English Dialects From the Eighth Century to the Present Day | Page 6

whole
brilliant period from the later seventh to the early ninth century as the Anglian Period....
Anglia became for a century the light-spot of European history; and we here recognise
the first great stage in the revival of learning, and the first movement towards the
establishment of public order in things temporal and spiritual."
Unfortunately for the student of English, though perhaps fortunately for the historian, the
most important book belonging to this period was written in Latin. This was the _Historia
Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum_, or the Church History of the Anglian People. The writer
was Beda, better known as "the Venerable Bede," who was born near Wearmouth
(Durham) in 672, and lived for the greater part of his life at Jarrow, where he died in 735.
He wrote several other works, also in Latin, most of which Professor Earle enumerates. It
is said of Beda himself that he was "learned in our native songs," and it is probable that
he wrote many things in his native Northumbrian or Durham dialect; but they have all
perished, with the exception of one precious fragment of five lines, printed by Dr Sweet
(at p. 149) from the St Gall MS. No. 254, of the ninth century. It is usually called Beda's

Death-song, and is here given:
Fore there neidfaerae naenig uuiurthit thonc-snotturra than him thar[f] sie, to
ymbhycggannae, aer his hin-iong[a]e, huaet his gastae, godaes aeththa yflaes, aefter
deoth-daege doemid uueorth[a]e.
Literally translated, this runs as follows:
Before the need-journey no one becomes more wise in thought than he ought to be, (in
order) to contemplate, ere his going hence, what for his spirit, (either) of good or of evil,
after (his) death-day, will be adjudged.
It is from Beda's Church History, Book IV, chap. 24 (or 22), that we learn the story of
Cædmon, the famous Northumbrian poet, who was a herdsman and lay brother in the
abbey of Whitby, in the days of the abbess Hild, who died in 680, near the close of the
seventh century. He received the gift of divine song in a vision of the night; and after the
recognition by the abbess and others of his heavenly call, became a member of the
religious fraternity, and devoted the rest of his life to the composition of sacred poetry.
He sang (says Beda) the Creation of the world, the origin of the human race, and all the
history of Genesis; the departure of Israel out of Egypt and their entrance into the land of
promise, with many other histories from holy writ; the incarnation, passion, and
resurrection of our Lord, and His ascension into heaven; the coming of the Holy Spirit
and the teaching of the Apostles. Likewise of the terror of the future judgement, the
horror of punishment in hell, and the bliss of the heavenly kingdom he made many poems;
and moreover, many others concerning divine benefits and judgements; in all which he
sought to wean men from the love of sin, and to stimulate them to the enjoyment and
pursuit of good action.
It happens that we still possess some poems which answer more or less to this description;
but they are all of later date and are only known from copies written in the Southern
dialect of Wessex; and, as the original Northumbrian text has unfortunately perished, we
have no means of knowing to what extent they represent Cædmon's work. It is possible
that they preserve some of it in a more or less close form of translation, but we cannot
verify this possibility. It has been ascertained, on the other hand, that a certain portion
(but by no means all) of these poems is adapted, with but slight change, from an original
poem written in the Old Saxon of the continent.
Nevertheless, it so happens that a short hymn of nine lines has been preserved nearly in
the original form, as Cædmon dictated it; and it corresponds closely with Beda's Latin
version. It is found at the end of the Cambridge MS. of Beda's Historia Ecclesiastica in
the following form:
Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard, metudæs maecti end his modgidanc, uerc
uuldurfadur; sue he uundra gihuaes, eci Dryctin, or astelidæ. He aerist scop aelda barnum
heben til hrofe, haleg scepen[d]. Tha middungeard moncynnæs uard, eci Dryctin, æfter
tiadæ firum fold[u], frea allmectig.

I here subjoin a literal translation.
Now ought we to praise the warden of heaven's realm, the Creator's might and His mind's
thought, the works of the Father of glory; (even) as He, of every wonder, (being) eternal
Ruler, established the beginning. He first (of all) shaped, for the sons of men, heaven as
(their) roof, (He) the holy Creator. The middle world (He), mankind's warden, eternal
Ruler, afterwards prepared, the world for men--(being the) Almighty Lord.
The locality of these