Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1872-02-17

organ re echoing along the walls. The
holy Abbott proclaimed from the desk
the sacred words of inspiration. The
light of the sun as it'rose in the heav-
ems fell upon those splendid piles, and
piercing through their beautifully
painted windows, shed ITS softened rays
on the solemn scene. The solitude OF
the monasteries, hallowed by the pres,
eace of God and by every religious as
sociation, was emnently fitted to inspire
in the breast of the scholar deeper,
devotion to letters. Here, remote from
the turbulent world, he could cultivate
his native language and literature
Here, undisturbed, he could pursue the
study of the fine arts, of philosophy
and poetry Here be could direct his
thoughts heavenward, and expend his
energies Of mlnd upon elevated themes
Those pious monks, while they served
their God, and drank deep at ths foun-,-
tain of letters, did not forget their
country. Under the monks gown,
those stern Saxon hearts swelled with.
emotions, and the laboring brain toiled
with patriotic fervor under the un-
masked cowl. They exhibited in their
writings the most ineffacable marks of
that hatred which possessed the hearts
of their countrymen. They burned
with ardent aspiration to elevate their
nation from its rude and uncultivated
condition. They labored to give ma
tional character to their people and sta
bility to Anglo>Saxon institutions
Thus inspired by patriotism, those de-
voted monks cherished love for Au-
glo. Saxon letters. The monasteries be-
came at once both the repositories and
seminaries of learning. Literature
hourished under their protection, aud
many valuable works were preserved
/ in their libraries. 1t was in their quiet
halls that Cadman sung of the crea-
ton Alffice taught the principles Of
| language to his untutored countrymen.
and the Venerable Bede composed at
ecclesiastical history of his race, which
alone claims the confidence aud admira-
ton of posterity. 1t was in the soli-
tude of the cloister that a series Of
monastic authors recorded. as eye Wit
] nesscs, upon the pages of the eelebra
ted Anglo Saxon Chronicle, the history
Of the tunes in which they lived. To
these institutions are we indebted for
the historical chronologies, for the thco-
| logical treatises, aud for the religious
and narrative poetry Of those times.
These works, by reducing the Ian
guage to written form, gave pcrma
nence and character to the Anglo.
Saxon tongue. BY the cultivation of
1t IN the monastcrles it became forci-
bic and expressive language, capable of
exhibiting, with beauty and elegance of
expression, the most sublime sentiments
10 poetry aud prose.
After century and q half the An.
glo>Saxon came forth from these sacred
retreats full of its original spirit, aud
with far more than its original purity,
that, modified, by a contact with the
Norman tongue, it might form the Eng
lish language of later period From
these sources we follow, with reverent
admiration, the advance of that noble
language along the course of centuries,
till now it contains the most solid treas.
ures of human wisdom, poesy and wit
The poet can now successfully embody,
in the English language, the loftiest
creations of his Imagination the pbilos.
.opaer his gravest thoughts, and the
orator his most persuasive appeals
There is no conception of the human
intellect which cannot find here its
most elegant and vigorous expressions.
Other languages may possess 10 higher
degree some peculiar excellencies, but
in all the highest purposes OF Ian.
guage, the palm is borne away by
that tongue which was spoken and
studied by the monks of Whitby and
Wearmouth. Thus those venerable
monasteries have performed noble
Office for mankind-they have long
since gone to decay their massive
walls have crumbled away; their fine
carvings have yielded to the touch OF
time, and their beautifully painted win.
dows and statuary have been broken
and mingled in the dust. The deep
tones of the organ have ceased to sound
, along those ornamented walls, PRAYER
, is no longer offered up from golden al.
tars. TIE light of the sun no longer
falls upon structures rising in majesty
: to the clouds it falls upon pile OF
| desolate ruins. Those stern Saxon
9 hearts have long since ceased to beat
5 they are no longer infamed with anger
. toward their naughty oppressors. Those