syndon dust and acsan and ysela: hwa sealde eow
earman þæt ge mín ahton geweald on pas wítu to
sendanne? hwæt ic her eom andweard and gearu,
and bidige nimes Drihtnes willan; for hwon sceolon
ge mid cowrum leasum beotingum me egsian? Hig
1 MS. unmæta.
5 MS. wítu.
2 MS. duru. 3 MS. byrnenda. 4 MS. lege.
6 [is] not in MS.
7 MS. tuddre.
1


ST. GUTHLAC.
39
an immense host of cursed spirits come towards him;
and they soon gathered together, and forthwith all
led the holy man to the black places of torment,
and brought him to hell's door. When he saw
the foulness of the smoke and the burning flames,
and the horror of the black abyss, he quickly forgot
all the torments and the punishments which he had
before suffered and endured from the accursed spirits.
Then the cursed spirits rushed in and tumbled
among the horrible flames, and there they tormented
with manifold punishments the souls of unrighteous
men. When the blessed Guthlac saw the greatness
of the punishments, he was much terrified for dread
of them. Then cried the cursed spirits with a great
voice and thus spake: Power is given us to thrust
thee into the torments of this abyss; and here is
the fire which thou thyself didst kindle within thee,
and for thy sins and crimes hell's door openeth be-
fore thee. When the accursed spirits had threatened
him with these words, then answered he them thus,
and said: Woe to you! children of darkness, and
seed of destruction; ye are dust and cinders and
ashes; who granted you, wretches, that ye should
have power over me, to send me to these punish-
ments! Lo! I am here present and ready, and await
my Lord's will; wherefore should ye frighten me
with your false threats? They then, the accursed


40
THE LIFE OF
pa sona pa awyrgedan gastas¹ to pam eadigan
woldon swylce hi hine per insceofan woldon. Da
semninga com se heofones bigengca se halga apostol
Scs Bartholomeus, mid heofonlicre byrhtnysse and
wuldre scinende, betwuhx pa dimnysse peostru pære
sweartan helle. Hi pa awyrgedan gastas ne mihton
for pære fægernysse þæs halgan cuman þær awunian,
ac hi sylfe on peostre gehyddon. Da se eadiga wer
Guthlac his pone getreowan freond geseah, pa wæs
he mid gastlicre blisse and mid heofonlice² gefean
swiðe blipe. Ɖa æfter þam het se halga apostol
Scs Bartholomeus and heom bebead þæt hi him
weron underpeodde, þæt hi hine eft gebrohton mid
smyltnysse on pære ylcan stowe pe hi hine ær æt-
genamon and hig pa swá dydon, and hine mid
ealre smyltnysse swá gelæddon, and on heora fiðerum
bæéron and feredon, pæt he ne mihte ne on scipe
fægeror gefered beon. Mid by hi pa comon on
middan pære lyfte heannysse, da comon him togeanes
haligra gasta heap, and hi ealle sungon and pus
cwædon: Ibunt de virtute in virtutem, et reliqua.
Ðæt ys on englisc: Halige men ganged of mægene
on mægen. Da hit pa on mergen dagian wolde pa
Đa
asetton hi hine eft þær hi hine ær genamon. Da
he pa his morgen-gebed-tída wolde Gode gefyllan,
þa geseah he þær standan twegen para awerigdra
gasta wepan swype and geomerian. Mid þy he hi
ahsode for hwan hi weopon, þa andswarodon hi him
'MS. gastes. 2 MS. heofonlicre. 3 MS. genaman.
4 MS. weopon.


ST. GUTHLAC.
41
spirits, motioned towards the blessed man as though
they would push him in. There suddenly came the
inhabitant of heaven, the holy apostle St. Bar-
tholomew, shining with heavenly brightness and
glory, amidst the dim darkness of the black hell.
The accursed spirits were not able to abide there
for the splendour of the holy visitor, but they hid
themselves in the darkness. When the blessed man
Guthlac saw his faithful friend he was greatly re-
joiced with spiritual gladness and heavenly joy.
After this the holy apostle St. Bartholomew bade
and commanded them that they should be subject
to him, and that they should bring him again with
gentleness to the same place which they had before
taken him from. And they did so, and brought him
with all gentleness and care, and carried him on
their wings, that he could not have been carried
more pleasantly in a boat. When they came in the
midst of the height of the air, there came towards
him a troop of holy spirits, and they all sung and
spake thus: Ibunt de virtute in virtutem, et reliqua.
That is in English: Holy men shall go from virtue
to virtue. When it began to dawn in the morning
they set him again in the place whence they had
taken him. When he then was about to perform
his morning prayers to God, he saw two of the cursed
spirits standing there weeping and wailing greatly.
When he asked them why they wept, they answered


42
THE LIFE OF
and pus cwædon: Wit wepad forpon pe uncer mægn
eall þurh pe ys gebrocen, and we þe nu ne moton to
cuman, ne to pe nane spræce habban; ac on eallum
þingum þu unc hæfst gebysmrod, and ure miht eall
oferswyped. Ɖa æfter þam wordum hi gewiton ða
awyrgedan gastas¹ efne swá smic fram his ansyne.
VI.
Hu þa deofla on brytisc spræcon.
Ɖæt gelamp on pam dagum Cenredes Mercna
kyninges, þæt Brytta- þeod Angol-cynnes feond þæt
hi mid manigum gewinnum and mid missenlicum
gefeohtum þæt hi Angol-cynne geswencton. Da
gelamp hit sumre nihte pa hit wæs hancred, and se
eadiga wer Guðlac his uht-gebedum befeal, pa was
he sæmninga mid leohte slæpe swefed. pa onbræd
he Guðlac of pam slæpe, and code pa sona út and
hawode and hercnode; pa gehyrde he mycel werod
þara awyrgedra gasta on bryttisc sprecende; and
he oncneow and ongeat heora gereorda for þam he
ær hwilon mid him was on wráce. Da sona æfter
pon he geseah eall his hus mid fyre afylled, and hi
hine æfter þon ealne mid spera ordum afyldon, and
hi hine on pam sperum up on þa lyft áhengon. þa
ongeat sona se stranga Cristes cempa þæt þæt waron
pa egsan and pa wítu þæs awyrgedan gastes; he pa
sona unforhtlice pa stræle para awerigdra gasta him
'MS. gastes.


ST. GUTHLAC.
43
him, and spake thus: We two weep because our
power is all broken through thee, and we now may
not come at thee, nor have any speech with thee;
but in all things thou hast injured us, and altogether
overcome our might. After those words the ac-
cursed spirits departed, even as smoke, from his face.
VI.
How the devils spake in British.
It happened in the days of Cenred, king of the
Mercians, that the British nation, the enemy of the
Angle race, with many battles and various contests
annoyed the English. It happened one night, when
it was the time of cock-crowing, and the blessed
man Guthlac fell to his morning prayers, he was
suddenly entranced in light slumber. Then Guthlac
woke from his sleep, and went immediately out and
looked and hearkened; there he heard a great host
of the accursed spirits speaking in British; and he
knew and understood their words, because he had
been erewhile in exile among them. Soon after
that he saw all his house filled with fire, and they
next struck him quite down with the points of
spears, and hung him up in the air on the spears.
Then understood the strong warrior of Christ that
these were the terrors and the torments of the
cursed spirits; he then soon fearlessly thrust from


44
THE LIFE OF
fram asceaf, and pone sealm sang: Exurgat deus
et dissipentur, et reliqua. Sona swá he þæt
fyrmeste fers sang þæs sealmes, þa gewiton hi swa
swa smíc fram his ansyne. Mid þy se eadiga wer
Guðlac swa gelomlice wið þam awerigedum gastum
wann and campode, pa ongeaton hi þæt heora mægn
and weorc oferswyped wæs.
VII.
Be Beccelle þam preoste.
He
Was sum preost pas nama wæs Beccel; þa com
he to pam halgan were, and hine bæd þæt he hine
to him genáme, and þæt gehet pæt he eadmodlice
wolde on Godes peowdome be his lárum lyfian.
pa se awyrgeda gast þæs ylcan preostes heortan and
gepanc mid his searwes attre geond sprengde¹ and
mengde; lærde hine se awyrgeda gast þæt he Guðlac
ofsloge and acwealde, and pus on his heortan ge-
sende: Gif ic hine ofslea and acwelle, ponne mæg
ic eft ágan þa ylcan stowe æfter him; and me ponne
woruld-men arwurdiad swa swa hi hine nu doð.
Đa gelamp hit sume dæge þæt se ylca preost com
to pam eadigan were þat he hine wolde scyran, swá
his gewuna was ymbe twentig nihta, þæt he hine
wolde pwean, pa was he swyde oflysted pæt he pas
eadigan weres blod agute. He pa sona Guðlac
geseah pa láre pas awyrgedan gastes, (swa him ealle
pa toweardan þing purh Godes gifu waron gecydde,
MS. spregde.


ST. GUTHLAC.
45
him the weapon of the accursed spirits, and sang
the psalm Exurgat Deus et dissipentur, et reliqua.
As soon as he had sung the first verse of the psalm,
they departed like smoke from his presence. When
the blessed man Guthlac thus frequently fought and
contended against the cursed spirits, they perceived
that their power and work was overcome.
VII.
Concerning Beccel the priest.
There was a priest whose name was Beccel; he
came to the holy man and begged him that he would
take him to him, and he promised that he would
humbly live in God's service by his instructions.
Then the accursed spirit sprinkled and watered over
with the poison of his deceit the heart and mind of
this same priest; the cursed spirit advised him that
he should smite and kill Guthlac; and thus suggested
to his heart: If I slay and kill him, then may I
afterwards possess this same place after him; and
men of the world will then honour me as they now
do him. It happened one day that the same priest
came to the holy man to shave him (as his custom
was every twenty days to wash himself); then was
he vehemently tempted to shed the blood of the
blessed man. Guthlac soon perceived the persuasion
of the cursed spirit (as all future things were through


46
THE LIFE OF
and eac swylce pa andweardan, and he mihte pone
man innan geseon and geondsceawian swá útan,)
and he cwæð þus to him: Eala þu min Beccel to
hwan hafast þu bedigled under þam dysigan breoste
pone awyrgedan feond? for hwon nelt pu pas biteran
attres pa deap-berendan wæter of pe aspiwan? ic pæt
geseo þæt pu eart fram þam awyrgedan gaste beswicen,
and þa mánfullan smeaunge pinre heortan; manna-
kynnes costere and middaneardes feond hafað
acenned on pe pa unablinnu þæs yfelan gepohtes; ac
ahwyrf þe fram þære yfelan láre þæs awyrgedan
gastes. Da ongeat he sona þæt he was fram þan
awyrgedan gaste beswícen ; feol sona to þæs halgan
weres fotum, and þa sona mid tearum him his synne
andette. He pa sona se halga wer Guðlac, na læs
þæt án þæt he him þa synne forgeaf, ac eac swylce
he him gehet pæt he him wolde beon on fultume on
eallum his earfeþum.
VIII.
Hu þa deofla ferdon.
Dæt gelamp sumere nihte pa se halga wer
Guðlac his gebedum befeal, pa gehyrde he gry-
metunga hrypera and mislicra wildeora. Næs
þa nan hwil to pam þæt he geseah ealra wihta
and wildeora and wurma hiw in cuman to him.
Ærest he geseah leon ansyne, and he mid his
¹ MS. grymetigenda.


ST. GUTHLAC.
47
God's grace known to him, and also present things,
and he could see and look through the man within
as well as without); and he said thus to him: Oh !
my Beccel, wherefore hast thou concealed under thy
foolish breast the accursed fiend? why wilt thou not
spit out from thee the death-bearing waters of that
bitter poison? I perceive that thou art deceived
by the accursed spirit, and I see the wicked device
of thy heart. The tempter of mankind and the
enemy of earth hath begotten in thee the unrest of
this evil intent; but turn thyself away from the evil
teaching of the accursed spirit. Then perceived he
that he had been deceived by the accursed spirit,
fell at the holy man's feet, and with tears confessed
to him his sin. Thereupon the holy man Guthlac
not only forgave him the sin, but also promised him
that he would be his helper in all his trials.
VIII.
How the devils departed.
It happened one night, when the holy man Guthlac
fell to his prayers, he heard the howlings of cattle
and various wild beasts. Not long after he saw the
appearances of animals and wild beasts and creeping
things coming in to him. First he saw the visage
of a lion, that threatened him with his bloody tusks;


48
THE LIFE OF
blódigum tuxum to him beotode; swylce eac fearres
gelicnysse, and beran ansyne, ponne hi gebolgene
beod. Swylce eac naddrena híw, and swynes gry-
metunge, and wulfa gepeot, and hræfena cræcetunge,
and mislice fugela hwistlunge; þæt hi woldon mid
heora hiwunge pas halgan weres mod awendan.
He pa se halga wer Guplac hine gewapnode mid
pan wæpne pære Cristes róde, and mid þam scylde
þæs halgan geleafan, and forseah pa costunge para
awyrgedra gasta, and pus cwæð: Eala þu earma
widerwearda gast, þin mægn ys gesyne, and þin miht
ys gecyped: þu nu earma, wildeora and fugela and
wyrma hiw ætywest, pu iu pe ahofe pat pu woldest
beon gelic pam ecan Gode. Nu ponne ic bebeode
þe on þam naman þæs ecan Godes, se pe worhte
and þe of heofones heannysse awearp, þæt pu fram
pisse ungepwærnysse gestille. Pa sona æfter pon
ealle pa ætywnysse para awerigdra gasta onweg ge-
wáton.¹
2
IX.
Hu þæt gewrit began wæs.
Dat gelamp on sumere nihte, pþæt þær com sum
man to þæs halgan weres spræce. Mid by he pær
dagas wunode, pa gelamp hit þæt he sum gewrit
awrat on cartan. pa he pa hæfde pat gewrit
3 MS. þisum. 4 MS. gewát.
¹ MS. cræcetung. 2 MS. ætywes.


ST. GUTHLAC.
49
also the likeness of a bull, and the visage of a bear,
as when they are enraged. Also he perceived the
appearance of vipers, and a hog's grunting, and the
howling of wolves, and croaking of ravens, and the
various whistling of birds; that they might, with
their fantastic appearance, divert the mind of the
holy man. Then the holy man Guthlac armed
himself with the weapon of Christ's cross, and with
the shield of holy faith, and despised the temptation
of the accursed spirits, and spake thus: O! thou
wretched rebellious spirit, thy power is seen and
thy might is made known: thou, wretched one,
now displayest the forms of wild beasts and birds
and creeping things, thou who once exaltedst thyself
that thou mightest be equal to the eternal God.
Now then I command thee, in the name of the
eternal God, who made thee, and cast thee down
from the height of heaven, that thou cease from
this troubling. Immediately thereafter all the ap-
pearances of the accursed spirits went away.
IX.
How the writing was recovered.
speak with the holy man.
some days there, it fell
writing on a sheet of paper.
It happened one night that there came one to
When he had remained
out that he wrote some
When he had written
3


50
THE LIFE OF
awriten, pa eode he ut. Da com þær sum hrefen
inn; sona swá he pa cartan geseah pa genam he hig
sona and gewat mid on pæne fenn. Sona swa se
foresæda cuma ongean com, pa geseah he pone
hrefen pa cartan beran: pa was he sona swyde
unblipe. Da was on þam ylcan timan þæt se halga
wer Gutolac ut of his cyrcan eode; pa geseah he
pone bropor sarig. pa frefrode he hine and him to
cwæð: Ne beo þu bropor sarig; ac swa se hrefen
purh pa fennas upp afliged, swá þu him æfter row;
ponne metest pu þæt gewrit. Næs pa nænig hwil
to pan pæt he to scipe eode se ylca pe pat gewrit
wrat. Mid by he purh pa fenland reow, pa com he
to sumum mere pe wel neah þæt egland wæs: þa
wæs þær on middan þam mere sum hreod-bed; pa
hangode seo carte on pam hreode efne swa hig
mannes hand þær ahengce: and he sona pa blipe
feng to pære cártan, and he wundriende to pam
Godes were brohte: and he pa se eadiga wer Guthlac
sæde pæt þæt nære his geearnung ac Godes mild-
heortnys.¹ Wæron on þam ylcan yglande twegen
hrefnas gewunode, to þæs gifre, þæt swa hwæt swa
hi mihton gegripan pæt hi pat woldon onweg
alædan; and he peah hwæpere heora gifernysse
ealle æbær and gepolode, þæt he eft sealde mannum
bysene his gepyldes; and na læs þæt an þæt him þa
fugelas underpeodde waron, ac eac swa pa fixas, and
wilde deor pas westenes ealle hi him hyrdon, and
1 MS. mildheortnysse.


ST. GUTHLAC.
51
the writing he went out.
There came a raven in;
as soon as he saw the paper he took it and went
with it to the fen. As soon as the aforesaid guest
came back again, he saw the raven carrying the
paper; thereat was he very vexed. It happened at
that time that the holy man Guthlac came out of
his church; there saw he the brother grieving. He
consoled him, and said: Be not grieved, brother;
but when the raven flies up through the fens row
thou after him; so shalt thou recover the writing.
Not long after he went into a boat, the same man
namely who had written the writing. Having
rowed through the fenlands, he came to a mere,
which was very near the island; there was in the
midst of the mere a bed of reeds; there hung the
paper on the reeds, even as though man's hand
had hanged it there; and he forthwith joyfully
seized the paper, and brought it wondering to the
man of God. And the blessed man Guthlac said that
it was not the effect of his merit, but of God's mercy.
There were settled on the same island two ravens, so
greedy that whatsoever they could seize they would
carry away; and notwithstanding he bore and en-
dured all their greediness, that he might give men
the example of his patience. And not only were
the birds subject to him, but also the fishes and wild
beasts of the wilderness all obeyed him, and he daily
-


52
THE LIFE OF
he hym dæghwamlice andlyfene sealde of his agenre¹
handa, swa heora gecynde was.
X.
Hu þa swalawan on him sæton and sungon.
pat gelamp sume sipe þæt þær com sum arwurþe
broðor to him, þæs nama was Wilfrið, se him was
geara on gastlicum poftscipe gepeoded. Mid pan
þe hig þa on manegum gespræcum heora gastlic lif
smeadon, þa comon þær sæmninga in twa swalewan
fleogan, and hi efne blissiende heora sang úpahofon,
and pa æfter pon hi setton unforhtlice on pa sculdra
þæs halgan weres Guðlaces, and hi þær heora sang
upahofon; and hi eft setton on his breost and on his
earmas and on his cneowu. Da hi pa Wilfrið lange
pa fugelas wundriende beheold, þa frægn hine
Wilfrip forhwon pa wildan fugelas pæs widgillan
westenes swa eadmodlice him on sæton.
He pa se
halga wer Guðlac him andswarode and him to cwæð:
Ne leornodest pu broðor Wilfrið on halgum gewritum,
þæt se pe on Godes willan his lif leofode, pæt hine
wilde deor and wilde fugelas þe near waron; and
se man þe hine wolde fram world-mannum his lif
libban, þæt hine englas pe néar comon: forpon se
þe woruldlicra manna spræce gelomlice wilnað, ponne
ne mæg he þa engellican spræce befeolan.
1 MS. agenra.
2 MS. gastlicre.


ST. GUTHLAC.
53
gave them food from his own hand, as suited their
kind.
X.
How the swallows sat upon him and sung.
It happened on a time that there came a venerable
brother to him whose name was Wilfrith, who had
of old been united with him in spiritual fellowship.
Whilst they discussed in many discourses their
spiritual life, there came suddenly two swallows
flying in, and behold they raised up their song re-
joicing; and after that they sat fearlessly on the
shoulders of the holy man Guthlac, and then lifted
up their song; and afterwards they sat on his bosom
and on his arms and his knees. When Wilfrith
had long wondering beheld the birds, he asked him
wherefore the wild birds of the wide waste so sub-
missively sat upon him. The holy man Guthlac
answered him and said: Hast thou never learnt,
brother Wilfrith, in holy writ, that he who hath led
his life after God's will, the wild beasts and wild
birds have become the more intimate with him.
And the man who would pass his life apart from
worldly men, to him the angels approach nearer.
But he who frequently longeth for the converse of
worldly men cannot meet with angelic discourse.


54
THE LIFE OF
XI.
Ymb þa glofan þe þa hrefnas bæron.
Swylce eac gelamp sume sipe witedomlic¹ wundor
be þisum halgan were.
Was sum fore-mæra man
æpelan kyne-kynnes on Myrcna-ríce, pas nama was
Epelbald. pa wolde he to pæs halgan weres spræce
cuman beget þa æt Wilfride þæt he hine to pam
Godes were gelædde; and hi pa sona on scipe eodon,
and ferdon to pam yglande þær se halga wer Guthlac
on was. Da hi pa to pam halgan were comon, þa
hæfde Wilfrid forlæten his glofan on þam scipe:
and hi pa wið pone halgan wer spræcon, he pa se
eadiga wer Guthlac acsode hi hwæder hi ænig þingc
æfter heom on pam scipe forleton, (swa him God
ealle pa diglan þingc cuð gedyde): pa andswarode
him Wilfrid and cwæð þæt he forlete his twa glofan
on þam scipe. Næs pa nænig hwil to pan sona
swa hi ut of pam inne eodon, pa gesegon hi pone
hræfn mid pan sweartan nebbe pa glofe teran uppe
on anes huses pæce. He pa sona se halga wer
Guðlac pone, hrefn mid his worde preade for his
repnysse, and he pa his worde¹ hyrsumode, swa fleah
se fugel west ofer þæt westen; he pa Wilfrid mid
gyrde of pæs huses hrofe pa glofe gerahte. Swylce
næs eac nænig hwil to pam sona comon þær þry
men to þære hyde, and þær tacn slogon. pa sona
3 MS. in.
'MS. witedomlice.
4 MS. worda.
2 MS. þinc.
5 MS. þam.


ST. GUTHLAC.
55
XI.
Concerning the gloves which the ravens carried off.
to this holy man.
Also there happened on a time a prophetic miracle
There was a distinguished man
of noble king's-kindred in Mercia, whose name was
Athelbald. He wished to come to converse with
the holy man. He prevailed upon Wilfrith that
he should bring him to the man of God; and they
went into a boat, and journeyed to the island whereon
the holy man Guthlac was. When they had come to
the holy man, behold Wilfrith had left his glove in the
boat. And while they conversed with the holy man,
he, the blessed man Guthlac, asked them whether
they had left anything behind them in the boat
(for God made known to him all secret things);
then answered Wilfrith, and said that he had left
his two gloves in the boat. Not long after, as soon
as they had gone out of the house, there they saw
the raven with his black beak tearing the glove
upon the roof of a house. Then the holy man
Guthlac rebuked with his word the raven for his
mischief, and it obeyed his word, and the bird flew
westward over the wilderness; whereupon Wilfrith
reached the glove from the roof of the house with a
stick. Also not long after there came three men
to the landing-place, and there sounded the signal.


56
THE LIFE OF
eode se halga wer Guðlac út to pam mannum mid
bliðum andwlite and góde mode; he pa spæc wið
þam mannum. Mid pan pe hi faran woldon, þa
brohton hi forð ane glofe, sædon þæt heo of anes
hrefnes mupe feolle. He se halga wer Guplac sona
to-smerciende feng, and heom his bletsunge sealde,
and hi eft ferdon; and he eft ageaf þa glofe pam pe
hi ær ahte.
XII.
Hu Hwætred his hælo' onfeng.
Was on East-Engla-lande sum man æþeles cynnes
þæs nama was Hwætred. Mid þy he þa dæghwam-
lice mid arfæstnysse his ealderum underpeoded was,
hit gelamp sume side þa he æt his fæder hame was,
þæt hine se awyrgeda gast him oneode pæt he of
his gewitte weard, and hine se awyrgeda feond swa
swype swencte mid pære wodnysse þæt he hys
agenne lichaman² mid irene ge eac mid his tópum
blodgode and wundode; and na læs þæt an þæt he
hine sylfne swa mid pam wælhreowum tópum
wundode ac eac swa hwylcne swá he mihte þæt he
swá gelíce tær. Da gelamp sume sipe pæt þær was
mycel menigo manna gegaderod his maga and eac
opra his neh-freonda, þæt hi hine woldon gebindan
and don hine gewyldne: he pa genam sum twibil,
and mid pan þry men to deade ofsloh, and opre
2 MS. agene lichama.
1 MS. hæla.
•


ST. GUTHLAC.
57
Then went the holy man Guthlac out to the men
with cheerful countenance and good humour, and
there spoke with them. When they wished to de-
part they brought forth a glove, and said that it had
fallen from a raven's mouth. The holy man Guthlac
received it smiling, and gave them his blessing,
and they then departed; and afterwards he gave
the glove to him who before owned it.
XII.
How Hwætred received his health.
There was in the land of the East-Angles a man
of noble kin, whose name was Hwætred. Whereas
he was daily reverently subject to his elders, it
happened on a time, while he was at his father's
house, that the accursed spirit entered into him, so
that he went out of his wits, and the accursed spirit
afflicted him so severely with this madness, that he
bloodied and wounded his own body as well with
iron as with his teeth; and not himself only did he
wound with his ferocious teeth, but also whomsoever
he could he in like manner tore. It happened on
a time that there was a great multitude of men
gathered together of his kinsmen, and also of other
his near friends, that they might bind him and bring
him into subjection. Thereupon he took an axe,
and with it smote three men to death, and wounded
3 §


58
THE LIFE OF
manige mid gesarode. pas pa feowor gear þæt he
swá was mid pære wodnysse swide geswenced. pa
was he at nextan genumen fram his magum, and to
halgum mynstre gelæd, to pon þæt hine mæsse-
preostas and bisceopas wid pa wodnysse pwean and
clænsian sceoldon. And hi hwæpere on menigum
þingum ne mihton þa yfelan mægn þæs awyrgdan
gastes ofadrifan. Da æt nextan hi eft ham únrote
mid þam mæge ferdon, and hi him deapes swydor
upon ponne he lengc pa men drehte, da wæs æt
nextan gemærsod se hlisa on pone¹ peodscipe pæt on
þam fenne-middum on anum eglande pe Cruwland
hatte wære sum ancra pe? missenlicum magnum
for Gode weohse. Hi pa sona, þa hi þær pone
halgan wer acsodon, pohton þæt hi woldon þær þone
man gebringan, gif þæt Godes stihtung ware
þæt hi þær áre findan mihton. And hi hit swa
gefremedon, ferdon þyder þæt hi comon to sumum
yglande pe wel neah wæs þam eglande pe se Godes
man on wæs; and þær waron on niht mid þan
seocan men. pa hit pa on mergen dæg wæs, þa
comon hi to pam³ foresprecenan eglande, and pa
mid pan gewunelican peawe tacen slogon. He pa
ра
sona se halga wer Guðlac to heom eode mid healice
mægne Godes lufan: þa hi pa heora intingan him
wepende sædon, pa was he sona mid mildheortnysse
gefylled. Genam þa sona þone untruman man and
hine lædde into his cyrican, and þær þry dagas
1
¹ MS. p.
2 MS. p.
3 MS. þære.


ST. GUTHLAC.
59
many others with them. It was four years that he
was sorely afflicted with this madness. Then was he
at last taken by his relations and brought to the holy
monastery, to the end that mass-priests and bishops
might wash and cleanse him from his madness.
And they, however, with many expedients, could
not drive out the evil powers of the accursed spirit.
When at last they went home sorrowful with their
relative, and they rather wished him dead than that
he should longer annoy men, then at length the report
was spread in the province that in the midst of the
fen, on an island which was called Crowland, was
an anchorite, who flourished before God with various
virtues. Then they forthwith, when they heard of
the holy man, thought that they would take the
man thither, if it were God's providence that they
might there find help. And they performed this,
journeyed thither till they came to an island, which
was very near that on which the man of God was,
and they were there during the night with the sick
When it was day on the morrow, they came
to the aforesaid island; then in the usual manner
sounded a signal. Then forthwith the holy man
Guthlac went to them in the fervent power of God's
love. When they weeping had told him their affair,
he was filled with pity. He took the sick man and
led him into his church, and there remained three
man.


60
THE LIFE OF
singallice on his gebedum áwunode. pa on þam
þriddan dæge þa sunne upeode, pa bapode he hine
on gehalgedum wætre, and bleow on his ansyne and
mid pan call þæt mægn þæs awyrgedan gastes on
him gebræc: and he pa se ylca man swa he of
hefegum slæpe raxende awoce, and he eft to his
hælo feng, and ham ferde; and him næfre syþþan
pa hwile pe he leofode seo adl¹ ne eglode.
XIII.
Be Apelbaldes gefere.
Swilce eac gelamp on sumne sæl þæt þæs fore-
sprecenan wræccan Apelbaldes gefere pas nama
was Ecga þæt he was fram þam awyrgedan gaste
unstille; and swá swype he hine drehte þæt he his
sylfes nænig gemynd ne hæfde. Hi þa his magas
hine to pam Godes men gelæddon. Da sona þæs
pe he to him com, pa begyrde he hine mid his
gyrðele. Næs þa nænig hwil to pan sona swa he
wæs mid þam gyrdele begyrd, eal seo unclænnys²
fram him gewát, and him syppan næfre seo adl³ ne
eglode. Eac se eadiga wer Gudlac witedomlice
gaste weox and fremede, and he pa toweardan
mannum cydde swa cuðlice swa pa andweardan.
¹ MS. adle. 2 MS. unclænnysse. 3 MS. adle.
4 MS. þone.


ST. GUTHLAC.
61
days incessantly at his prayers.
When the sun
rose on the third day, he bathed him in holy water
and blew in his face, and with that all the power of
the accursed spirit upon him was shattered: and this
same man was as though he had awoke from a
deep slumber, and he received his health again, and
went home; and the illness never ailed him after-
wards so long as he lived.
XIII.
Concerning Athelbald's follower.
Also it happened on a time that a follower of the
aforesaid exile Athelbald, whose name was Ecga,
was disquieted by the accursed spirit. And he
plagued him so severely that he had no recollection
of himself. Then his relations brought him to the
man of God.
As soon as he came to him he girded
him with his girdle. No sooner was he girded with
the girdle than all the uncleanness departed from
him, and the illness never after ailed him. Also
the blessed man Guthlac flourished and prospered
in the prophetic spirit, and he made known future
things to men, as clearly as the present things.


62
THE LIFE OF
XIV.
Be þam abbode.
pæt gelamp sume sipe þæt þær com sum abbod to
him þe him wæsgeara on gastlicum¹ poftscipe gepeo-
ded. pa he pa þyder ferde pa wæron his hand-þegnas
twegen, bædon hyne purh leofe-bene pæt hi moston
on oðerne weg faran, and sædon þæt him þæs neod
ware and eac pearf. pa geupe him þæs se abbod
þæs pe hi hine bædon. Đa he pa se abbod þær com
to pære spræce pas eadigan weres Guðlaces, mid pan
hi pa sylfe betweonum drencton of pam willan
haligra gewrita, þa betwyx þa halgan gewritu þe hi
spræcon da cwæð Guðlac to him: Ac hwyder
gewiton pa twegen þe ær fram þe cyrdon? pa and-
swarode he him and cwæð: Hi bædon læfe³ æt me:
was heom oper intinga þæt hi hider cuman ne
mihton. He pa Guðlac him andswarode (swa him
God ealle pa toweardan ping onwreah, þæt him
weron swa cude swa pa andweardan), ongan him þa
secgan pone sið para bropra and him cwad to: Hi
ferdon þær to sumre wydewan ham and þær wæron
ondrencte mid oferdrynce. And na læs þæt an þæt
he him pone heora sip sæde, ac eac swilce be heora
andleofone, ge eac swilce pa sylfan word pe hi þær
spræcon, eall he be endebyrdnysse him gerehte.
Mid pan pe se abbod his bletsunge hæfde onfangen,
he pa eft ferde. Mid by pe pa foresprecenan bropra
¹ MS. gastlicre. 2 MS. dremdon. 3 MS. læfa. 4 MS. intingan.


ST. GUTHLAC.
63
XIV.
Concerning the abbot.
It happened on a time that there came an abbot
to him, who was formerly united with him in
spiritual communion. While he journeyed thither
his two attendants were with him; they supplicated
him with a request for leave that they might go
another way, and said that there was need and
necessity for them to do this. Then the abbot
granted them that which they begged of him. When
the abbot came there to conversation with the blessed
man Guthlac, whilst they mutually gave each other
to drink from the well of the sacred scriptures, then
amidst their talk of the sacred scriptures Guthlac
said to him: But whither went the two that ere-
while turned back from thee? Then answered he
him, and said: They begged leave of me; they had
another affair, so that they could not come hither.
Then Guthlac answered him, (as God revealed to
him all future things, which were as well known to
him as the present,) and began to tell him the
way of these brothers, and said to him: They went
to the house of a widow, and were there intoxicated
with too much drinking. And not only did he tell
him of their road, but also concerning their fare, as
also the very words which they there spake; he re-
lated it all to him in order. When the abbot had
received his blessing he departed. When the afore-


64
THE LIFE OF
wæron.
eft to pam abbode comon, pa fregn he hi hwær hi
pa andswarodon hi him and cwædon þæt hi
weron on heora nyd-pearfum swyde geswencte. pa
axode he hi hwæper hit swá wære; þa swóron hi
swide þæt hit swa were. pa cwæð he to him: Ac
to hwon sweriad git mán; ac wæron æt pisse
wydewan hame and þær þus yncer lif leofodon and
pisum wordum pus þær spræcon? pa ongeaton hi
heora misdæda, feollon pa to his fotum and him
forgifenysse bædon, and him andetton þæt hit wære
swa he ær sæde.
XV.
Be þam broprum þe him to comon.
Comon eac swylce twegen broðra to him on
sumne sæl of sumum mynstre. pa hi pa þyder-
weard ferdon, pa hæfdon hi mid heom twa flaxan
mid ælað gefylde; þa geweard him betweonan þæt
hi pa gehyddon under anre tyrf, þæt hi, ponne hi
ham ferdon, hæfdon eft mid him. Đa hi pa to him
comon, pa trymede he hi mid his láre
manunge heora heortan intim brede.
hi manig þing heom betweonum spræcon, da se
eadiga wer Guðlac mid blipum andwlitan and
hlihhendre¹ gespræce he cwap to heom: For hwon
behydde git pa flaxan under ane tyrf, and for hwon
ne læddon ge hi mid inc? Hi pa swyde wundrodon
and mid his
Mid pan þe
1 MS. hlihhende.


ST. GUTHLAC.
65
said brothers again came to the abbot, he asked them
where they had been. They answered him, and
said that they had toiled much in their needful affairs.
Then he asked them whether it were so. Then
they swore stoutly that it was so. Then said he to
them: Nay, but wherefore swear ye to a wicked
lie; for ye were at the house of such a widow, and
there passed your time in such wise, and spake there
such words! Then they were conscious of their
misdeeds, fell at his feet, and begged forgiveness of
him, and confessed that it was as he said.
XV.
Concerning the brothers who came to him.
Then came also to him two brothers on a time
from a certain monastery. Whilst they journeyed
thitherward they had with them two bottles filled
with ale; then it was agreed between them that
they should hide them under a turf, that, when
they went home, they might have them with them.
When they were come to him, he strengthened
them with his counsel, and edified their hearts with
his admonition. When they had spoken on many
subjects amongst them, the blessed man Guthlac,
with merry countenance and laughing words, said
to them: Wherefore hid ye the bottles under a
turf, and why brought ye them not with you?


66
THE LIFE OF
para worda þæs halgan weres, and to him luton
and hine bletsunge bædon. And he hi gebletsode,
and hi pa eft ham ferdon. Was on pa sylfan tid
þæt pone foresprecenan wer missenlices hades men
sohton, ægðer para ge ealdormen ge bisceopas, and
abbodas, and ælces hades heane and rice.
And na
læs þæt an þæt hine men sohton of pære heh-peode
Mercna-rice, ac eac swylce ealle pa þe on Bretone
weron pe pisne eadigan wer hyrdon, þæt hi
æghwonon to him efston and scyndon; and pa þe
wæron aper oppe on lichaman untrumnysse, oððe
fram þam awyrgdan gaste geswencte and numene,
oppe oprum yfelum, þe manna-cynn¹ mid missenlicum
sorgum and sarum útan ymbseald ys; and on heora
nænigum² se hiht awácode pe hi to him genamon ;
forpan næs nænig untrum þæt he ungelacnod fram
him ferde; nænig deofol-seoc pæt he eft wel ge-
witfæst ne wære; ne on nænigre untrumnysse þæt
he eft gehæled him fram ne ferde.
XVI.
Be Apelbaldes gefere.
Dat gelamp mid pan þæt manige men for mis-
senlicum þingum him to comon, þa betweox opre
com þær þæs foresprecenan wræccan Æpelbaldes
gefera þæs nama was Ova, þæt he wolde pone halgan
geneosian and wipgesprecan. Da gelamp hit pan
2 MS. menigum.
1 MS. manna-cynnes.


ST. GUTHLAC.
67
They were greatly amazed at these words of the
holy man, and bowed to him, and begged his
blessing. And he blessed them, and they returned
home. It came to pass at that same time, that
men of divers conditions sought the holy man, as
well nobles as bishops and abbots, and men of
every condition, poor and rich. And not only men
sought him from the province of Mercia, but also
all who in Britain heard of this holy man, hied and
hastened to him from all quarters: and those who
were either in sickness of body, or plagued and
possessed by the cursed spirit, or other evils, as
mankind is compassed about with various griefs and
pains and of none of those whom they brought to
him were the hopes thwarted; for there was no
sick person that went from him unhealed; no pos-
sessed person that did not come to his right wits
again; none afflicted with any disease that did not
leave him cured.
:
XVI.
Concerning Athelbald's companion.
It came to pass when many men came to him
for divers matters, among others came thither a
companion of the before-mentioned exile Athelbald,
whose name was Ova, that he might visit and con-
verse with the saint. It happened on the second


68
THE LIFE OF
æfteran dæge þæs þe he pyder on þære fóre wæs, þa
eode he ofer sumne þórn on niht; þa besloh se porn
on pone fot, and swa strang wæs se sting þæs pornes
þæt he code purh pone fot, and he þa uneade pone
sið geferde, and purh mycel gewinn he to þam fore-
sprecenan eglande becom, þær se eadiga wer Guðlac
on eardode. And mid pan þe he þær on niht was,
pa aswell him se lichama ofer healf fram þam
lendenum oppa fet, and swa sarlice he was mid pam
sare geswenced, þæt he naðer þara ne gesittan ne
standan mihte. Mid by man¹ þæt pam Godes were
sæde Guðlace, pa bebead he þæt hine man to him
gelædde. pa he pa was broht to him, pa sæde he
to him pone intingan þurh hwæt he ærest swa
gepræst wære, and hu him ærest þæt earfo on
becóme. He pa sona Guðlac hine sylfne úngyrede,
and þæt reaf þe he genehlice on him hæfde he hine
slefde on pone foresprecenan man. Næs þa nænig
hwil to pon sona swa he mid þan hrægle swa miccles
weres gegyred was, þa ne mihte þæt þæt sar aberan.
He pa sona se ylca þórn, efne swá swá stræél of
bogan astellep, swa he of þam man afleah, and on
þa fyrle gewát; and þa sona on pa sylfan tíd eall se
swyle and eall þæt sár gewat fram him; and he
sona to pa sylfan tíd mid blipum mode to pam
halgan were spræc and he eft panon ferde butan
sceonysse æniges sáres. Swylce eac gelamp þæt
ealle þa men wundrodon pe pas þing gehyrdon, and
hi on pan wuldredon and heredon heofones God.
¹ MS. he.


ST. GUTHLAC.
69
day that he was on the journey thither, that he
walked over a thorn in the night: the thorn stuck
into his foot, and so strong was the prickle of the
thorn that it went through the foot, and he with
difficulty proceeded on his way, and with much
effort he arrived at the fore-mentioned island,
whereon the blessed man Guthlac dwelt. And
when he was there at night, his body swelled,
above half of it from the loins to the feet, and he
was so grievously afflicted with the pain, that he
could neither sit nor stand. As soon as they told
this to Guthlac, the man of God, he ordered that
he should be brought to him: when he was brought
to him, he told him the cause through which he
was first so tormented, and how that pain first came
upon him. Thereupon Guthlac immediately stripped
himself, and the garment which he wore next his
skin he put upon the foresaid man. No sooner
was he attired in the garment of so great a man,
but the wound could not abide it: and lo! this
same thorn, as an arrow speeds from the bow, so
did it fly from the man, and go to a distance; and
immediately at the same time all the swelling and
all the wound departed from him, and he presently
conversed with the holy man with blithe mood, and
he afterwards went from thence without harm of
any wound.
And it came to pass that all men
who heard these things wondered, and glorified and
praised the God of heaven for them.


70
THE LIFE OF
XVII.
Be þam halgan biscope Sce Hædde.
2
Swylce nys eac mid idele to forlætenne pæt
wundor þæt þurh witedomes craft [he]¹ wiste and
cydde: forpon him was purh Godes gife seald, þæt
he pa word para æfwcarda swa geara wiste swa para
andwearda pe him foran gesæde waron. Gelamp
sume sipe þæt sum bisceop to him ferde þæs nama
wæs Hædda, efne swa swa he wære mid heofonlicre
peahte gelæred pæt he to pære spræce ferde pæs
Godes mannes. pa hæfde se bisceop mid hine on
his geferscipe sumne man gelæredne, þæs nama wæs
Wigfrið. Mid pan he pa betweox pa oðre pæs
bisceopes pegnas pyder ferde, pa ongunnon hi fela
þinga be þam halgan were sprecan and fela þinga
be his wundrum sædon. Sume hi ponne sædon þa
heardlicnysse his lifes, pa wundor þe he worhte;
sume hi ponne twiendlice be his life spræcon, and
þæt cwadon þæt hi nyston hwæder he on Godes
mihte pa þing worhte, pe purh deofles craft. þa
pa hi pas þing þus heom betweonon spræcon, pa
cwap se witega to heom: Ic mæg, cwæð he, cunnian
and gewitan hwæper he bip bigengca þære godcundan
æfæstnysse; forpon ic was lange betwux Sceotta-
folc eardiende; and ic geseah þær manige gode, and
on Godes peodscipe wel heora lif læddon; and hi
manigum wundrum and tacnum þurh Godes mihte
MS. cræft wiste and him cydde.
2 MS. ferdon.


ST. GUTHLAC.
71
+
XVII.
Concerning the holy bishop St. Hædde.
Also we must not pass over with neglect that
wondrous thing, how that with prophetic power he
knew and made things known. For through God's
grace it was given him, that he should know the
words of the absent as easily as those of the present
which were uttered before him. It happened on a
time that a bishop came to him, whose name was
Hædda, as though he were counselled by a heavenly
thought, that he should go to speak with the man
of God. The bishop had with him in his company
a learned man, whose name was Wigfrith. Whilst
he journeyed thither among the other attendants
of the bishop, they began to say many things about
the holy man, and spoke much of his miracles.
Some of them then spake of the severity of his life,
the miracles which he wrought; some then spake
doubtingly of his life, and said that they knew not
whether he wrought these things in the strength of
God, or through craft of the devil. While they
spake these things among themselves, the philosopher
said to them: I am able, said he, to try and find
out whether he be a cultivator of divine piety; for
I was long dwelling among the Scotch people, and
I saw there many good men, who led their life well
in God's service; and they shone through God's
power before the eyes of men, with many miracles


72
THE LIFE OF
beforan manna eagum scinon. Of para manna life
pe ic þær geseah ic mæg ongitan hu gerád pises
mannes lif ys, hwæper he purh Godes miht pa
wundor wyrceð, þe he purh deofles miht deð. Mid
by pa se foresprecena bisceop to pære spræce becom
pæs Godes² mannes Guðlaces, hi pa sylfe betweonum
indrencton mid pam cerenum þære godspellican
swetnysse. Was on pam eadigan were Guðlace seo
beorhtnys pære Drihtnes gife swa swype scinende,
þæt swa hwæt swa he bodode and lærde, swa he of
engcellicre spráce pa word bodode and ræde. Was
eac swide mycel wisdóm on him, heofonlice snyttro,
þæt swa hwæt swa he gelærde pæt he þæt trymede
mid þa godcundan [bysena]³ haligra gewrita. And
he pa semninga se bisceop, on midre pære spræce
pe hi heom betwux smeadon, eadmodlice to pam
Godes were geleat and hine geornlice bad and
halsode pæt he purh hine sacerdlice penunge onfengce,
þæt he hine moste gehádigan to mæsse-preoste and
to penunge Drihtnes weofodes. He pa sona Guðlac
his benum* gepafode, and he hine sylfne to eorðan
astrehte, and þæt cwæð þæt he wolde pas pe Godes
willa were and pas biscopes. pa hi pa hæfdon þa
þenunge gefylled and he was gehalgod, swá ic ær
sæde, he pa se biscop bad pone halgan wer þæt he
scolde to gereorde fón mid him and he pa swa
dyde peah hit his life ungepeawe were. pa hi pa to
gereorde sæton, swa ic er sæde, pa locode Guthlac
:
1 MS. þe.
2 MS. gódes. 3 [bysena] not in MS. 4 MS. benun.


ST. GUTHLAC.
73
and signs from the life of the men which I then
saw, I am able to judge of what kind this man's
life is, whether he works these wonders through
God's power, or doeth them through the devil's
might. When, therefore, the aforesaid bishop came
to converse with Guthlac the man of God, they
mutually refreshed each other with the nectar of evan-
gelic sweetness. The brightness of the Lord's grace
was so lustrous in the blessed man Guthlac, that
whatsoever he preached and taught, it was as though
he preached and spoke the words of angelic language.
There was also so much wisdom in him, so much
heavenly prudence, that whatsoever he taught he
confirmed it with the divine [examples] of holy
Scriptures. And suddenly the bishop, in the middle
of the discourse which they held between them,
bowed humbly to the man of God, and earnestly
begged and besought him that he should through
him receive the priestly office, that he might ordain
him a mass-priest, and to the service of the Lord's
altar. And Guthlac presently yielded to his prayers,
and stretched himself on the earth, and said that
he would do that which was God's will and the
bishop's. When they had performed the service,
and he was consecrated, as I said before, then the
bishop besought the holy man that he would take
meat with him; and he did so,
variance with his way of life.
down to meat, as I before said, Guthlac looked at
though it was at
When they sat
4


74
THE LIFE OF
to pam biscopes þegnum; þa geseah he pone fore-
sprecenan broðor Wigfrið, cwad pa pus to him:
And nu bropor Wigfrið, ac hwyle þincð¹ þe nu þæt
se preost sig, be pam þu gyrstan-dage cwæde pæt
þu woldest gecunnian hwæper he wære gód oppe
gál? He pa sona Wigfrið arás, and pa to eorpan
leat and his synne him andette. He pa sona se
halga wer him togeanes fenge, and him his miltse
geaf and sealde. Was halgung þæs eglandes
Cruwlande and eac pas eadigan weres Guthlaces on
hárfæstlice² tíde, fif dagum ær Sce Bartholomeus
mæssan.
1 MS. þince.
4 MS. þa.
XVIII.
Be Ecgburhe abbodyssan.3
Swylce eac gelamp sume sipe þæt seo arwyrðe
fæmne Ecgburh abbodysse, Aldwulfes dohtor þæs
cyninges, sende pþam arwurðan were Guðlace leadene
pruh and þær scytan to, and hine halsode purh pone¹
halgan naman þæs upplican kyninges þæt æfter his
forðfore man his lichaman moste ingesettan. Heo
gesende pa gretinge be sumum arwyrdes lifes
breper, and hine het þæt he him geaxian sceolde,
hwa þære stówe hyrde æfter him beon sceolde.
Mid þan he þære arwyrðan fæmnan grétinge lúflice
onfeng, da be pon pe he geaxod wæs, hwa þære
3 MS. abbodysse.
2 MS. árfæstlice.
5 MS. arwyrde lifes bropor.


ST. GUTHLAC.
75
the bishop's attendants; then he saw the aforesaid
brother Wigfrith, and spake thus to him: And
now, brother Wigfrith, what sort of man seemeth
thee now the priest is of whom thou saidst yester-
day that thou wouldst try whether he were good or
bad? Then Wigfrith arose, and bowed to the earth,
and confessed his fault to him. Then the holy man
was forthwith reconciled to him, and gave and
granted him his pardon. The hallowing of the
island of Crowland, and also of the blessed man
Guthlac, took place at harvest-time, five days before
St. Bartholomew's mass.
XVIII.
Concerning abbess Ecgburh.
It happened also on a time that the venerable
maid Ecgburh, abbess, the daughter of Aldwulf the
king, sent to the venerable man Guthlac a leaden
coffin, and winding-sheet thereto, and besought him
by the holy name of the celestial King, that after
his departure they should place his body therein.
She sent the message by a brother of worthy life,
and bid him ask him, who should be the keeper of
the place after him. When he had kindly received
the message of the venerable maid, then concerning
that which he was asked-who should be the


76
THE LIFE OF
stówe hyrde æfter him beon scolde, pa andswarode
he and cwæð, þæt se man wære on hæpenum folce,
and þa git nære gefullod; ac peah hwæpere pæt he
pa sona come¹ and þa gerynu sceolde onfon fulluht-
bæpes. And hit eac swá gelamp: forpon se ylca
Cissa, se pe eft pa stowe heold, he com pæs ymb
litel fæc on Bretone and hine man þær gefullode,
swá se Godes wer foresæde.
1
XIX.
Be Adelbalde þam kyninge.
Swylce nys eac mid idelnysse to forelætenne pæt
wundor pe pes halga wer Guthlac foresæde and
mannum cydde. Was on sumre tide pæt com se
foresprecena wræcca to him Apelbald; and hine
Ceolred se kyning hider and pider wíde aflymde,
and he his ehtnysse and his hatunge fleah and
scúnode. Da com he to pære spæce pæs halgan
weres Guðlaces; papa se mennisca fultum him
beswác, hine peah hwæpere se godcunda fultum
gefrefrode. Mid by he pa to pam Godes were com,
and he him his earfoda rehte, pa cwæð Guðlac pus
to him: Eala min cniht þinra gewinna and earfoða
ic eom únforgitende; ic forpon pe gemaltsode, and
for pinum earfoðum ic bad God pæt he pe gemilt-
sode and be gefultomode; and he pa mine béne
gehyrde, and he pe sylep ríce and anweald þinre
1 MS.com.
2 MS. mennisce.


ST. GUTHLAC.
77
keeper of the place after him,—he answered and
said, that the man was of heathen race, and was
not yet baptised; but notwithstanding, that he
should soon come, and should receive the rites of
baptism. And so it came to pass; for the same
Cissa, who afterwards held the place, came to
Britain a little time afterwards, and they baptised
him there, as the man of God foretold.
XIX.
Concerning Athelbald the king.
Also we must not pass over with neglect the
wonder which this holy man Guthlac foretold and
made known to men. It happened on a time that
the before-mentioned exile Athelbald came to him;
and Ceolred the king hunted him hither and
thither, far and wide, and he fled from and shunned
his persecutions and his malice. He had recourse
then to the conversation of the holy man Guthlac;
for when human help had failed him, notwithstanding
divine support comforted him. When he came to
the man of God, and related to him his troubles,
Guthlac spake thus to him: O! my son, I am not
forgetful of thy conflicts and thy troubles; for this
cause I took pity on thee, and for thy troubles I
prayed God that he would have pity on thee, and
support thee; and he has heard my prayer, and he
will give thee kingdom and rule over thy people,


78
THE LIFE OF
peode, and pa ealle fleod beforan pe pa pe hatiað,
and pin sweord fornymeð ealle pine pa wiperweardan,
forpon Drihten pe bid on fultume. Ac be pu
gebyldig, forþon ne begitest pu na þæt ríce on
gerisne wouldlicra þinga, ac mid Drihtnes ful-
tume pu þin ríce begytest; forpon Drihten þa
genyperað þe pe nu hatiað, and Drihten afyrreð
þæt rice fram him and hæfð þe gemynt and geteohhod.
pa he pas word gehyrde, he pa sona Apelbald his
hiht and his geleafan on God sylfne trymede, and
he getrywode and gelyfde ealle þa þing þe se halga
wer foresæde, pat rícu¹ beod onwende and ofánumene
and hit á to pam ende efested; and se ríca and se
heana, se gelæreda and se ungelærda, and geong and
eald, ealle hi gelice se stranga deað forgripeð and
nymð.
XX.
Be þæs halgan weres lifes lenge and be his for fore.
Đa gelamp hit on fyrste æfter pissum þæt se
leofa Godes peow Guthlac æfter pon fiftyne gear þe
he Gode willigende lædde his lif, þa wolde God his
pone leofan peow of pam gewinne pisse worulde
yrmþa gelædan to pære ecan reste pas heofoncundan
ríces. Ða gelamp on sumne sæl mid þy he on his
cyrcan æt his gebedum was, pa was he semninga
mid adle gestanden. And he sona ongeat þæt him
¹ MS. rice.


ST. GUTHLAC.
79
and they shall flee before thee who hate thee; and
thy sword shall destroy all thy adversaries, for the
Lord is thy support. But be thou patient, for thou
shalt not get the kingdom by means of worldly
things, but with the Lord's help thou shalt get thy
kingdom. For the Lord shall bring down those
who now hate thee, and the Lord shall remove the
kingdom from them, and hath remembered and
appointed thee. When he heard these words,
Athelbald soon fixed his hope and faith on God
himself, and he trusted and believed all the things
which the holy man foretold,-how that kingdoms
are overturned and taken away, and are evermore
hastening to an end; and the rich and the poor,
the learned and the unlearned, and young and
old,—all these alike, strong death clutcheth and
taketh.
XX.
Concerning the length of the holy man's life, and his departure.
It happened, some while after this, that God's
beloved servant Guthlac, after that he had led a life
serving God for fifteen years, then God pleased to
lead his dear servant from the conflict of this world's
miseries to the eternal rest of the heavenly kingdom.
It happened on a time, when he was in his church
at his prayers, he was suddenly attacked with illness.
And he soon perceived that God's hand was sent
—


80
THE LIFE OF
was Godes hand to sended, and he swype geblipe
hine het gyrwan to pam ingange pæs heofonlican
ríces. Was he seofon dagas mid pære adle ge-
swenced, and þæs eahtopan dæges¹ he was to pam
ytemestan gelæded. Pa gestod hine seo² adl pon
wodnesdage nehst eastron and pa eft pan ylcan
dæge on pære eastor-wucan he þæt lif of pam
lichaman sende. Was sum broðor mid him þæs
nama was Beccel, purh pone ic pa forðfore ongeat
þæs eadigan weres. Mid by he pa com þy dæge þe
hine seo adl gestod, pa acsode he hine be ge-
hwilcum þingum. pa andswarode he him lætlice,
and mid langre sworetunge þæt ord of þam breostum
teah. pa he pa geseah pone halgan wer swá ún-
rotes modes, pa cwæd he to him: Hwat gelamp
þe nywes nu da; ac pe on þysse nihte sum untrum-
nys gelamp? pa andswarode he him and him
cwa to: Adl me gelamp on pisse nihte. pa
frægn he eft hine: Wast þu mín fæder pone intingan
pinre adle oppe to hwylcum ende wenest pu þæt seo
mettrumnys' wylle gelimpan? pa andswarode he
him eft se halga wer and him cwæð to: peos ongi-
tenys minre untrumnysse ys, þæt of pisum lichaman
sceal beon se gast alæded; forpon pan cahtopan
dæge" bið ende pære minre mettrumnysse; forpon
þæt gedafenað þæt se gast beo gegearwod, þæt ic
¹ MS. dæge.
5 MS. untrumnysse.
8 MS. þes ongitenysse.
2 MS. se.
3 MS. wodnes dæg.
6 MS. adle.
9 MS. dæg.
4 MS. adle.
7 MS. mettrumnysse.
I


ST. GUTHLAC.
81
upon him, and he right gladly began to prepare
himself for his entry into the heavenly kingdom.
He was seven days afflicted with the malady, and
on the eighth day he was brought to the utmost
extremity. The malady attacked him on the
Wednesday next before Easter, and on the same day
of the Easter-week after he gave forth his life from
his body.
There was a brother with him whose
name was Beccel, through whom I have been in-
formed concerning the departure of the blessed man.
When he came to him on the day when the sickness
seized him, he asked him concerning certain things.
And he answered him slowly, and drew the breath
from his chest with long sighing. When he saw
the holy man in so distressful mood, he said to
him: What new thing has now happened to thee;
has some sickness befallen thee on this night?
Then he answered him and said to him: Sickness
has befallen me this night. Then again he asked
him: Knowest thou, my father, the cause of thy
sickness, or to what end thinkest thou that this ill-
ness will come? Then again the holy man answered
and said to him: The meaning of my illness is this,
that the spirit must be taken away from this body; for
on the eighth day there will be an end of my illness;
therefore it behoves that the spirit be prepared, that
4 §


82
THE LIFE OF
mæg Gode filian.
pa he pa pas word gehyrde se
foresprecena brodor Beccel, he pa swype weop and
geomrian ongan and mid mycelre uneðnysse his
eago-spind mid tearum gelomlice leohte. pa frefrode
hine se Godes wer Guthlac and him cwæd to: Min
bearn, ne beo þu na geúnrotsod forpon ne bið me
næénig únepnys¹ pat ic to Drihtne minum Gode
fare. Was swa mycel rumnes on him þæs halgan
geleafan and swa mycele he to pære Godes lufan
hæfde, pæt se cupa and se uncupa ealle him was
gelíce gesegen on gódum dædum. Ɖa þæs ymbe
feower niht com se forma easter-dag, he pa se eadiga
wer Guðlac on pære his mettrumnysse Gode lac
onsægde and massan sáng, and syþþan he þa déor-
wyrban lác offrode Cristes blodes, pa ongan he pam
foresprecenan breper godspellian; and he hine swa
swype deoplice mid his láre ineode, þæt he næfre ær
ne syppan swyle ne gehyrde. Mid pan pe [se]²
seofoða dæg com pære his mettrumnysse, pa com se
foresprecena broðor on pære sixtan tíde pæs dæges,
þæt he hine geneosian wolde : þa gemette he hine
hleonian on pam hale his cyrcan wið þam weofode.
pa hwæþere he ne mihte wið hine sprecan, forpon
he geseah þæt his untrumnys³ hine swype swencte:
pa þeah hwæþere he hine æfter pon bæd þæt he his
word to him forlete ær þon pe he swulte.
He pa
se eadiga wer Guplac hwæt-hwego fram þam wage
þa werigan limu ahóf, cwæð þa pus to him: Mín
3 MS. untrumnysse.
MS. uneþnysse. 2
[se] not in MS.
1


ST. GUTHLAC.
83
I may go to God. When the aforesaid brother
Beccel heard these words, he wept much and began
to lament, and in great grief incessantly moistened
his cheeks with tears. Then the man of God
Guthlac comforted him, and said to him: My son,
be not thou grieved, for to me it is no sorrow that
I am going to the Lord my God. There was in
him such a depth of holy faith, and so great love of
God had he thereto, that the known and the un-
known was entirely alike in his sight in respect of
good deeds. When after four nights the first
Easter-day arrived, the blessed man Guthlac in his
sickness performed service to God, and sang mass,
and after that he offered up the precious sacrifice of
Christ's blood, he began to preach the gospel to the
aforesaid brother; and he penetrated him so deeply
with his counsel, that he never before nor after
heard the like. When the seventh day of his illness
came, then came the aforesaid brother at the sixth
hour of the day to visit him. He found him leaning
in the corner of his oratory, against the altar.
Notwithstanding he might not speak to him, for he
saw that his malady violently afflicted him; however,
afterwards he begged of him that he would leave
his last words with him before he died. Then
the blessed man Guthlac raised a little his weary
limbs from the wall, and thus spake to him: My


84
THE LIFE OF
bearn, nu ys þære tide swipe neah, ac behealt pu
min þa ytemestan bebodu. Efter pon pe min sawl
of þam lichaman fére, ponne far þu to minre swustor
and hyre secge þæt ic forpon her on middanearde
hire ansyne fleah and hi geséon nolde, pæt wyt eft
on héofonum befóran Godes ánsyne unc eft gesáwon;
and hi bidde þæt heo minne lichaman on þa þrúh
gesette, and mid pære scytan bewinde pe me
Ecgburh onsende. Nólde ic pa hwíle pe ic leofode
mid línenum hrægle gegyred beon, ac nu for lufan
pære Cristes fæmnan, pa gife pe heo me sende ic
wylle to pon dón pe ic heold; ponne se lichama
and seo sawul hi todæleð, þæt man pone lichaman
mid þam hrægle bewínde, and on pa pruh gelecge.
Da se foresprecena broðor pas ping gehyrde, he pa
wæs pus sprecende: Ic pe halsige, mín se leofa
fæder, nu ic pine untrumnysse geseo and ongite,
and ic gehyre þæt þu pas world scealt forlætan,
þæt þu me secge be pære wisan pe ic næfre ær næs
gedyrstig þe to axianne.
Of pære tíde pe ic ærest
mid be on pisum westene eardode, ic pe gehyrde
sprecan on æfenne and on æren-mergen ic nat mid
hwæne. Forpon ic pe bidde and halsige þæt þu
me næfre behydigne and sorhfulne be pisse wísan
ne læte æfter þinre forðfóre. He pa se Godes wer
mid langre sworetunge pat ord of pam breostum
teah, andswarode him pa and cwæð: Min bearn,
nelt þu beon gemyndig, þas þing þe ic ar nolde


ST. GUTHLAC.
85
son, now is it very near the time, and do thou at-
tend to my last commands. After my soul departs
from the body, then go thou to my sister, and say
to her, that I for this end here on earth avoided
her presence and would not see her, that we two
hereafter might see each other in heaven, before the
face of God; and bid her that she place my body
in the coffin, and wind it in the sheet which Ecgburh
sent to me. I would not, whilst I lived, be clothed
with a linen garment; but now, for love of the maid
of Christ, the gift which she sent me I will put to
the purpose for which I have kept it, namely, when
my body and my soul part, let them wrap my body
in the vestment, and lay it in the coffin. When
the aforesaid brother heard these things, he thus
spake: I beseech thee, my dear father, now while I
behold and understand thy infirmity, and I hear
that thou must leave this world, that thou explain to
me concerning a matter which I never before durst
ask thee about. From the time that I first dwelt
with thee in this wilderness I have heard thee at
even and at daybreak speaking I know not with
whom. Wherefore I beg and beseech thee that
thou never leave me anxious and troubled about
this matter after thy departure. The man of God
with a long sigh drew the breath from his breast,
answered him and said: My son, be thou not
troubled,—the things which before I would tell to


86
THE LIFE OF
nanigum woruld-men secgan, þa hwile pe ic lifigende
wære, ic hit pe wylle nu onwreon and gecypan.
Ðan æfteran geare pe ic pis westen eardode, þæt on
æfen and on ærne-mergen God sylfa pone engcel
mínre frofre to me sende, se me pa heofonlican
gerýno openode, pa nanegum men ne alyfað to
secganne, and pa heardnysse mínes gewinnes mid
heofonlican engellicum spræcum ealle gehihte; þe
me afweardan gecydde and geopenode swa pa and-
weardan.¹ And nu mín bearn, þæt leofe, geheald
þu mín word, and þu hi nænigum oprum men ne
secge buton Pege minre swustor and Ecgberhte
pam ancran, gif þæt gelimpe pat pu wið hine
gesprece. pa he pas word spræc he pa his heafod
to pam wage onhylde, and míd langre sworetunge
pæet ord of pam breostum teah. Mid by he eft
gewyrpte, and pam orðe² onfeng, þa com seo swetnys
of þam mude swa þæra wynsumestra³ blostmena
stenc. And pa pære æfter-fylgendan nihte mid þan
þe se foresprecena broðor nihtlicum gebedum befeall,
pa geseah he call þæt hus útan mid mycelre beorht-
nesse ymbseald; and seo beorhtnys þær áwunode
of dæg. pa hit on mergen dæg wæs, he pa se
Godes wer eft styrede hwæt-hwego and pa weregan
leomu upahof. pa cwæð he to him pus: Min
béarn, gearwa pe þæt¹ þu on pone sið fére pe ic þe
gehét; forpon nu ys seo tíd þæt se gást sceal for-
MS. andweardum.
3 MS. wynsumesta blostman.
2 MS. orð.
4 MS. 7


ST. GUTHLAC.
87
9
no man of the world while I lived, I will now reveal
and make known to thee. The second year after
I dwelt in this wilderness, at even and at daybreak
God himself sent the angel of my comfort to me,
who opened to me the heavenly mysteries, which it
is lawful to no man to tell, and the hardness of my
conflict he quite softened with heavenly angelic dis-
courses; who also made known and revealed to me
absent as well as present things. And now, my son,
beloved one, keep thou my word, and tell these
things to no other person except to Pege my sister
and to Ecgberht the hermit, if it chance that thou
speak with him. When he had spoken these words,
he leaned his head to the wall, and with a long sigh
drew the breath from his breast. When he turned
himself again and recovered his breath, there came
fragrance from his mouth like the odour of the
sweetest flowers. And on the following night, when
the aforesaid brother fell to his nightly prayers,
he beheld all the house encompassed about with a
great brightness; and this brightness remained
there till day. When it dawned on the morrow,
the man of God stirred again a little, and raised up
his weary limbs. Then spake he thus to him: My
son, prepare thyself to go on the journey which I
bid thee; for now is the time that the spirit must


88
THE LIFE OF
lætan þa weregan limo and to pam úngeendodan
gefean wyle geferan, to heofona ríce.
Da he pa pas
pingc spræc he pa his handa apenede to pam weofode,
and hine getrymede mid þam heofonlican mete,
Cristes lichaman and his blode¹; and pa æfter pon
his eagan to heofonum ahóf, and his earmas apenede,
and pa pone gast mid gefean and blisse to pam ecum
gefean sende pæs heofonlican rices. Betwux þa
þingc se foresprecena broðor geseah call þæt hus mid
heofonlicre bryhto geond goten, and he þær geseah
fyrenne torr³ up of pære eorpan to heofones heannysse,
þæs beorhtnys was eallum oprum úngelic, and for his
fægernysse pat seo sunne sylf æt middum dæge,
eall hire scima was on blæco gecyrred. And eng-
cellice sangas geond pære lyfte faco he gehyrde;
and eall þæt igland mid mycelre swétnysse wunder-
lices stences ormædum was gefylled. He pa se
foresprecena bropor sona mid mycelre fyrhte was
geslégen, éode pa on scip and þa ferde to pære stowe
þe se Godes wer ær bebead; and pa com to Pege
and hire pa eall pa ping sæde æfter endebyrdnesse
swa se broðor hine het. Pa heo pa gehyrde pone
pa
bropor forðferedne, heo pa sona on eordan feoll and
mid mycelre hefignysse gefylled wearð þæt heo word
gecweþan ne mihte. Mid pan heo þa eft hig gehyrte,
heo pa of pam breostum inneweardum lange swore-
tunge teah, and þa þam Wealdende panc sæde pæs
be he swá wolde.
Hi pa pan æfteran dæge æfter
I MS. blod. 2 MS. ferde.
3 MS. fyrene topp. + MS. hira.


ST. GUTHLAC.
89
leave the weary limbs, and will go to the endless
joy, the kingdom of heaven. When he had said
these things, he stretched out his hands to the altar,
and strengthened himself with the heavenly food,
Christ's body and blood. And after that he raised
his eyes to heaven, and stretched out his arms,
and then sent forth his spirit with joy and bliss to
the eternal happiness of the heavenly kingdom.
Amidst these things the aforesaid brother saw all
the house perfused with heavenly brightness, and he
beheld there a fiery tower, from the earth up to the
height of heaven, whose brightness was unlike all
other, and by its brilliance the sun itself at midday,
-all its lustre was turned to paleness. And
he heard angelic songs through the regions of the
air; and all the island was profusely filled with the
exceeding sweetness of a wondrous odour. There-
upon the aforesaid brother was smitten with great
fear, went on board a boat, and travelled to the
place which the man of God had before bidden him.
seek; and there he came to Pege, and told her all
these things in order as her brother had bidden him.
When she heard that her brother was departed, she
forthwith fell on the earth, and was filled with great
sorrow, so that she could not speak a word. When
she presently recovered herself, she drew from her
breast within a long sigh, and gave thanks to the
Lord for that he would have it so to be. Then


90
THE LIFE OF
pam bebode pæs eadigan weres hi becomon to pam
eglande, and hi ealle pa stowe and pa hus þær ge-
metton mid ambrósie pære wyrte swetnysse gefylde.
Heo¹ pa pone halgan wer on preora daga fæce mid
halgum lof-sangum Gode behead, and on þam þriddan
dæge swa se Godes wer bebead hig pone lichaman
on cyrcan mid arwurdnysse bebyrgdon. Awolde seo
godcunde arfæstnys mannum openlice atywan on hu
mycclum wuldre he was se eadiga wer syppan he be-
byrged was; forpon þe he ær beforan manna eagum
swá manigum wundrum scean and berhte. Mid by he
pa was twelf monað bebyrged æfter his forðfóre, da
onsende God on þæt mod pære Drihtnes peowan,
þæt heo wolde eft pone broðorlican lichaman on oðre
byrgene gesettan. Heo pa þyder togesomnode
Godes peowa and masse-preosta and circlicre³ ende-
byrdnysse, þæt þy ylcan dæge þæs ymbe twelf monað
þe seo for fóre pas eadigan weres was, hi pa pa
byrgene untyndon; þa gemetton hi pone lichaman
ealne ansúndne swa he ær wæs and þa gyt lifigende
wære, and on lipa¹ bignyssum and on eallum þingum
þæt he was slææpendum men gelicra myccle ponne
forðferedum. Swylce eac pa hrægl þære ylcan
niwnysse pe hig on fruman ymbe pone lichaman
gedón waron. pa hi pas ping gesawon þe þær
samod at waron, pa waron hi swide forhte for pig
þe hi þær gesawon; and hi swa swyde mid pære
¹ MS. Hi.
3 MS. cynlice.
2 MS. godcundnysse arfæstlice manna.
4 MS. lipo.


ST. GUTHLAC.
91
they on the next day, according to the command of
the blessed man, came to the island, and they there
found all the place and the buildings filled with the
sweetness of the herb ambrosia. She then for three
days' space, with holy hymns of praise commended
the holy man to God, and on the third day, as the
man of God had bidden, they buried the corpse in
the church with solemnity. The divine goodness
would openly display to men in how great glory the
blessed man was after he was buried; as he erewhile,
before the eyes of men, shone and was resplendent
with so many miracles. After his death, when he
had been buried twelve months, God put it into the
heart of the servant of the Lord that she should re-
move her brother's body to another tomb. She
assembled thither many of the servants of God, and
mass-priests, and others of ecclesiastical order; and
on the same day, on which, twelve months before, the
departure of the blessed man took place, they opened
the tomb, and there they found the corpse quite
sound as it was at first, and as though he were yet
living; and in the flexibility of the sinews and in
all things, it was much more like a sleeping man
than a dead one. Also the garments were of
the same newness as when they were first put round
the body. When they who were there assembled
together saw these things, they were much amazed
at what they saw; and they were so smitten with


92
THE LIFE OF
fyrhte weron geslégene pæt hi naht sprecan ne
mihton. Da heo pa seo Cristes peowe Pege þæt
geseah, pa was heo sona mid gastlicere blisse ge-
fylled and pa pone halgan lichaman mid pære
arwurðnysse Cristes lof-sangum on opre scytan be-
wand, pa Ecgbriht se ancra ár him lifigende to pære¹
ylcan þenunge sende. Swylce eac pa pruh na læs
þæt hi eft pa on eordan dydon, ac on gemyndelicre
stowe and on árwyrpre hi pa gesetton.
Seo stow
nu eft fram Aðelbalde pam kyninge mid manig-
fealdum getimbrum ys arwurdlice gewurpod, þær se
sigefæsta lichama þæs halgan weres gastlice restep;
and se man se pe pa stowe mid ealle his magne
gesecð, þonne purh pa þingunge þæs halgan weres
he gefremeð and purhtyhp pat he wilnað. Se
eadiga wer Guðlac he was gecóren man on god-
cundum dæédum and ealra gesnyttra gold-hord; and
he was gestæppig on his þeawum, swylce he was on
Cristes peowdóme swa geornfullice abysgod þæt him
næfre elles on his mude næs buton Cristes lof, ne
on his heortan butan árfæstnys, ne on his móde
butan syb and lufu and mildheortnes; ne hyne nan
man yrre geseah ne úngeornfulne to Cristes
peowdome, ac á man mihte on his andwlitan lufe
and sibbe ongytan, and á was swetnys on his móde
and snyttro on his breostum and swá mycel
glædnys² on him wæs, þæt he á þam cuðum and
þam uncupum was gelice gesegen.
1 MS. þam.
2 MS. glædnysse.


ST. GUTHLAC.
93
But
the fear thereof that they could say nothing.
when Pege, the servant of Christ, beheld it, she
was forthwith filled with spiritual joy; and she
wound the holy corpse, with praises of Christ's
honour, in the other sheet which Ecgbriht the
anchorite formerly sent him, when alive, for that
same service. Also the coffin they did not put into
the earth again, but they set it in a memorable
place and an honourable. The place has now
since then been honourably distinguished by king
Athelbald with manifold buildings, where the vic-
torious body of the holy man spiritually rests: and
the man who with all his heart seeks that place,
through the intercession of the holy man he shall
accomplish and bring about what he desires. The
blessed man Guthlac was a chosen man in divine
deeds, and a treasure of all wisdom; and he was
steadfast in his duties, as also he was earnestly
intent on Christ's service, so that never was aught
else in his mouth but Christ's praise, nor in his
heart but virtue, nor in his mind but peace and
love and pity; nor did any man ever see him angry
nor slothful to Christ's service; but one might ever
perceive in his countenance love and peace; and
evermore sweetness was in his temper, and wisdom
in his breast, and there was so much cheerfulness
in him, that he always appeared alike to acquaint-
ances and to strangers..


94
THE LIFE OF
XXI.
Be Apelbalde kyningce.
Efter byssum geacsode Apelbald se foresprecena
wræcca on feor-landum þæs halgan weres fórðfóre,
Sce Guplaces; forpon he ana ar pon was hys
gebeorh and frofor. pa was he semninga mid
unrotnysse gestýred, ferde pa þider to pære stowe
þær þæs Godes weres lichama on wæs, forpon he
gehyhte purh pone halgan wer pæt him God sealde
his gewinnes frofre. pa he pa to þære byrgene
com þæs halgan weres, he pa wepende mid tearum
pus cwæð: Mín fæder hwæt pu canst míne yrmpa,
þu me wære symble on fultume on mínum unyð-
nyssum hwider wylle ic me nu cyrran, hwa frefreð
me gif þu me forlætst? Mid by he pa þas þing
and manig oper æt þære byrgene wepende sprác,
þa seo nihtlice tid com, pa was he þær on sumum
huse inne pe he ær be Guthlace lifigendum hwilum
on gæstlipnesse wunode. Da he pa on þam huse
inne wæs, þa was he on þam únrotan móde hider
and þyder pencende, him pa æt nyxtan waron þa
eagan mid þam slæpe betyned. He pa færinga
forhtlice abræd, þa geseah he ealle þa cytan innan
mid heofonlice leohte gefylde. Mid pan he pa was
forhtlice geworden for þære úngewunelican gesihpe,
da geseah he pone eadigan wer Guthlac on engel-
licre ansyne him beforan standan and him cwæð to:


ST. GUTHLAC.
95
XXI.
Concerning king Athelbald.
After these things Athelbald, the afore-mentioned
exile, heard in far lands of the death of the holy
man St. Guthlac; for he alone was formerly his
refuge and comfort. Then was he suddenly agitated
with sorrow, and went thither to the place where
the body of God's servant was, for he hoped that
through the holy man God would grant him comfort
in his conflict. When he came to the tomb of the
holy man, weeping with tears, he thus spake: My
father, lo! thou knowest my miseries, thou wast
ever my support in my afflictions; whither shall I
now turn myself; who shall comfort me if thou
forsakest me? After he had with weeping said
these things and much else at the tomb, when the
hour of night came, he was in a house where he had
often abode as a guest whilom when Guthlac was
living. Whilst he was in this house, whilst he was
turning his thoughts hither and thither in his
sorrowful mind, his eyes were at length closed in
sleep. Suddenly he woke up in a fright, and there he
saw all the cottage filled within with heavenly light.
Whilst he was in fear at the unusual sight, he saw
the blessed man Guthlac in angelic aspect stand
before him, and he spake thus to him: Thou shalt


96
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Ne wylt þu þe ondradan, ac beo þu ánræde, forpon
God pe ys on fultume: and ic forþon to pe cóm,
purh mine pingunge God pine bene gehyrde. Ac
ne beo þu geunrotsod forpon dagas synt gewitene
pinra yrmða, forpon ár sunne twelf monda hringe
útan ymbgán hæbbe þu wealdest pises ríces¹ pe pu
hwile æfter wunne. And na læs þæt an þæt he him
þæt rice towerd sæde, ac eac pa lengce his lifes he
him eall gerehte. Das tacna God geworhte purh
þæs halgan weres geearnunge æfter pon pe he ford-
fered was and bebyrged.
XXII.
Was sum his scipes-man pæs foresprecenan2 wræccan
Apelbaldes on pære mægða Wissa, pas eagan wron
mid fleo and mid dimnesse twelf mond ofergán.
Mid by his lacas³ hine mid sealfum lange teolodon,
and hit him nawiht to halo ne fremede; da wæs he
innan godcundlice manod pæt gif hine man to pære
stówe gelædde Guthlaces, pæt he ponne his hælo
and gesihpe onfengce. Næs pa nanig hwil to pon
þæt him his frynd on pære stowe brohton to
Cruwlande, and hi pa gespræcon to pære Cristes
peowan Pegan; and heo þæs mannes geleafan
trumne and fæstne gehyrde. Pa lædde heo hine
on pa cyrcan þær se arwyrða lichama inne was
I MS. rice.
2 MS. foresprecena.
3 MS. læces.


ST. GUTHLAC.
97
not be afraid, but be thou steadfast, for God is thy
support; and I am therefore come to thee, for that
through my intercession God hath heard thy prayer.
But be thou not sorrowful, for the days are past of
thy afflictions; for ere the sun shall have gone a
twelve months' circuit round about, thou shalt
wield this kingdom, which thou erewhile didst con-
tend for. And not only did he prophesy to him
his future kingdom, but he also related to him
completely the length of his life. These signs God
wrought through the holy man's merit after he was
dead and buried.
XXII.
There was
a boatman of the aforesaid exile
Athelbald whose eyes had been for twelve months
overspread with the white speck and dimness.
When his physicians had long treated him with
salves, and this no whit effected his healing, he was
divinely admonished within, that if they brought
him to Guthlac's resting-place he should recover
his health and sight. Not long after his friends
brought him to the place Crowland, and they spoke
to Christ's servant Pege; and she was informed of
the firm and fast faith of the man. Then she led
him to the church wherein the venerable body of
5


98
THE LIFE OF
Guthlaces; genam pa þæs gehalgodan sealtes pe
Guthlac ær sylf gehalgode, and wætte and drypte
in þa eagan; and þa ár heo operne drópan on þæt
oper eage dyde, pa mihte he mid pan oðron geseon,
and on þam ylcan inne he géarlice oncneow hwæt
þær inne wæs, and he hal and gesund ham ferde.
Sy urum Drihtne lof and wuldor and wurðmynt,
and þam eadigan were Sce Guthlace on ealra worulda¹
woruld áá buton ende on ecnysse.
Amen.
MS. woruld áworuld.


ST. GUTHLAC.
99
Guthlac was;
she took some of the hallowed salt
which Guthlac himself had formerly hallowed, and
wetted it, and dropped it on his eyes; and ere she
put a second drop on the second eye he was able
to see with that eye, and he readily perceived what
there was in the room, and he went home whole
and sound.
Be praise and glory and honour to our Lord, and
to the blessed man St. Guthlac, world of all worlds,
for ever and ever, without end to eternity. Amen.


↓


NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page 2. PROLOGUE.
As a specimen of the style of Felix, and to enable the reader to
form some judgment of the liberties taken by the Saxon translator, I
transcribe the Latin prologue entire.*
+Incipit Prologus de vitâ Sci Guthlaci.
In Domino dominorum domino meo. Mihi præ ceteris regalium
primatum gradibus dilectissimo, Elfwaldo regi orientalium Anglorum
rite regimina regenti, Felix catholicæ congregationis vernaculus per-
petuæ prosperitatis in Christo salutem.
Jussionibus tuis obtemperans libellum, quem de vitâ patris beatæ
memoriæ Guthlaci componi præcepisti, simplici verborum vimine
textum, non absque procacitatis imprudentiâ, institui: eâ tamen
fiduciâ coram obtuli, obsecrans ut si ullatenus, ut fore arbitror, illic
vitiosus sermo aures eruditi lectoris perculserit, litteram in fronte
paginæ veniam poscentem intendat. Reminiscatur quoque, efflagito,
quia regnum Dei non in verborum facundiâ, sed in fidei constantiâ
persistit. Salutem quidem sæculo non ab oratoribus sed a piscatoribus
prædicatam fuisse sciat. Sancti quoque Hieronimi dicta meminerit,
qui rem ridiculam esse arbitratus est, ut sub regulis Donati gram-
matici verba cœlestis oraculi redigeret. Sed si forsitan alius animo-
sitatis nostræ fastibus hoc opus nos arripere imputat, dum alii plurimi
Anglorum librarii, quorum ingeniositatis fluenta inter flores rethorica
per virecta litteraturæ pure liquide lucideque rivant, qui melius lucu-
lentiusque componere valuerint,-sciat nos hoc opusculum non tam
* From the Cotton MS. Nero E. 1, with some corrections from the Benedictine
and Bollandine texts.


102
NOTES AND
volentiæ quam obedientiæ gratiâ incepisse. Propterea laboris mei
votis, O Lector, quisquis es faveas; sin etiam ut adsolet more obtrec-
tatoris succensueris, cave ut ubi lucem putaveris ne a tenebris obcæ-
ceris; id est, ne cum recta reprehenderis ignorantiæ tenebris fusceris.
Mos enim cæcorum est, cum in luce perambulant tunc in tenebris
errare putant. Lucem enim nesciunt sed in tenebris semper oberrant.
Cæcitas autem in Scripturis ignorantia est, ut apostolus dixit: Cæcitas
ex parte contigit in Israel donec plenitudo gentium subintraret. Origo
quidem totius mali ab ignorantiâ venit. Quapropter te admoneo,
Lector, ut aliena non reprehendas, ne ab aliis quasi alienus reprehen-
daris. Sed ne sensus legentium prolixæ sententiæ molesta defensio
obnubilet, pestiferis obtrectantium incantationibus aures obturantes,
velut transvadato vasti gurgitis æquore, ad vitam Sancti Guthlaci stilum
flectendo quasi ad portum vitæ pergemus. Quoniam igitur exegisti a
me ut de vitâ Sancti Guthlaci vel conversatione tibi scriberem, quem-
admodum cœperit quidve ante propositum fuerit vel qualem vitæ
terminum habuerit, prout a dictantibus idoneis testibus quos scitis
audivi, addendi minuendique modum vitans, eadem orthothemio de-
pinxi; ad hujus utilitatis commodum hunc codicellum fieri ratus, ut
illis qui sciunt ad memoriam tanti viri nota revocandi fiat, his vero
qui ignorant velut late pansæ viæ indicium notescat. Non enim sine
certissimâ inquisitione rerum gestarum aliquid de tanto viro scribebam,
nec tandem ea quæ scripsi sine subtilissimâ indubiorum testium sanc-
tione libratim scribenda quibusdam dare præsumpsi; quin potius dili-
gentissime inquirens quantacunque scripsi investigavi a reverendissimo
quodam abbate Wilfrido et a presbitero puræ conscientiæ, ut arbitror,
Cissan, vel etiam ab aliis qui diutius cum viro Dei conversati vitam
ipsius ex parte noverant. Ergo quantacunque de vitæ ipsius ortho-
nomiâ stilo perstrinxero, minima de magnis pauca de plurimis audisse
æstimate. Non enim ambigo illos dictatores non omnia facta illius
potuisse cognoscere, nec ab illis tota dictata me descripsisse glorifico.
Sed ut tanti viri tanti nominis relatio compleatur, prout ubique mi-
racula illius fulserunt, percunctamini, ut singulis quæ novere referen-
tibus sequentis libelli materia adgregetur. Igitur eximiæ dilectionis
tuæ imperiis obtemperans, textum præsentis cartulæ prout potui di.
gessi, majoris scientiæ auctoribus majorem partem linquens; prin-
cipium in principium, finem in fine compono..


ILLUSTRATIONS.
103
Page 2, line 3. Alfwold.
Grammatical correctness requires the dative, Alfwolde. The Saxon
scribe is often guilty of cutting off an e, and as frequently of adding
one when not required. To avoid swelling the number of alterations,
I suffer Alfwold to stand here, and the reader, if he pleases, may take
the word for a vocative.
bid. line 9. Ahtest.
Literally, Thou didst own. This can hardly be the true reading:
Qu.? Tæhtest, præcepisti.
Ibid. pære arwurðan gemynde.
The MS. has, þæs arwurðan gemynde, which I have altered as
above, because in the two other places in which the phrase occurs in
the Life of Guthlac, as well as in numerous instances in Alfred's
Beda, such is the form of the expression. In p. 20, 1. 9, we have,
Mid þan se fores precena wer and þære eadigan gemynde Guthlac, etc.;
and p. 24, 1. 22, Swa þonne þære arwurðan gemynde Guðlac . . .
wæs gelæd, etc. In Beda, lib. iv, cap. xxiii (p. 593, 1. 4, Smith), To
lare þære eadigan gemynde Paulinus, þæs ærestan biscopes Norpan-
hymbra, etc.; and ib. p. 594, 1. 18, Cwom pa to Cent to ære
eadigan gemynde Theodore ærcebiscope. See also lib. iv, cap. xxviii,
(p. 606, 1. 46); and lib. iv, cap. xix, (p. 587, l. 27).
The idiom is remarkable in two points: 1, for the use of gemynd
in the feminine gender; and 2, for the agreement of the definite
article with a word to which it does not properly belong, by the
process expressively named, Attraction.
1. In Elfric's Homilies, gemynd is used constantly as a neuter (or
possibly masculine; as the oblique cases, which occur the most fre-
quently, do not determine whether the word be masculine or neuter).
Bosworth considers it masculine. But in Hom. vol. i, p. 288, þæt
gemynd occurs several times. In Alfred's Beda the usage is com-
monly the same. One instance I have remarked of seo gemynd
(lib. v, cap. vii, near the end); a stricter search may perhaps yield
more.
2. The phrase, þære eadigan gemynde wer, is a substitute for se


104
NOTES AND
wer eadiges gemyndes (or, eadigre gemynde). A transposition taking
place of the qualitative genitive and the noun qualified, we should
obtain, Se eadigre gemynde wer. But the article being attracted by
the substantive with which it is now in juxtaposition, the ear
triumphing over logic, the phrase becomes, þære eadigan gemynde wer.
This process is very different from that which takes place when a
possessive genitive is placed before the noun it defines. For instance,
þæt heafod þæs horses, properly becomes, þæs horses heafod. Here
it will be observed, that the genitive, having an article of its own,
naturally retains it on changing its position, the other noun dropping
its article, which becomes superfluous. If, however, the genitive be a
word which does not admit of, or at any rate has not, the definite
article, then the principal noun retains its article unchanged; e. g. for
þæt word Godes, we find, þæt Godes word (Matt. xii, 20); for þære
lufan Godes, þære Godes lufan (Guthl. p. 16, 1. 14); and, se Godes
man, seo Cristes fæmne, are expressions of constant occurrence. So
Beda, lib. iii, cap. ii, (p. 536, 1. 18,) þære wæpned-manna stowe, the
men's apartment. Perhaps, however, in some of these cases, the geni-
tive may be more properly considered as one of qualification than of
possession; and words thus connected may be looked upon as com-
pounds, the latter word merging that which precedes, so that the
intervening genitive leaves the concord of the article with its noun
undisturbed.
The following are instances of the change of the article by attraction:
Luke xvi, 8; þære unrihtwisnesse tun-gerefan, instead of, þone tun-
gerefan unrihtwisnesse, the steward of unrighteousness, i. e. the
unrighteous steward. John xvi, 13; þære soðfæstnysse Gast, instead
of, þone Gast so fæstnysse, the Spirit of truth.
Page 2, line 14. [wordum].
The whole of this passage is very corrupt. Without emendation it
yields no sense at all. The insertion and alterations which I have
made, make it agree in some measure with the original. The words,
ac gemune and geþence, are repeated apparently by mistake; fram
idelum þaucum, must be wrong; but whether the mistake be that of
the translator or the scribe, I cannot determine, and leave the words
as I find them.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
105
Page 4, line 1. swa ic menige, etc.
The translator has departed entirely from the original, and it is not
easy to tell exactly what he means. The order of the sentence appears
to be inverted; gegylde and gesette agreeing, as I believe, with boc ;—
fægere and glæwlice gesette, could hardly be said of the writers of books.
As a similar instance of inversion, compare p. 14, 1. 20, þa ealdan
kyningas, .. þurh earmlicne deað and purh sarlicne utgang þæs
mánfullan lifes, be þas world forleton.
Ibid. line 27. þæt him ponne, etc.
See Vernon's Guide to the Anglo-Saxon Tongue, p. 86, for similar
constructions. An instance occurs, p. 16, 1. 13, barn him swa swyþe
innan þære Godes lufan.
Page 6, line 3. geradne.
Gerad, means apt, suited, well-calculated; from rædan. The sense
of the modern German, gerade, i. e. straight, seems appropriate in this
place.
Ibid. line 7. Ne tweoge ic aht, etc.
It will be perceived that the Saxon version expresses exactly the
opposite of the meaning of the original. The insertion of a negative,
ne, before mihton, would remedy this; but the latter part of the
paragraph does not seem to favour the alteration.
Ibid. line 13. hyrde.
This word, which answers to cartulæ in the Latin, is not found in
the dictionaries. Can it be an error of the copyist for hyde? Is that
word ever used in the sense of a parchment or skin for writing?
The passage is probably corrupt; and moreover the translator seems
to have quite mistaken the sense of the original, as the reader will see
by comparison.
5 $


106
NOTES AND
Page 8, line 1. Epelredes.
Æthelred began to reign A.D. 675, resigned his throne A.D. 704,
and died A.D. 716. See Mr. Thorpe's Translation of Lappenberg's
History of the Anglo-Saxon Kings, vol. i, p. 222; and the table of
the kings of Mercia, at the end of the volume.
According to the Saxon Chronicle, Guthlac died A.D. 714.
says, anno 715 ab incarnatione Domini; a reckoning commencing
nine months before the birth of our Lord. This date may therefore
be considered to correspond with that of the Chronicle. According
to' Felix, St. Guthlac was twenty-six years old when he settled at
Crowland, and resided there fifteen years; he must therefore have
been forty-one or forty-two, at the time of his death. This brings his
birth back to 673 or 672, and therefore before the commencement of
Ethelred's reign.
Felix
Ibid. line 2. heh-peode.
Latin De egregia Merciorum stirpe. Does heh-þeod mean rather
the principal or royal family of Mercia? But compare p. 66, 1. 7,
where it must needs be rendered, province.
Ibid. line 4. Iclingas.
The sixth in descent from Woden, in the genealogy of the kings of
Mercia, was Icel, from whom this family took its name.
Ibid. line 8. pa ana.
Qu.? Should we read þa anan, or ane. In the sense of alone, ana
is used as an accusative; e. g. Hom. i, p. 184, Me ána forlæt, leave me
alone; and p. 350, Min latteow me þær ána forlet, my guide left me
there alone.
Ibid. line 15. mid inseglum.
Did the termination um originally characterize the dative or
ablative singular of substantives as well as of adjectives? There is no
sense of plurality in such expressions as: on swefnum (see Matt. ii, 22),
in a dream; to gemyndum, to remembrance; on hys gewealdum, in
his power; be lyfum, alive; and many like phrases. It is usual
to term um, in these instances, an adverbial termination; but I see
nothing to distinguish it in the examples adduced from a regular
case-ending.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
107
Page 10, line 3. þa com sum wif. . . yrnan.
In Anglo-Saxon, after verbs expressing motion, or the absence of it,
the infinitive is required, where in modern English a present, in
German a past, participle is used. Thus, A.-S. he com yrnan; Germ.
er kam gerannt; Eng. he came running.
For instances, see p. 30, 1. 16, þa comon twegen deoflu of þære
lyfte slidan; p. 40, 1. 26, þa geseah he þær standan twegen þara
awerigdra gasta wepan (MS. weopon) swype and geomerian.
In the poetical Legend of St. Guthlac, Cod. Ex. 179, 4 ff.
da cwom leohta mæst.
halig of heofonum.
hædre scinan.
In the poem of the Phoenix, Cod. Ex. p. 204, 5 ff.
hwonne up cyme.
æþelast tungla.
ofer yð-mere.
estan lixan.
Ibid. line 9. forþon þe þæt bearn þær acenned wæs.
There is some defect in the Anglo-Saxon version here. The Latin
is as follows: Alii vero hæc audientes, ex divino præsagio ad mani-
festandam nascentis gloriam illud fuisse perhibebant. Alii autem
sagacioris sententiæ conjecturis promere cœperunt hunc ex divinâ dis-
pensatione in perpetuæ beatitudinis præmia destinatum esse.
Ibid. line 20. of pære peode Guplac.
Latin: Ex appellatione illius tribus quam dicunt Guthlacingas,
proprietatis vocabulum ex cœlesti consilio, Guthlacus, percepit, quod
ex qualitatis compositione consequentibus meritis conveniebat. Nam
ut illius gentis gnari perhibent Anglorum linguâ hoc nomen ex duobus
integris constare videtur, hoc est Guth et lac.
This passage seems to indicate that the author, Felix, was not an
Englishman. The MS. has, feawum gewritum; a mistake, it is to be
hoped, of the copyist. I have merely substituted twam for feawum,
but suspect that error still lurks in gewritum. Gewrit signifies rather
a sentence, or inscription, than a single term.


108
NOTES AND
Page 10, line 24. forþon þeah.
Perhaps þeah is merely an error of the scribe for þe. I have trans-
lated the passage as if þeah.... þeah, were equivalent to cum. . . . cum,
for which, be.... þe is commonly used in Anglo-Saxon. The Latin
runs thus: Quia ille cum vitiis bellando æternæ beatitudinis præmia
cum triumphali infula perennis vitæ percepisset. The Saxon trans-
lator has apparently taken cum for a conjunction. There is a passage
in Cadmon where peah appears to be used like þe; p. 34, 1. 2 (Thorpe's
edition):
nát þeah þu mid ligenum fáre.
þe þu drihtnes eart.
boda of heofonum.
"I know not whether thou comest with lies, or whether," etc.
Page 12, line 20.
Ac on his scearpnysse þæt he weox.
An ellipsis of the words da was or ða gelamp, must be supposed to
take place here, to account for the use of the particle of dependence,
þæt. Instances of this are frequent in the Life of Guthlac, e. g.
p. 24, 1. 17, ff., He was ær-pon ehtere his þære halgan cyrcan, and
mid þan þe he to Damascum ferde pære byrig, þæt he was of þam
þystrum gedwolum abroden, etc.; p. 18, 1. 18, Da ymbe twá winter
þæs be he his lif swa leofode under munuchade, þæt he þa ongan, etc.
Ibid. ult. he pa, swa he of slæpe onwoce, weard his mot oncyrred.
An instance of anacoluthon, or change of construction; mod is the
nominative to wear, and he, the principal nominative in the sentence,
is left without a verb. So p. 88, 1. 13, And for his fægernysse
þæt seo sunne sylf æt middum dæge, eall hire scima was on blæco
gecyrred.
Page 14, line 14. wealcan dwelode.
The passage corresponding to this in the original is as follows
Inter dubios volventis temporis eventus et atras caliginosæ vitæ ne-
bulas, fluctuantisque sæculi gurgites jactaretur. The words in italics
are those of which only a translation is attempted in the Anglo-Saxon
The MS. reads weole welode. Weolc. perf. from wealcan is explained
។


ILLUSTRATIONS.
109
by Bosworth (who refers to this passage), revolvit, effervescebat; and
welode (which he identifies with wellode fr. wellian), æstuavit. That
the passage is corrupt appears, I think, from this, that betweox re-
quires an accusative or a dative (Vernon, p. 89), and such word must
immediately follow middan-eardes. By the alteration of one letter,
and a distribution of those contained in 7 (and), a reading is obtained
which at least presents less difficulty than that of the MS., and is
nearer to the Latin. Wealcan may be either the dative pl. from weale,
for wealcum, or possibly the infinitive of the verb, wealcan, used as a
substantive, according to the German usage. I am not, however, pre-
pared to adduce instances of this use of the infinitive.
Ibid. line 19. ff.
The original runs thus: Nam cum antiquorum regum stirpis suæ per
transacta sæcula miserabiles exitus et flagitiosum vitæ terminum con-
templaretur, necnon et caducas mundi divitias contemptibilemque
temporalis vitæ gloriam pervigili mente consideraret, tunc sibi proprii
obitus sui imaginatam formam ostendit, etc. I have translated the
passage, under the impression that allusion was made to the numerous
nstances of Saxon kings who forsook their thrones to become monks
or anchorites; a practice which came into fashion in Guthlac's time.
The sense of the Latin is however different; and it may be perhaps
better to translate: "who departed this world, by a miserable death
and a wretched ending of their sinful life."
Page 16, line 20. Hrypadún.
Repton, in Derbyshire, once famous for its monastery, and as the
capital city and burial-place of the kings of Mercia.
Page 18, line 20. wilnian westenes and sundor-setle.
Qu.? whether we should read sundor-setles. Perhaps, however, the
habitual dislike of uniformity which displays itself in the Anglo-Saxon
spelling, may be traced in this junction of two different cases with the
same verb. (Wilnian generally requires a genitive, or a dative pre-
ceded by the preposition, on or to.) As instances of a similar usage,
compare Ælf. Hom. vol. ii. p. 604, gelyfan on þa Halgan Drynnysse
and soore Annysse; Luke viii. 34, on þa ceastre and on tunum.


110
NOTES AND
Page 20, line 9. Se foresprecena wer and þære eadigan gemynde Guðlac.
The use of two articles coupled by a conjunction, to indicate one
and the same object, is worthy of notice. For a similar instance,
see Beda, lib. iv, cap. xxvii (p. 603, 1. 26), Mon þone halgan wer and
pone arwurban Cupbyrht to biscope gehalgode.
Ibid. line 14, pære stowe digelnysse.
The MS. reads pa stowe digelnysse. But as this expression must
be considered as equivalent to þa digelnysse þære stowe, I have no
hesitation in altering þa to þære, in conformity with the principle
alluded to in the note on p. 2, 1. 9.
Ibid. line 26. eahtoða dæg.
In the original, die nono Kalendarum Septembrium; i. e. the 24th
of August.
Page 24, line 12. sceotode.
Sceotian, to shoot, a transitive verb, from sceotan, sceat, scuton,
scoten, intransitive; a distinction which has been lost in modern
English. So hangian, to hang, transitive, from hon (hangan), heng,
hangen, intransitive. See p. 50, 1. 16, 17.
Page 26, line 4. Wæs þær on þam ealande, etc.
The Vercelli Fragment begins here abruptly. Wæs þær in þam
sprecenan iglande sum mycel hlæw of eorpan geworht, pone ylcan
hlaw iu geara men bræcon and dulfon for feoc [r. feos] þingum, etc.
Ibid. line 11.
Verc. Fr. pa pohte he þæt he nawɣer þara, etc.
Ibid. line 13.
Verc. Fr. ealle dagas his lifes.
Page 26, line 14.
Verc. Fr. he hit swa ford-gelæste.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
111
Ibid. line 15.
Verc. Fr. was his ondleofones swyle gemetegung. This last word
I have adopted in the text, instead of the Cottonian reading, to
gereorde, which does not agree with the original, and is tautologous.
Ibid. line 20.
Verc. Fr. mid þy he by gewunelican peowdome his sealmas sang
and his gebedum ætfealh, þa se ealda feond mancynnes gengde geond
þæt græs-wang, swa grymetende leo, þæt he his costunga attor wide
geond stregde.
Page 28, line 1.
The remainder of this sentence is very carelessly written in the
Vercelli Fragment; the reader may find some exercise for his ingenuity
in correcting it. Mid by he pa yfelnes mægen and his grimnesse
attor telda [r. todæle], þæt he mid by atre pa menniscan heortan
wundað, þa semninga swa he of bendum and of brogan was his cos-
tunga ða he ða þam earh winnendan stræle on þam mode gefæstnode
þæs Cristes cempan.
The words earh winnendan are apparently a gloss carelessly in-
serted in the wrong place; perhaps we should read þam earh-winnendan
mode, the faintly striving soul. Earh, substantive, means an arrow;
but I do not see how that sense can be given to it here. The Latin
runs thus: Dum enim omnis nequitiæ suæ vires versuta mente ten-
taret, tum veluti ab extenso arcu venenifluam desperationis sagittam
totis viribus jaculavit, quousque in Christi militis mente umbone defixa
pependit.
Ibid. line 5.
Verc. Fr. werigan for awerigedan. The same substitution takes
place wherever the word occurs.
Ibid. line 10.
Verc. Fr. fyrena for synna.


112
NOTES AND
Page 28, line 18.
Verc. Fr. wol-berendan for tweogendum.
Verc. Fr. feonde for blipe.
Page 30, line 1.
Ibid. line 7.
Verc. Fr. hine het þæt him ne tweode no, etc.
Verc. Fr. tu for twegen.
Ibid. line 9.
Verc. Fr. Ja he se haliga Guðlac pas word gehyrde his þæs ge-
trywan freondes, þa wæs on gæstlicre blisse and heofoncundre
gife swide gfeode [r. gefeonde] and his geleafan fæste in God sylfne
getrymede and fæstnode. Sydðan seo tid wæs þæt næfre þæt deoful
eft wið hine þære ormodnesse wæpnum on hine sceotode.
Verc. Fr. ussa for ure.
Ibid. line 16.
Ibid. line 20.
Verc. Fr. cunedon for fandedon.
Ibid. line 21.
Ibid. line 22.
Verc. Fr. Wene ic [r. is] þæt we þe furðor ne wyllan leng swencan
ne de mid brogan bysmrian, &c.
Page 32, line 3.
Verc. Fr. middangeardes for middaneardes.
Ibid. line 8, ff.
Verc. Fr. ponne gif þu þæs wilnast þæt þu of de ða ærran fre-
mednesse yfelra leahtra of-adwea, þonne scealt þu þinne lichaman


ILLUSTRATIONS.
113
purh forhæfednesse weccean, forpan swið or swa ðu þe her on worulde
wecst [qu.? swencst] and weccest to forgifenesse þinra gylta swa ðu
þonne eft bist in ecnessum getrymed fæstlicor, and swa micle swiðor
swa ðu on þyssan andweardan life ma earfeða dreogest swa micle pu
eft in towyrdnesse forgifest, and þanne þu bist on fæsten her on worulde
astreaht, þonne bist þu ahafen for Godes eagan.
Page 32, line 18.
Verc. Fr. swa on teala micelre, etc.
Ibid. line 19.
Verc. Fr. bid to clansigeanne se man.
Verc. Fr. rec for smic.
Page 34, line 1.
Verc. Fr. geþence for oncnawe.
Ibid. line 3.
Ibid. line 5, ff.
Verc. Fr. hie pa ealle idle and unnytte ongeat; ac þa feng to þære
teala myclan andleofone, þæt was to þam berenan hlafe, and pone
gebygde and his feorh bigferede.
Verc. Fr. cyrme for cyme.
Ibid. line 10.
Verc. Fr. mid wependre stefne bemurnon and wide geond þæt land
wa don; and he se geadiga wer swa gesigefæsted þa bysmornesse ealle
forhogode þæra werigra gasta and him for-naht dyde.
The verb waðan, to wander, flee, is not in Bosworth.
Ibid. line 18.
Ibid. line 19. Hi wæron, etc.
This description has been somewhat abridged by the Anglo-Saxon
translator: I give it in full, marking in italics the parts omitted in the
translation.


114
NOTES AND
Erant enim aspectu truces, formâ terribiles, capitibus magnis, collis
longis, macilentâ facie, lurido vultu, squallidâ barbâ, auribus hispidis,
fronte torvâ, trucibus oculis, ore fœtido, dentibus equinis, gutture
flammivomo, faucibus tortis, labro lato, vocibus horrisonis, comis
combustis, bucculá crassá, pectore arduo, femoribus scabris, genibus
nodosis, cruribus uncis, talo tumido, plantis aversis, ore patulo, cla-
moribus raucisonis. Ita enim immensis vagitibus horrescere audie-
bantur, ut totam pæne a cœlo in terram intercapedinem clangisonis
boatibus implerent.
The Vercelli Fragment agrees in these omissions, which is sufficient
to show that it is based upon the same text as the Cotton MS., not-
withstanding the material alterations introduced throughout.
Page 34, line 20.
Verc. Fr. lange for langne.
Ibid. line 21.
The word manigre (Verc. Fr. mænigre) I have replaced by mægere,
in accordance with the original, macilentâ.
Ibid. line 22. orfyrme.
From or, privative, and feormian, to cleanse. Verc. Fr. bearde for
beardum.
Ibid. line 23.
Verc. Fr. egeslice eagan and ondrysenlice mudas, and heora teð
wæron horses tuxum gelice, and him wæron þa hracan lige afylled.
Topas (in the text) for teð is worthy of note. The same form occurs
in the poetical dialogue of Saturn and Solomon, line 230. In Cod.
Ex. 219, 1. 22, fotas is used for fét.
Page 36, line 1.
Cott. MS. mís crocetton. Verc. Fr. misscrence tán. The latter
reading I adopt in the text. Bosworth explains mis-crocetton, croaked
badly. This does not come very near the original, ore patulo; and
the reading misscrence tán answers much better to the words plantis
aversis. Gescrencean, for-screncan, mean to trip up, supplantare.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
115
Elfric uses the word for-screncend to explain the name Jacob, i. e.
supplanter. Hom. vol. i, p. 586. Gescrincan, forscrincan, from which
these words are derivatives, mean to shrink, wither, intransitively.
Mis-screnc (qu.? mis-screnct) may therefore well mean distorted,
shrivelled.
Page 36, line 2.
Verc. Fr. and hi swa ungemetlice hrymdon and foran mid forht-
licum egesum and ungepwærnessum þæt hit þuhte þæt hit eall be-
tweoh, etc.
Ibid. line 5.
Verc. Fr. ylding for yldend. The termination end denotes an actor,
ing or ung, an action. The words, Næs þa nænig yldend must there-
fore be explained to mean, None of them delayed; not, There was
no delay.
Ibid. line 7.
Verc. Fr. gebundenum hine tugon.
Ibid. line 9.
Verc. Fr. þæt swearte fenn.
Ibid. line 9.
The Cotton MS. reads orwehtan, which Bosworth explains, without
water (from or, and, wæt). The original is, cœnosis. The reading of
the Verc. Fr. horwihtan, from horu, horuwe, filth, mud (like stæniht,
hæriht), seems clearly the true one, and I have adopted it in the text.
Ibid. line 12.
Verc. Fr. betuh for betwux.
Ibid. line 14.
Verc. Fr. on þære þystran nihte.
Ibid. line 15.
Verc. Fr. Læton hie hine bidan ana and gestandan.


116
NOTES AND
Page 36, line 17.
Verc. Fr. Mid maran brogan bysmrigan and wacan.
Ibid. line 21.
Verc. Fr. omits the words fram þe, which come in awkwardly
enough in the text.
Ibid. line 24.
Verc. Fr. in þam ondrysenlicum fiderum betuh þa caldan facu.
Ibid. line 27.
Verc. Fr. þam sweartestum afylled swiðra genipa. pa geseah he
semninga þær da ondrysenlican fiðeru ongen cuman þara werigra
gasta, and unmæte weorod hyra þær coman togenes.
Page 38, line 2.
Verc. Fr. gebyddon for gegaderodon.
Ibid. line 4.
Verc. Fr. tintreges gomum helle dures. The Cottonian MS. reads
duru, which, if retained, must be considered, I suppose, as an ac-
cusative. The passage seems to require the dative, and I have ac-
cordingly placed dura in the text. If dures be not a mere blunder
of the scribes, it adds another anomaly to the declension of duru,
which is properly decl. 111. 3 of Rask, but takes dura and duran in
the oblique cases.
Ibid. line 4.
Verc. Fr. Da he bær geseah þa smicendan pismas (qu.? prosmas)
þara byrnenda liga, and þone ege þære sweartan nywylnesse, he da
sona was ofergeotol ealra þæra tintrega þe he fram þam werigum
gastum ær dreah and drefde; and na læs þán (r. þæt an) þæt he þær
þa leglican hyde dæs fyres upþyddan geseah and eac þa (r. þæs)
fullan swefles þær geseah upgeotan.


ILLUSTRATIONS,
117
To these latter words there is no equivalent in the Cottonian MS.
They correspond, however, to a paragraph in the original.
Page 38, line 9.
Verc. Fr. ligeas for lega.
Ibid. line 13.
Verc. Fr. para wita, and hine for by ege swiðlice onþræc, da
cleopodon, etc.
Ibid. line 16.
Verc. Fr. on ðæs witu þisse neowolnesse.
Ibid. line 20.
Verc. Fr. þystra bearnum and forwyrde tuddor, ge syndon dustes
acsan: hwa geaf eow yrmingum, etc.
Verc. Fr. earo for gearu.
Ibid. line 24.
Ibid. line 26.
Verc. Fr. bregian for egsian.
Page 40, line 5.
Verc. Fr. betuh pa dimman þystro. The Cottonian text has þa
dimnysse peostru. Dimnysse, a genitive of quality, intervenes between
the substantive and its article, in place of an adjective, without dis-
turbing the concord. See Note on p. 2, l. 9.
Ibid. line 7.
Verc. Fr. gewunigean for awunian.
Ibid. line 8.
Verc. Fr. hie sylfe in heolstre hyddon.


118
NOTES AND
Page 40, line 10.
Verc. Fr. gefeannesse for gefean. The Fragment winds
up here
with the words: And þa æfter þam fleah se haliga Guðlac mid þam
Apostole Sce Bartbolomei to heofona rices wuldre, and bine se Hælend
þær onfeng, and he þær leofað and rixad in heofona rices wuldre a
butan ende on ecnesse. Amen, fiat.
Ibid. line 21. Ibunt de virtute, etc.
These were the words which Furseus heard chanted by the angelic
host. I refer the reader to Mr. Wright's interesting work entitled,
St. Patrick's Purgatory, for an account of the visions of that saint,
and others of a similar character, which belong to the age of Guthlac.
Page 42, line 7.
Cenred began to reign A. D. 704, and in A.D. 709 went to Rome,
where he ended his days.
Ibid. line 20. afyldon.
The original runs: Illum vero intercipientes, acutis hastarum spiculis
in auras levare cœperunt. I am doubtful whether afyldon should be
translated "they filled" or "they felled," but have adopted the latter
meaning.
Page 44, line 22.
þwean.
It may be proper to observe that the original has nothing equivalent
to the words, þæt he hine wolde þwean, which would seem to imply
that Guthlac's ablutions took place only every twenty days. The
Latin is: Ut assolebat, post bis denos dierum cursus tonderare deve-
nisset.
Page 46, line 6. þa deap-berendan water.
Several neuters of the third declension in el, en, er, or, which should
regularly form their nominative and accusative plural in u, are found
occasionally (as if belonging to the second declension), making no altera-
tion in these cases. See p. 36, 1. 9, þa horwihtan water. Beda, p. 690,
1. 10 (Smith), þa wundor. Orosius, lib. iv, cap. 2, þa yfelan wundor.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
119
Life of Guthlac, p. 72, 1. 3, þa wundor. Cod. Ex., p. 111, 1. 15, purh
gastlicu wundor. Beda, p. 608, 1. 39, eall þa hrægel . . . ungewemmed
wæron; and p. 609, 1. 10, þa sylfan hrægel. Life of Guthlac, p. 90,
1. 23, þa hrægl. Cod. Ex., p. 204, 1. 12, tungol beoð ahyded. Cod.
Ex., p. 20, l. 11, beoð wolcen towegen.
Page 46, line 10. unablinnu.
Bosworth explains this word to mean incessatio, non intermissa series,
from blin or ablinnan. The Latin text has no word corresponding
to it. It seems to belong to the class of neuter plurals used in an
abstract sense, like eaðmetto and ofermetto. (Rask, Gram. 92.)
Ibid. line 20. befeal.
This is the perfect of a verb, befeolan, which is not given in Bosworth's
Lexicon, but which occurs infra, p. 52, ult. Etfeolan, perf. ætfealh
is given in the Lexicons, and the Vercelli Fragment uses this word for
befeal, p. 26, 1. 21. There appears to be two distinct verbs, namely,
feallan, p. feoll. part. gefeallan (conj. ii, 2, of Rask); and feolan, p. feal
or fealh (qu.? iii, 1, making, perhaps, folgen in the participle). As the
Anglo-Saxon does not form one verb of the complex order from another
of the same, I question whether there be any radical connexion be-
tween these verbs; and would suggest, as matter for inquiry, whether
the verb fyligean or fylgan (conj. ii, 2, the g being a radical letter) be
not derived from feolan, fealh. (See Rask, Gram. 347.) The h in the
perfect points to a g in the root. Befeolan, ætfeolan, answer to the
words incumbere, insistere, and involve the idea of pursuing rather
than falling.
Page 50, line 8. sarig.
Grammar requires sarigne. It is difficult to say whether a reading
of this kind is the result of mere carelessness in transcription, or of
lax and corrupt usage. In p. 92, 1. 22, we find: Ne hyne nan man
yrre geseah ne úngeornfulne, etc., where yrrne would be grammatically
correct.
Ibid. line 14. þæt egland.
Qu.? þæm eglande. Neah governs the dative. In p. 58, l. 19, we
find, wel neah þam eglande.


120
NOTES AND
Page 50, line 20.
Qu.? whether we should not read gearnunge, and mildheortnysse,
according to the Latin construction; non sui meriti, sed divinæ
miserationis. However, in p. 58, 1. 16, we find: Gif þæt Godes
stihtung wære, which may support the use of the nominative in this
passage.
Ibid. line 10. gefere.
Properly gefera; and in the title we should read geferan. The
word is of Decl. i, 2, of Rask. I abstain from correcting in the text,
thinking that this spelling may be not so much an error of the scribe
as a corrupt usage, occasioned by the existence of a numerous class of
words in ere (Decl. ii, 2), to which gefere may have been thought to
belong. In the title of chap. xviii, Hædde is written for Hæddan,
and in that of chap. xvii, abbodysse for abbodyssan. The latter I
have corrected in the text.
Page 52, line 4. leofe-bene.
Leof, læf or leaf, leave. Hence leafe-ben, leave-asking.
Ibid. line 9. drencton.
MS. dremdon. If this reading be retained, translate, "they de-
lighted each other." Th original is, Divinarum Scriptuarum
haustibus inebriarent; from which, and from the similar use of in-
drencton, p. 72, 1. 7, I have little doubt drencton is the true reading.
Page 54, line 22. þæs huses hrofe.
The MS. has pam. As a particular house is meant, it is to the word
huses that the article must belong, and I correct accordingly. See
Note on p. 2, 1. 9.
Page 56, line 2. mid bliðum andwlite and góde mode.
I have before noticed the use of two different cases with one prepo-
sition. Here we have the dative and ablative joined with mid.
Page 58, line 5. acsodon.
The verb acsian, like the Greek Tvvlávoμai, means to receive in-
formation as well as to demand it. See p. 94, 1. 1.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
121
Page 60, line 6. raxende.
This word is not to be found in Bosworth, nor in any of the Anglo-
Saxon glossaries which I have consulted. The Latin runs thus: Ipse
autem, velut qui de æstuantis gurgitis fluctibus ad portum deducitur,
longa suspicia imo de pectore trahens, etc. To these latter words
raxende appears to correspond. The word raxed occurs in Piers
Ploughman, explained by Mr. Wright in the glossary, To hawk, spit.
Raux, or rax, is also a north-country word, signifying to stretch (see
Jameson's Scottish Dictionary, and Halliwell's Dictionary of Archaic
and Provincial Words), probably akin to the Anglo-Saxon ræcan,
reach, retch.
Page 64, line 23. behydde.
For behyddon. It is not noticed in the grammars that the perfect
(as well as the present, see Rask, Gram. 197) frequently takes the
termination e for on in the plural, when the pronoun follows the
verb. As instances, take the following: Matt. vii, 22, Húne witegode
we on þinum naman? Matt. xii, 3, Ne rædde ge?
gyf we wæron on ure fædera dagum, nære we geferan. Matt. xxvi,
37, Hwænne gesawe we? John xv, 16, ne gecure ge me. Elf. Hom.
vol. ii, p. 350, 1. 5, Đa become wit to anre dene.
Matt. xxiii. 31,
Page 66, line 11. aper oððe.
A similar redundancy of the disjunctive aper occurs in Alfred's
Orosius (Thorpe's Analecta, p. 84): Eall þæt his man aber oððe ettan
orde erian mæg.
Page 68, line 17. hine.
Reaf being neuter, if this reading be correct, we must suppose hine
to refer to some masculine noun signifying a garment; gegyrla,
perhaps.
Ibid. line 23. on þa fyrle.
German in die ferne, into the distance.
Page 72, line 14. [bysena.]
Latin: Divinarum scripturarum exemplis.
6


122
NOTES AND
Page 74, line 1. þam biscopes þegnum.
I have abstained from correcting, but have little doubt that the
true reading is þæs biscopes þegnum, the officers of a particular
bishop being meant, not bishop's-officers, as we say sheriff's-officers,
indicating a distinct class of persons. In p. 70, l. 12, we find, cor-
rectly, þæs bisceopes þegnas.
Ibid. line 3. hwyle pincð.
MS. pince, in the subjunctive. But it does not seem correct to use
the subjunctive after a direct interrogative. If the words saga me
precede, so as to make the interrogative dependent, the Anglo-Saxon
permits either the indicative or subjunctive to follow. The dialogues
of Salomon and Saturn, and of Adrian and Ritheus, afford numerous
examples of this varying usage. In the latter dialogue, Question 24,
Saga me, hwylce wihta beoð, etc.; and Question 28, Saga me, hwyle
man wære deád, etc.
Page 74, line 10. hárfæstlice.
MS. árfæstlice. Latin: In autumnali tempore.
Ibid. line 14. Aldwulfes.
Aldwulf, king of the East-Angles, began to reign A.D. 663, died A.D.
713. His daughter Ecgburh was abbess of Repandun. See Genealogy
of the Kings of East-Anglia, Thorpe's Lappenberg, vol. i.
Page 76, line 13.
Ceolred.
Began to reign a.d. 709, died a.D. 716. Æthelbald, the exile here
mentioned, succeeded him in a.d.716. See Genealogy of the Kings of
Mercia, Thorpe's Lappenberg, vcl. i.
Page 78, line 5. on gerisne.
Dr. Bosworth translates this phrase rapinâ, from risan or gerisan,
to seize. The original certainly is: Non in prædâ, nec in rapinâ regnum
tibi dabitur. But qu.? whether it be not from gerisen, fit, right;
meaning jure or ratione, by right, or, in consequence of. Compare the
phrases mid rihte and mid gerisenum, coupled in p. 2, 1. 4.


ILLUSTRATIONS.
123
Page 78, line 12. þæt ricu, etc.
In the original these words commence the next chapter, and are
preparatory to the account of Guthlac's death. Verum quoniam
humanum genus ab initio mortalis miseriæ quotidie ad finem decurrit,
mutatis temporibus generationes et regna mutantur, etc. A line has
apparently been lost in the translation, wherein mention was made of
the human race, to which hit is meant to refer. But compare
p. 86, 1. 2.
Ibid. line 13. se rica, etc.
These nominatives want a verb, the construction being changed, as
in p. 88, ll. 13, 14.
Page 80, line 2. hine het gyrwan.
Latin præparare cœpit. Literally, he bid himself prepare.
Page 80, line 21. mettrumnys.
MS. mettrumnysse. The termination nysse for nys in the nominative
occurs so frequently in the MS. hereabouts, that it may be thought to
be less the blunder of the copyist than an evidence of declining atten-
tion to correctness of grammatical inflexion at the time when he wrote.
Smith's Beda affords numerous instances of the same corruption.
Page 82, line 4. eago-spind.
Literally, eye-fat. The glossaries spell this word in a great variety
of ways. Hagu-spind, hagu-swind, eagan-spind, eagan-swind, heago-
spind, hecga-spind.
Ibid. line 10.
The original has: Tantæ ergo fidei fuit, ut mortem quæ cunctis
mortalibus timenda formidandaque videtur, ille velut requiem aut
præmium laboris judicaret. The words se cupa, etc., seem introduced
by mistake, and afford no sense. A phrase somewhat similar occurs
p. 92, ult., where the original is: Ita ut extra humanam naturam notis
ignotisque esse videretur.


124
NOTES AND
Page 84, line 1. behealt.
So the MS. Beheald is the correct reading. Synt occurs for synd,
p. 96, 1. 4, perhaps indicating that the final d (as in modern German)
often assumed the sound of t.
Ibid. line 7. bidde.
More correctly, bide. Rask, Gram. 230.
Ibid. ult. nelt.
Wyllan has no imperative mood; because, as Ælfric the grammarian
observes, the will should ever be free. It is in accordance with this
rule that we find nelt and ne wylt (p. 96, 1. 1), the 2d person present
indicative, used instead of an imperative. Yet as the will may be
controlled, a real imperative (nelle) of the negative verb nyllan is also
admitted. So in Latin, noli; there being no corresponding imperative
to volo.
Page 86, line 8. gehihte.
Hiht means hope, joy; hence gehihtan must mean here to alleviate
by inspiring hope.
Page 88, line 11. torr.
MS. topp, i. e. vertex, fastigium. The Latin has turrim; and in
the metrical version, Cod. Ex. p. 180, 1. 26, the word used is tor.
Heofonlic leoma.
Qu.? ormætum.
from foldan up.
swylce fyren tor.
ryht aræred.
Ibid. line 17. ormædum.
Page 90, line 7. Awolde, etc.
A very similar passage occurs in Alfred's Beda, lib. iv, cap. 30, by
the help of which we may correct the errors of the text in this place.
Wolde da openlicor ætywan seo godcunde arfæstnysse (read arfæstnys)


ILLUSTRATIONS.
125
on hu myclum wuldre se Drihtnes wer Cupbyrht æfter his deaþe lifede,
ðæs his lif ær þam deape mid healicum tacnum heofonlicra wundra
openode and ætywde.
Ibid. line 16. circlicre.
MS, cynlice. Latin: aliis ecclesiasticis gradibus.
Page 96, line 12. his scipes-man.
Latin quidam vir paterfamilias in provinciâ Wissa, without any
mention of Athelbald. Probably the true reading is hiwscipes-man,
and the words, þæs fores precenan wræccan Apelbaldes, should be
omitted.
Ibid. line 13. Wissa.
The province of the Gewissas or West Saxons, I presume. See
Thorpe's Lappenberg, vol. i, p. 109.
Ibid. line 14. fleo.
Latin: albugo. A white spot in the eye.
Somner gives the word eag-flea, in the same sense.
FINIS.
Written also fleah.
C. AND J. ADLARD, PRINTERS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE.





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M.A., F.S.A., 2 stout vols. post 8vo. elegantly printed, cloth, 16s
Contents:-Essay I. Anglo-Saxon Poetry. II. Anglo-Norman Poetry. III. Chan-
sons de Geste, or Historical Romances of the Middle Ages. IV. On Proverbs and Po-
pular Sayings. V. On the Anglo-Latin Poets of the Twelfth Century. VI. Abelard and
the Scholastic Philosophy. VII. On Dr. Grimm's German Mythology. VIII. On the Na-
tional Fairy Mythology of England. IX. On the Popular Superstitions of Modern Greece.
and their connection with the English. X. On Friar Rush, and the Frolicsome Elves. XI.
On Dunlop's History of Fiction. XII. On the History and Transmission of Popular Stories.
XIII. On the Poetry of History. XIV. Adventures of Hereward the Saxon. XV. The
Story of Eustace the Monk. XVI. The History of Fulke Fitzwarine. XVII. On the
Popular Cycle of Robin-Hood Ballads. XVIII. On the Conquest of Ireland by the Anglo-
Normans. XIX. On Old English Political Songs. XX. On the Scottish Poet Dunbar.
The Early History of Freemasonry in England,
Illustrated by an English Poem of the XIVth Century, with Notes, by
J. O. HALLIWELL, post 8vo. SECOND EDITION, with a facsimile of the
original MS. in the British Museum, cloth, 2s 6d
"The interest which the curious poem of which this publication is chiefly composed
has excited, is proved by the fact of its having been translated into German, and of it
having reached a second edition, which is not common with such publications. Mr. Hal-
liwell has carefully revised the new edition, and increased its utility by the addition of a
complete and correct glossary."-Literary Gazette.
Torrent of Portugal; an English Metrical Ro-
mance, now first published, from an unique MS. of the XVth century,
preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester, edited by J. O. HALLI-
WELL, &c. post 8vo. cloth, uniform with Ritson, Weber, and Ellis's
publications, 58
"This is a valuable and interesting addition to our list of early English metrical
romances, and an indispensable companion to the collections of Ritson, Weber, and
Ellis."-Literary Gazette.
"A literary curiosity, and one both welcome and serviceable to the lover of black-
letter lore. Though the obsoleteness of the style may occasion sad stumbling to a modern
reader, yet the class to which it rightly belongs will value it accordingly; both because it
is curious in its details, and possesses philological importance. To the general reader it
presents one feature, viz. the reference to Wayland Smith, whom Sir W. Scott has invested
with so much interest."-
"-Metropolitan Magazine.
The Harrowing of Hell, a Miracle Play, written in
the Reign of Edward II., now first published from the Original in the
British Museum, with a Modern Reading, Introduction, and Notes, by
JAMES ORCHARD Halliwell, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A., &c. 8vo. sewed, 28
This curious piece is supposed to be the earliest specimen of dramatic composition in
the English Language; vide Hallam's Literature of Europe, Vol. I.; Strutt's Manners
and Customs, Vol. II.; Warton's English Poetry; Sharon Turner's England; Collier's
History of English Dramatic Poetry, Vol. II. p. 213. All these writers refer to the
Manuscript.
Nuga Poeticæ; Select
Select Pieces of Old English
Popular Poetry, illustrating the Manners and Arts of the XVth Century,
edited by J. O. HALLIWELL, post 8vo. only 100 copies printed, cloth, 5s
Contents:-Colyn Blowbol's Testament; the Debate of the Carpenter's Tools; the
Merchant and his Son; the Maid and the Magpie; Elegy on Lobe, Henry VIIIth's Fool;
Romance of Robert of Sicily, and five other curious pieces of the same kind.
Reliques of Irish Jacobite Poetry, with Interlinear
Translations, and Biographical Sketches of the Authors, and Notes by
J. DALY, also English Metrical Versions by E. WALSH, 8vo. parts 1 and 2,
(all yet published,) 28


4
John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
Rara Mathematica; or a Collection of Treatises on
the Mathematics and Subjects connected with them, from ancient inedited
MSS. by J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo. SECOND EDITION, cloth, 38 6d
Contents: Johannis de Sacro-Bosco Tractatus de Arte Numerandi; Method used in
England in the Fifteenth Century for taking the Altitude of a Steeple; Treatise on the Nu-
meration of Algorism; Treatise on Glasses for Optical Purposes, by W. Bourne; Johannis
Robyns de Cometis Commentaria; Two Tables showing the time of High Water at
London Bridge, and the Duration of Moonlight, from a MS. of the Thirteenth Century; on
the Mensuration of Heights and Distances; Alexandri de Villa Dei Carmen de Algorismo;
Preface to a Calendar or Almanack for 1430; Johannis Norfolk in Artem progressionis
summula; Notes on Early Almanacs, by the Editor, &c. &c.
Popular Errors in English Grammar, particularly
in Pronunciation, familiarly pointed out, by GEORGE JACKSON, 12mo.
Third Edition, with a coloured frontispiece of the "Sedes Busbeiana,” 6d
Provincial Dialects of England.
Bibliographical List of all the Works which have
been published towards illustrating the Provincial Dialects of England, by
JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, post 8vo. 1s
"Very serviceable to such as prosecute the study of our provincial dialects, or are
collecting works on that curious subject. We very cordially recomment it to notice."
Metropolitan.
An Historical Sketch of the Provincial Dialects
of England, illustrated by numerous examples, Extracted from the "Dic-
tionary of Archaic and Provincial Words," by James Orchard Halli-
WELL, 8vo. sewed, 28
Poems of Rural Life, in the Dorset Dialect, with a
Dissertation and Glossary, by WILLIAM BARNES, SECOND EDITION, EN-
LARGED AND CORRECTED, royal 12mo. cloth, 10s
A fine poetic feeling is displayed through the various pieces in this volume; according
to some critics nothing has appeared equal to it since the time of Burns; the Gentle-
man's Magazine' for Dec, 1844, gave a review of the first edition some pages in length.
A Glossary of Provincial Words and Phrases in use
in Wiltshire, showing their Derivation in numerous instances from the
Language of the Anglo-Saxons, by JOHN YONGE AKERMAN, Esq. F.S.A.,
12mo. cloth, 38
The Vocabulary of East Anglia, an attempt to
record the vulgar tongue of the twin sister Counties, Norfolk and Suffolk,
as it existed in the last twenty years of the Eighteenth Century, and still
exists; with proof of its antiquity from Etymology and Authority, by the
Rev. R. FORBY, 2 vols. post 8vo. cloth, 12s (original price £1. 1s)
Westmoreland and Cumberland Dialects, Dialogues,
Poems, Songs, and Ballads, by various Writers, in the Westmoreland and
Cumberland Dialects, now first collected, to which is added, a Copious
Glossary of Words peculiar to those Counties, post 8vo. pp. 408, cloth, 9s
This collection comprises, in the Westmoreland Dialect, Mrs. Ann Wheeler's Four
Familiar Dialogues, with Poems, &c.; and in the Cumberlands Dialect, I. Poems and
Pastorals by the Rev. Josiah Relph; II. Pastorals, &c., by Ewan Clark; III. Letters from
Dublin by a young_Borrowdale Shepherd, by Isaac Ritson; IV. Poems by John Stagg ;
V. Poems by Mark Lonsdale; VI. Ballads and Songs by Robert Anderson, the Cumbrian
Bard (including some now first printed); VII. Songs by Miss Blamire and Miss Gilpin;
VIII. Songs by John Rayson; IX. An Extensive Glossary of Westmoreland and Cumber
land Words.


John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
5
Specimens of Cornish Provincial Dialects, collected
and arranged by Uncle Jan Treenoodle, with some Introductory Remarks
and a Glossary by an Antiquarian Friend, also a Selection of Songs and
other Pieces connected with Cornwall, post 8vo. with curious portrait of
Dolly Pentreath, cloth, 4s
Exmoor Scolding and Courtship in the Propriety
and Decency of Exmoor (Devonshire) Language, with Notes and a Glos-
sary, post 8vo. 12th edition, 1s 6d
66 A very rich bit of West of Englandism."- Metropolitan.
The Yorkshire Dialect, exemplified in various Dia-
logues, Tales, and Songs, applicable to the County, with a Glossary, post
8vo. 1s
"A shilling book worth its money; most of the pieces of composition are not only
harmless, but good and pretty. The eclogue on the death of Awd Daisy," an outworn
horse, is an outpouring of some of the best feelings of the rustic mind; and the addresses to
riches and poverty have much of the freedom and spirit of Burns."
Gent.'s Magazine, May, 1841.
A Collection of Fugitive Pieces in the Dialect of
Zummerzet, edited by J. O. HALLIWELL, post 8vo. only 50 printed, 28
Dick and Sal, or Jack and Joan's Fair, a Doggrel
Poem, in the Kentish Dialect, 3rd edition, 12mo. 6d
Jan Cladpole's Trip to 'Merricur in Search for Dollar
Trees, and how he got rich enough to beg his way home! written in Sussex
Doggerel, 12mo. 6d
John Noakes and Mary Styles, a Poem, exhibiting
some of the most striking lingual localisms peculiar to Essex, with a Glos-
sary, by CHARLES CLARK, Esq. of Great Totham Hall, Essex, post 8vo.
cloth, 28
"The poem possesses considerable humour."-Tait's Mag." A very pleasant trifle."
Lit. Gaz. "A very clever production."-Essex Lit. Journal. Full of rich humour."-
Essex Mercury. "Very droll."-Metropolitan. "Exhibits the dialect of Essex per-
fectly."-Eclectic Review. "Full of quaint wit and humour."-Gent.'s Mag. May 1841.
"A very clever and amusing piece of local description."-Archeologist.
Grose's (Francis, F.S.A.) Glossary of Provincial
and Local Words used in England, with which is now first incorporated
the SUPPLEMENT by SAMUEL PEGGE, F.S.A., post 8vo. elegantly printed,
cloth, 4s 6d
The utility of a Provincial Glossary to all persons desirous of understanding our
ancient Poets is so universally acknowledged, that to enter into a proof of it would be
entirely a work of supererogation. Grose and Pegge are constantly referred to in Todd's
"Johnson's Dictionary."
Archaeology and Numismatics.
The Druidical Temples of the County of Wilts, by
the Rev. E. DUKE, M.A., F.S.A., Member of the Archæological Institute,
&c., Author of the "Hall of John Halle," and other works, 12mo. plates,
cloth, 58
"Mr. Duke has been long honourably known as a zealous cultivator of our local
antiquities. His collections on this subject, and on the literature of Wiltshire, are nowhere
surpassed; while his residence on the borders of the Plain, and within reach of our most
interesting remains, has afforded scope to his meritorious exertions. The work before us is
the fruit of long study and laborious investigation.”—Salisbury Journal.


6
John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
An Archæological Index to Remains of Antiquity
of the Celtic, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon Periods, by JOHN YONGE
AKERMAN, F.S.A., in 1 vol. 8vo. illustrated with numerous engravings,
comprising upward of five hundred objects, cloth, 158
This work, though intended as an introduction and a guide to the study of our early
antiquities, will it is hoped also prove of service, as a book of reference to the practised
Archæologist. The contents are as follows:
PART I. CELTIC PERIOD.-Tumuli, or Barrows and Cairns.-Cromlechs.-Sepulchral
Caves.-Rocking Stones.-Stone Circles, etc. etc.-Objects discovered in Celtic Sepulchres.
-Urns.-Beads.-Weapons.-Implements, etc.
ROMANO-BRITISH
PART II.
PERIOD.-Tumuli of the Roman-British Period.-
Burial Places of the Romans.-Pavements.-Camps.-Villas.-Sepulchral Monuments.
-Sepulchral Inscriptions.- Dedicatory Inscriptions. Commemorative Inscriptions.-
Altars.-Urns.- Glass Vessels.-Fibulæ.-Armillæ.-Coins.-Coin-Moulds, etc. etc.
PART III. ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.-Tumuli.-Detailed List of Objects discovered
in Anglo-Saxon Barrows.-Urns.-Swords.-Spears.-Knives. - Umbones of Shields.-
Buckles. Fibulæ.-Bullæ. - Hair Pins-Beads, etc. etc. etc. etc.
The ITINERARY of ANTONINUS (as far as relates to Britain). The Geographical Tables
of PTOLEMY, the NOTITIA, and the ITINERARY of RICHARD of CIRENCESTER, together
with a classified Index of the contents of the ARCHEOLOGIA (Vols. i. to xxxi.) are given
in an Appendix.
estiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire, and the
Sepulchral Usages of its Inhabitants, from the most remote ages to the
Reformation, by THOMAS BATEMAN, Esq. of Yolgrave, 8vo. profusely
illustrated with woodcuts, cloth, £1. 1s
Notitia Britanniæ, or an Inquiry concerning the
Localities, Habits, Condition, and Progressive Civilization of the Abori-
gines of Britain; to which is appended a brief Retrospect of the Results of
their Intercourse with the Romans, by W. D. SAULL, F.S.A., F.G.S., &c.
8vo. engravings, 38 6d
A Verbatim Report of the Proceedings at a Special
General Meeting of the British Archæological Association, held at the Theatre
of the Western Library Institution, 5th March, 1845, T. J. Pettigrew in
the Chair. With an Introduction by THOMAS WRIGHT, 8vo. sewed, 1s 6d
A succinct history of the division between the Archæological Association and Institute.
British Archæological Association.-A Report of
the Proceedings and Excursions of the Members of the British Archæolo-
gical Association, at the Canterbury Session, Sept. 1844, by A. J. Dun-
KIN, thick 8vo. with many engravings, cloth, £1. Is
"The volume contains most of the papers entire that were read at the Meeting, and
revised by the authors. It will become a scarce book as only 120 were printed; and it
forms the first yearly volume of the Archæological Association, or the Archæological
Institute."
Coins of the Romans relating to Britain, Described
and Illustrated, by J. Y. AKERMAN, F.S.A., Secretary to the Numismatic
Society, &c. Second edition, greatly enlarged, 8vo. with plates and wood-
ts, 10s 6d
The "Prix de Numismatique" has just been awarded by the French Institute to the
author for this work.
"Mr. Akerman's volume contains a notice of every known variety, with copious
illustrations, and is published at very moderate price; it should be consulted, not merely
for these particular coins, but also for facts most valuable to all who are interested in the
Romano-British history."-Archæological Journal.
Ancient Coins of Cities and Princes, Geographically
arranged and described, HISPANIA, GALLIA, BRITANNIA, by J. Y. AKER-
MAN, F.S.A., 8vo. with engravings of many hundred coins from actual
examples, cloth, 188


John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
7
Numismatic Illustrations of the Narrative Portions
of the New Testament, fine paper, numerous woodcuts from the original
coins in various public and private collections, 1 vol. 8vo. cloth, 5s 6d
Lectures on the Coinage of the Greeks and Romans,
delivered in the University of Oxford, by EDWARD CARDWell, D.D.,
Principal of St. Alban's Hall, and Professor of Ancient History, 8vo. cloth,
reduced from 88 6d to 48
A very interesting historical volume, and written in a pleasing and popular manner.
Essay on the Numismatic History of the Ancient
Kingdom of the East Angles, by D. H. HAIGH, royal 8vo. 5 plates, con-
taining numerous figures of coins, sewed, 68
A Hand-Book of English Coins, from the Conquest
to Victoria, by L. JEWITT, 12mo. 11 plates, cloth, 18
Heraldry and Topography.
The Curiosities of Heraldry, with Illustrations from
Old English Writers, by MARK ANTONY LOWER, Author of "Essays
on English Surnames;" with Illuminated Title-page, and numerous engrav-
ings from designs by the Author, 8vo. cloth, GULES, appropriately orna-
mented, OR, 148
"The present volume is truly a worthy sequel (to the 'SURNAMES') in the same
curious and antiquarian line, blending with remarkable facts and intelligence, such a fund
of amusing anecdote and illustration, that the reader is almost surprised to find that he has
learnt so much, whilst he appeared to be pursuing mere entertainment. The text is so
pleasing that we scarcely dream of its sterling value; and it seems as if, in unison with the
woodcuts, which so cleverly explain its points and adorn its various topics, the whole
design were intended for a relaxation from study, rather than an ample exposition of an
extraordinary and universal custom, which produced the most important effect upon the
minds and habits of mankind."-Literary Gazette.
"Mr. Lower's work is both curious and instructive, while the manner of its treatment
is so inviting and popular, that the subject to which it refers, which many have hitherto
had too good reason to consider meagre and unprofitable, assumes, under the hands of the
writer, the novelty of fiction with the importance of historical truth."-Athenæum.
English Surnames. A Series of Essays on Family
Nomenclature, Historical, Etymological, and Humorous; with Chapters
on Canting Arms, Rebuses, and the Roll of Battel Abbey, a List of Latin-
ized Surnames, &c. by MARK ANTONY LOWER. The second edition,
enlarged, post 8vo. pp. 292, with 20 woodcuts, cloth, 6s
To those who are curious about their patronymic, it will be found a very instructive
and amusing volume- mingling wit and pleasantry, with antiquarian research and
historical interest.
An Index to the Pedigrees and Arms, contained
in the Heralds' Visitations, in the British Museum, alphabetically arranged
in Counties, 8vo. cloth, 10s 6d
An indispensable work to those engaged in Genealogical and Topographical pursuits,
affording a ready clue to the Pedigrees and Arms of nearly 20,000 of the Gentry of
England, their Residences, &c. (distinguishing the different families of the same name in
any county), as recorded by the Heralds in their Visitations between the years 1528 to 1686.
History and Antiquities of the Ancient Port and
Town of Rye in Sussex, compiled from Original Documents, by WILLIAM
HOLLOWAY, Esq., thick 8vo. ONLY 200 PRINTED, cloth, £1. 1s


8
John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
Pedigrees of the Nobility and Gentry of Hertford-
shire, by WILLIAM BERRY, late and for fifteen years Registering Clerk in
the College of Arms, Author of the "Encyclopædia Heraldica," &c. &c.
folio, (only 125 printed), bds. £3. 10s, reduced to £1. 58
A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct
and Dormant Baronetcies of England, Ireland and Scotland, by J. Burke,
Esq. medium 8vo. SECOND EDITION, 638 closely printed pages,
double
columns with about 1000 arms engraved on wood, fine portrait of JAMES 1.,
and illuminated title-page, extra cloth, £1. 8s reduced to 108
This work, which has engaged the attention of the Authors for several years, comprises
nearly a thousand families, many of them amongst the most ancient and eminent in the
kingdom, each carried down to its representative or representatives still existing, with
elaborate and minute details of the alliances, achievements, and fortunes, generation after
generation, from the earliest to the latest period. The work is printed to correspond
precisely with the last edition of Mr. Burke's Dictionary of the Existing Peerage and
Baronetage: the armorial bearings are engraved in the best style, and are incorporated
with the text as in that work.
History and Antiquities of Dartford in Kent, with
Incidental Notices of Places in its Neighbourhood, by J. DUNKIN, Author
of the "History of the Hundreds of Bullington and Ploughley in Oxford-
shire;
66
"History of Bicester;" History of Bromley," &c. 8vo. 17 plates,
cloth. Only 150 printed, 21s
Historic Sites and other Remarkable and Interest-
ing Places in the County of Suffolk, by JOHN WODDERSPOON, with Pre-
fatory Verses by Bernard BARTON, Esq., and a Poetical Epilogue by a
"SUFFOLK VILLAGER." Improved edition, fine woodcuts, post 8vo.
pp. 232, closely printed, and containing as much matter as many 12s
volumes, cloth, ONLY 4s 6d
History of Banbury, in Oxfordshire, including
Copious Historical and Antiquarian Notices of the Neighbourhood, by
ALFRED BEESLEY, thick 8vo. 684 closely printed pages, with 60 woodcuts,
engraved in the first style of art, by O. Jewitt, of Oxford, (pub. at £1. 5s)
now reduced to 14s
"The neighbourhood of Banbury is equally rich in British, Roman, Saxon, Norman,
and English Antiquities, of all which Mr. Beesley has given regularly cleared accounts.
Banbury holds an important place in the history of the Parliamentary War of the Seven-
teenth Century, and was the scene of the great Battle of Edgehill, and of the important
fight of Cropredy Bridge. Relating to the events of that period, the author has collected a
great body of local information of the most interesting kind. By no means the least
valuable part of Mr. Beesley's work, is his account of the numerous interesting early
churches, which characterize the Banbury district."-The Archæologist.
Odd Parts to complete copies, 1s. 6d. instead of 2s. 6d.
History and Antiquities of the Isle of Axholme, in
Lincolnshire, by the Venerable ARCHDEACON STONEHOUSE, thick 4to.
FINE PLATES, reduced from £3. 3s to 18s
The Local Historian's Table-Book of Remarkable
Occurrences, Historical Facts, Traditions, Legendary and Descriptive
Ballads, &c. &c. connnected with the Counties of NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE,
NORTHUMBERLAND, and DURHAM, by M. A. RICHARDSON, royal 8vo.
profusely illustrated with woodcuts, now complete in 8 vols. royal 8vo.
cloth, 9s each, or the Divisions sold separately as follows:-
HISTORICAL DIVISION, 5 vols. LEGENDARY DIVISION, 3 vols.
The legendary portion will be found very interesting volumes by those who take
no interest in the historical one.


John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
A Critical Dissertation on Professor Willis's "Archi-
tectural History of Canterbury Cathedral," by C. SANDYS, of Canterbury,
8vo. 2s 6d
"Written in no quarrelsome or captious spirit: the highest compliment is paid to
Professor Willis, where it is due. But the author has certainly made out a clear case, in
some very important instances, of inaccuracies that have led the learned Professor into the
construction of serious errors throughout. It may be considered as an indispensable com-
panion to his volume, containing a great deal of extra information of a very curious
kind."-Art-Union.
Bibliotheca Cantiana, a Bibliographical Account of
what has been published on the History, Topography, Antiquities, Cus-
toms, and Family Genealogy of the COUNTY of KENT, with Biographical
Notes, by JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, in a handsome 8vo. volume, pp. 370,
with two plates of facsimiles of Autographs of 33 eminent Kentish,
Writers, 14s reduced to 5s-large paper, 10s 6d
The History of the Town of Gravesend in Kent,
and of the Port of London, by R. P. CRUDEN, late Mayor of Gravesend,
royal 8vo. 37 fine plates and woodcuts, a very handsome volume, cloth,
1843, reduced from £1. 8s to 10s
The Visitor's Guide to Knole House, near Seven
Oaks in Kent, with Catalogue of the Pictures contained in the Mansion, a
Genealogical History of the Sackville Family, &c. &c. by J. H. BRADY,
F.R.A.S., 12mo. 27 woodcuts by Bonner, Sly, &c. cloth, 4s 6d. Large
Paper, 10s
Illustrations of Knole House, from Drawings by
Bonner, Sly, &c. 8vo. 16 plates, with Descriptions, 5s
Greenwich; its History, Antiquities, and Public
Buildings, by H. S. RICHARDSON, 12mo. fine woodcuts by Baxter, 1s 6d
The Folkestone Fiery Serpent, together with the
Humours of the DOVOR MAYOR; being an Ancient Ballad full of Mystery
and pleasant Conceit, now first collected and printed from the various MS.
copies in possession of the inhabitants of the South-east coast of Kent,
with Notes, 12mo. 1s
A Brief Account of the Parish of Stowting, in Kent,
and of the Antiquities lately discovered there, by the Rev. F. Wrench,
Rector, 8vo. three folding plates, etched by the Author, sewed, 2s 6d
History of Portsmouth, Portsea, Landport, South-
sea, and Gosport, by HENRY SLIGHT, Esq. 8vo. Third Edition, bds. 48
A Hand-Book to Lewes in Sussex, Historical and
Descriptive, with Notices of the Recent Discoveries at the Priory, by MARK
ANTONY LOWER, 12mo. many engravings, cloth, 28
Chronicles of Pevensey in Sussex, by M. A. LowEr,
12mo. woodcuts, 1s
The Archæologist and Journal of Antiquarian
Science. Edited by J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo. Nos. I. to X. COMPLETE, with
Index, pp. 490. with 19 engravings, cloth, reduced from 10s 6d to 5s 6d
Containing original articles on Architecture, Historical Literature, Round Towers of
Ireland, Philology, Bibliography, Topography, Proceedings of the various Antiquarian
Societies, Retrospective Reviews, and Reviews of recent Antiquarian Works, &c.


10
John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
Historia Collegii Jesu Cantabrigiensis à J. SHER-
præs. ejusdem Collegii. Edita J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo.cloth,2
MANNO, olim
History and Antiquities of the Hundred of Comp-
ton, Berks, with Dissertations on the Roman Station of Calleva Attre-
batum, and the Battle of Ashdown, by W. HEWITT, Jun. 8vo. 18 plates,
cloth. Only 250 printed, 15s-reduced to 98
Newcastle Tracts; Reprints of Rare and Curious
Tracts, chiefly illustrative of the History of the Northern Counties; beauti-
fully printed in crown 8vo. on a fine thick paper, with facsimile Titles,
and other features characteristic of the originals. Only 100 copies printed,
Nos. I. to XLIX. £5. 58
Purchasers are expected to take the succeeding Tracts as published; the Series is nearly
completed.
A Journey to Beresford Hall, in Derbyshire, the
Seat of CHARLES COTTON, Esq. the celebrated Author and Angler, by W.
ALEXANDER, F.S.A., F.L.S., late Keeper of the Prints in the British
Museum, crown 4to. printed on tinted paper, with a spirited frontispiece,
representing Walton and his adopted Son Cotton in the Fishing-house, and
vignette title-page, cloth, 58
Dedicated to the Anglers of Great Britain and the various Walton and Cotton Clubs;
only 100 printed.
Biography, Literary History, and Criticism.
A New Life of Shakespeare, founded upon recently
discovered Documents, by JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, F.R.S., F.S.A.,
with numerous illustrations of objects never before engraved, from draw-
ings by F. W. FAIRHOLT, F.S.A., in 1 vol. 8vo. cloth, 12s
An Introduction to Shakespeare's Midsummer
Night's Dream, by J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo. cloth (250 printed), 3s
An Account of the only known Manuscript of
Shakspeare's Plays, comprising some important variations and corrections
in the Merry Wives of Windsor, obtained from a Playhouse copy of that
Play recently discovered, by J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo. sewed, ls
On the Character of Falstaff, as originally exhibited
by Shakespeare in the two parts of King Henry IV., by J. O. HALLIWELL,
12mo. cloth, (only 100 printed,) 2s
Shakesperiana, a Catalogue of the Early Editions of
Shakespeare's Plays, and of the Commentaries and other Publications illus-
trative of his Works, by J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo. cloth, 38
"Indispensable to everybody who wishes to carry on any inquiries connected with
Shakespeare, or who may have a fancy for Shakespearian Bibliography."-Spectator.
England's Worthies, under whom all the Civil
and Bloody Warres, since Anno 1642 to Anno 1647, are related, by JOHN
VICARS, Author of "England's Parliamentary Chronicle," &c. &c. royal
12mo. reprinted in the old style, (similar to Lady Willoughby's Diary,)
with copies of the 18 rare portraits after Hollar, &c. half morocco, 58
Copies of the original edition have been sold from £16. to £20.
The portraits comprise, Robert, Earl of Essex; Robert, Earl of Warwick; Lord Mon-
tagu, Earl of Denbigh, Earl of Stamford, David Lesley, General Fairfax, Sir Thomas Fair-
fax, O. Cromwell, Skippon, Colonel Massey, Sir W. Brereton, Sir W. Waller, Colonel
Langhorne, General Poyntz, Sir Thos. Middleton, General Brown, and General Mitton.


John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
11
Autobiography of Joseph Lister, of Bradford, in
Yorkshire, to which is added a contemporary account of the Defence of
Bradford, and Capture of Leeds by the Parliamentarians in 1642, edited by
THOMAS WRIGHT, 8vo. only 250 copies printed, cloth, 4s
Love Letters of Mrs. Piozzi, written when she was
Eighty, to the handsome Actor, William Augustus Conway, aged Twenty-
seven, 8vo. sewed, 28
66 written at three, four, and five o'clock (in the morning) by an Octogenary pen,
a heart (as Mrs. Lee says) twenty-six years old, and as H. L. P. feels it to be, all your
own."-Letter V. 3rd Feb. 1820.
Collection of Letters on Scientific Subjects, illustra-
tive of the Progress of Science in England temp. Elizabeth to Charles II.
edited by J. O. HALLIWELL, 8vo. cloth, 38
Comprising letters of Digges, Dee, Tycho Brahe, Lower, Harriott, Lydyat, Sir W.
Petty, Sir C. Cavendish, Brancker, Pell, &c.; also the autobiography of Sir Samuel
Morland, from a MS. in Lambeth Palace, Nat. Tarpoley's Corrector Analyticus, &c.
Cost the Subscribers £1.
A Rot among the Bishops; or a Terrible Tempest
in the Sea of Canterbury, set forth in lively emblems to please the judicious
Reader, by THOMAS STIRRY, 1641, 18mo. (a satire on Abp. Laud,) four
very curious woodcut emblems, cloth, 38
A facsimile of the very rare original edition, which sold at Bindley's sale for £13.
Bibliotheca Madrigaliana.-A Bibliographical Ac-
count of the Musical and Poetical Works published in England during the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, under the titles of Madrigals, Ballets,
Ayres, Canzonets, &c. &c. by Edward F. Rimbault, LL.D., F.S.A., 8vo.
cloth, 58
It records a class of books left undescribed by Ames, Herbert, and Dibdin, and
furnishes a most valuable Catalogue of the Lyrical Poetry of the age to which it refers.
Who was "Jack Wilson" the Singer of Shake-
speare's Stage? An attempt to prove the identity of this person with John
Wilson, Dr. of Musick in the University of Oxford, A.D. 1644, by E. F.
RIMBAULT, LL.D. 8vo. 18
Popular Poetry, Stories, and Superstitions.
The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected chiefly
from Oral Tradition, edited by J. O. HALLIWELL. The Fourth Edition,
enlarged, with 38 Designs by W. B. SCOTT, Director of the School of
Design, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 12mo. in very richly illuminated cloth, gilt
leaves, 4s 6d
"Illustrations! And here they are; clever pictures, which the three-year olds under-
stand before their A, B, C, and which the fifty-three-year olds like almost as well as the
threes."-Literary Gazette.
nd rhymes, possess
We are persuaded that the very rudest of these jingles, tales,
a strong imagination-nourishing power; and that in infancy and early childhood a
sprinkling of ancient nursery lore is worth whole cartloads of the wise saws and modern
instances which are now as duly and carefully concocted by experienced litterateurs, into
instructive tales for the spelling public, as are works of entertainment for the reading publie.
The work is worthy of the attention of the popular antiquary."-Tait's Mag.
Wonderful Discovery of the Witchcrafts of Margaret
and Philip Flower, daughters of Joan Flower, near Bever (Belvoir), executed
at Lincoln for confessing themselves actors in the destruction of Lord
Rosse, son of the Earl of Rutland, 1618, 8vo. 1s
One of the most extraordinary cases of Witchcraft on record.


12
John Russell Smith, 4, Old Compton Street, Soho.
Saint Patrick's Purgatory;
an Essay on the
Legends of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, current during the Middle Ages,
by THOMAS WRIGHT, M.A., F.S.A., &c. post 8vo. cloth, 68
"It must be observed that this is not a mere account of St. Patrick's Purgatory, but a
complete history of the legends and superstitions relating to the subject, from the earliest
times, rescued from old MSS. as well as from old printed books. Moreover, it embraces a
singular chapter of literary history, omitted by Warton and all former writers with whom
ve re acquainted; and we think we may add, that it forms the best introduction to Dante
that has yet been published."-Literary Gazette.
"This appears to be a curious and even amusing book on the singular subject of Pur-
gatory, in which the idle and fearful dreams of superstition are shown to be first narrated
as tales, and then applied as means of deducing the moral character of the age in which
they prevailed."-Spectator.
Trial of the Witches at Bury St. Edmunds, before
Sir M. HALE, 1664, with an Appendix by CHARLES CLARK, of Totham,
Essex, 8vo. 1s
"The most perfect narrative of anything of this nature hitherto extant."-Preface.
Account of the Trial, Confession, and Condemnation
of Six Witches at Maidstone, 1652; also the Trial and Execution of Three
others at Faversham, 1645, 8vo. 1s
These Transactions are unnoticed by all Kentish historians.
An Essay on the Archæology of our Popular
Phrases and Nursery Rhymes, by H. B. KER, 2 vols. 12mo. new cloth, 48
(pub. at 12s)
"A work which has met with great abuse among the reviewers, but those who are fond of
philological pursuits will read it now it is to be had at so very moderate a price, and it really
contains a good deal of gossiping matter. The author's attempt is to explain every thing
from the Dutch, which he believes was the same language as the Anglo-Saxon.
The Merry Tales of the Wise Men of Gotham,
edited by JAMES Orchard HalliIWELL, Esq. F.S.A., post 8vo. 18
Miscellanies.
Illustrations of Eating, displaying the Omnivorous
Character of Man, and exhibiting the Natives of various Countries at
feeding-time, by a BEEF-EATER, fcap. 8vo. with woodcuts, 28
Elements of Naval Architecture, being a Translation
of the third part of CLAIRBOIs' "Traité Elémentairé de la Construction
des Vaisseaux," by J. N. STRANGE, Commander, R.N., 8vo. with 5 large
folding plates, cloth, 58
Poems, partly of Rural Life (in National English),
by WILLIAM BARNES, Author of "Poems in the Dorset Dialect," 12mo.
cloth, 58
Waifs and Strays (a Collection of Poetry), 12mo.
only 250 printed, chiefly for presents, sewed, 1s 6d
Book in the Press.
Facts and Speculations on the History of Playing
Cards in Europe, by W. A. CHATTO, Author of the History of Wood
Engraving, with Illustrations by J. Jackson,' 8vo. profusely illustrated
with engravings, both plain and coloured.
"
G. NORMAN, PRINTER, MAIDEN LANE, COVENT GARDEN.


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