when he saw the harp approaching him, used to rise in the midst of his supper, and, having gone out, walk back to his home.

Which, when he was doing on a tune, and, having left the house of entertainment had gone out to the stable of the beasts of burden, the care of which was entrusted to him on that night, and there, at the proper hour had resigned his limbs to sleep, a certain one stood by him in a dream, who saluting him and calling him by his name, said, "Cædmon, sing me something." Then he answering said, “I know not how to sing; and for that reason I went out from the entertainment and returned hither, because I could not sing." Again he who was talking with him, said, "Yet you have something to sing to me." "What," said he, "must I sing?" The other said, "Sing the beginning of created things." Having received this reply, he immediately began to sing verses in praise of God the Creator, which he had never heard, whereof this is the purport:-"Now we must praise the Author of the celestial kingdom, the power of the Creator and His counsel, the deeds of the Father of glory. How He, being Eternal God, was the author of all wonderful things; who first created heaven for the sons of men, on the roof of their dwellings, and afterwards created the earth, being the omnipotent guardian of mankind." This is the sense, but not the exact order of the words which he sang in his sleep, for songs, however excellently composed, cannot be translated from one tongue into another, word for word, without some loss of their beauty and spirit. Moreover, on his rising up from sleep, he retained in memory all that he had sung in his dream, and presently added to it more words of song worthy of God, after the same fashion.

And coming in the morning to the steward who was set over him, he told him what a gift he had received; and having been brought to the abbess, he was ordered, in the presence of many learned men, to declare his dream, and to repeat the

song, that it might be tested, by the judgment of all, what or whence it was that he related. And all concluded that a celestial gift had been granted him by the Lord. And they interpreted to him a certain passage of sacred history or doctrine, and ordered him to transpose it, if he could, into hallowed rhythm. And he, having undertaken it, departed, and returning in the morning, brought back what he was ordered to do, composed in most excellent verse. Whereupon presently the abbess, embracing heartily the grace of God in the man, instructed him to leave the secular habit and to take the monastic vow; and having, together with all her people, received him into the monastery, associated him with the company of the brethren and ordered him to be instructed in the whole course of sacred history. And he converted into most sweet song whatever he could learn from hearing, by thinking it over by himself, and, as though a clean animal, by ruminations; and by making it resound more sweetly, made his teachers in turn his hearers.

15. THE INDUSTRY OF BEDE

SOURCE: Bede, Ecclesiastical History, V, XXIV (Gidley).

These things concerning the ecclesiastical History of Britain, and chiefly of the nature of the Angles, I, Bede, the servant of Christ, and presbyter of the monastery of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, which is at Viuræmuda [Wearmouth], and Ingynum [Jarrow], have with the Lord's help, set in order, according as I could learn either from the writings of the ancients, or from the traditions of our forefathers, or by my own knowledge.

I was born on the land of the same monastery, and when I was seven years of age, I was entrusted by my relatives to the most reverend abbot Benedict, to be brought up, and afterwards to Ceolfrid; and dwelling all the succeeding time

of my life under the roof of the said monastery, I gave all my attention to the study of the Scriptures; and while observing the regular discipline, and the daily charge of singing in the Church, I always took delight in learning, teaching and writing.

Moreover, in the nineteenth year of my age, I received the diaconate, and in my thirtieth year the degree of the priesthood; each by the ministry of the most reverend bishop John, by the order of Abbot Ceolfrid.

From the time that I received the degree of priests' orders unto the fifty-ninth year of my age, I have been occupied in making the following brief annotations on Holy Scripture, for my own and my scholars' use, out of the works of the venerable fathers, or even in making some additions to the form of the meaning and interpolations given by them.

[Here follows a list of sixty works compiled by Bede on various books in the Old and New Testaments.]

Also, a book of letters to various persons: of which one is concerning the six ages of the world. . . one concerning the method of leap year; one concerning the equinox.

Also concerning the histories of the saints, I have translated the book of the Life and Passion of St. Tcha the Confessor into prose, from the metrical book of Paulinus.

I have corrected, according to the sense, as well as I was able, the book of the Life and Passion of St. Anastasius, which had been badly translated from the Greek and worse amended by some unskilful person.

I have described the life of the holy father, both monk and bishop, Cudberct, first in heroic metre, and afterwards in plain prose.

The history of the abbots of this monastery. . . two books. The Ecclesiastical History of our island and nation, in five books.

A Martyrology, concerning the birthdays of holy writers. A Book of Hymns, in different metres or rhythm.

A Book of Epigrams in heroic, or elegiac, metre. Concerning the Nature of Things, and concerning Tunes, one book each.

Also, Concerning Tunes; one large Book.

A book concerning Orthography, arranged in alphabetical order.

Also a book concerning the Metrical Art; and in addition to this, another small book, concerning Figures or Tropes, that is, concerning the figures or modes of speech, which are to be found in Holy Scripture.

THE COMING OF THE NORTHMEN

16. THE NORTHMEN AT SEA

SOURCE: The Deeds of Beowulf, I et seq., translated by J. Earle.

(a) The Voyage

He (Beowulf) ordered a wave-traveller, a good one, to be prepared for him; said he would pass over the swan road and visit the gallant king the illustrious ruler inasmuch as he was in need of men. That adventure was little grudged him by sagacious men, though he was dear to them, they egged on the dareful spirit, they observed auguries. The brave man had selected champions, the keenest whom he could find; with fourteen in company he took to ship; a swain 1 for pilot, a water-skilled man, pointed out the landmarks.

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Time went on; the float was on the waves, the boat under the cliffs. Warriors ready equipped mounted on the prow; currents eddied, surf against the beach; lads bore into the ship's lap bright apparel. . .; the men brave on adventure shoved off the light timbered craft. So the foamy necked floater went forth over the swelling ocean urged by the wind,

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most like to a bird; till that in due time on the next day, the cruiser had made such way that the voyagers saw land, sea cliffs gleaming, hills towering, headlands stretching out to sea; then with the voyage accomplished, the water passage ended. Then they made fast the sea-wood, they shook out their sarks,1 their war weeds, they thanked God for that their sea-faring had been easy.

(b) The Landing

Then from his rampart did the Scylding's 2 Warden, he who had to guard the sea-cliffs, espy men bearing over bulwark bright shields, . . . curiosity urged him with impassioned thoughts (to learn) who these men were.

Off he set then to the shore, riding on horseback; powerfully he brandished a huge lance in his hands, and he demanded with authoritative words, "Who are ye armbearing men, fenced with mail coats, who have come thus with proud ship over the watery high-way, hither over the billows? Long time have I been in fort stationed on the extremity of the country, I have kept the coast guard that on the land of the Dane no enemy with ship-harrying might be able to do hurt-never have shield-bearing men now openly attempted to land here; now do ye know before hand the password of our warriors, the confidential token of Kinsmen."

[After satisfying the coast guard] They proceeded then on their march, the vessel remained still, rode on her cable, the wide-bosomed ship at anchor fast:-the boar figures shone, prankt 3 with gold, ornate and hard welded. . . . In fighting mood they raged along, the men pushed forward; down hill they ran together until they could see the Hall structure, gallant and gold adorned; that was to dwellers on earth the most celebrated of all mansions under the sky, that in which the Ruler dwelt. .

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