The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-11-03
MRS. woolson on EnsuI.h Literature.

| -aSV evening MIS-. Abba Go0ld W0oS0n
commenced her course of lectures upon Eng
lish Literature, at the Mercantile Library room.
Despite the inclemency of the weather the room
was hl.ed by an appreciative audience. The
| lecture was upon the formation of the English
| language, and was proper opening of the
| course, which promises SO much pleasure to
the subscribers. Mrs. Woolson had no notes
Whatever, but in a pleasant conversational
way gave running description of the origin
and growth of the English nation, from the
| time of the conquest of Britain by Julius Ce
sar to the close Of the reign of the Plantage-
| nets At times the speaker would become
very enthusiastic over some of the noble deeds
done by the heroes of old, or indignant at tina
acts of Nero and others of his class when she
would exhibit rare flights of eloquence. From
| the moment that the lady entered the room to
begin her lecture until the close, sevepty-fye
minutes later, the utmost attention was paid to
every word which fell from her lips.
Beginning the history of Britain when Jul
ius Caesar visited its shores, down to the illus
trious reign of E iward III, when the English
nation and lang uage may be said to have been
formed, there were four hostile invasions. This
was period of fourteen centuries, and four
languages had been brought to mingle with
that of the original Celtic inhabitants She
first spoke of the Roman occupancy of the
island, which lasted for five hundred years.
Julius Caesar crossed over from Gaul with his
trained Roman legions in the year "a, B. c.,
and conquered the rude savages who appeared
in hostile array upon the cliffs of Kent. The
next year he returned, and partially subdued
the whole Island, but was recalled to Gaul and
never returned. The condition of Rome at
this time was sketched, and mention made of
the commentaries of Caesar, in which we read
his own account of his campaigns. Not TITLES
years afterward was Britain ubdued, when
Agircola was sent there to complete the work
begun by Caesar. He remained on the island
several years, and we know of his campaigns
from the pen of his son-in-law, the historian
Tacitus, Caractacus and Boadicea were spoken
of as native king and queen conquered by
Roman generals previous to the coming of Ag-
rlcola. Several emperors subsequently visited
the province, building walls of defence across
the island. The dangers threatening Rome
from the northern hordes of barbarians, Fore
ed her to recall her troops from Britain for
home defence, and the island was thus aban-
doned. 1t was Macaulay who said that Britain
the last to be conquered was the first to be
thrown away.
The Saxons were at this time on the shores
of the Baltic. They were Gothic race,
something similar to the Germans and Scand-
navians of the present day. To the north of
them were the Angles, and still further north
the Jutes. These three tribes were heathens
and wOrshippers of various gods. The Celts
had trouble on the island and asked the Sax
ons to aid them. The latter responded, and not
only quelled the disturbance but took possess
sion of the land themselves The Angles soon
followed the Saxons, and later the Jutes. The
Anglo-Saxons took possession of Scotland.
Here was seen the light hair and blue eyes of
the Saxons in such striking contrast to the dark
hair and eyes of the Italians and those living
south. The Saxous soon divided into seven dis
tinct divisions. Some of them were taken pris-
onerS and sold in Rome where they attracted
much attention from their light complexion. A
bishop afterwards sert over forty monks to con-
vert them to christianity. The result was that
they not only became converted bat instructed,
for then 1t was the province of the church to
teach as well IS convert from heathenism.
About this time the Danes began to be
terror to the saxons and literature at once de-
clined as they were obliged to drop their books
for the swofd. King Alfred at once took the
field and suffered every hardship for the re-
lease of his people. Charemagne was at this
time ruling in France, which he determined
should exceed all other nations in learning. He
was made emperor of Germany. King Alfred
was at this time trying to outStrlp France in
learning and he himself learned the Latin
language at the age Of so so as to be able to
translate books for his people. When he died
this work stepped His sons were brave, but
the Danes overpowered them and seated
king. Edward the Confessor was the first
Saxon to follow the Danish reign, and at his
death William the Duke of Normandy was
appointed his successor. His right was con-
tested, but be took his seat after the battle of
Hastings. The Normandy people were proud
and despotic and they crushed down the Sax
ons. The king known as William the Con-
queror put al of his countrymen in the offices
and decreed that noue but the Nor
man language should be spoken in
court. The laws were written in that
tongue and it was unsafe for a person to use
the Saxon language in court The expression
heard until within few years in our courts,
NOyez," is taken from the ancient: courts.
Our English language is made up of the Nor
man and the Saxon intermngled.
The speaker closed with a hsstg glance at the
reign of the Plantagenets, and referred to the
beauties of the English language as we have it
to-day, containing the best of the Norman and
Saxon.
The next lecture, to be given next week,
entitled "Chaucer and his Predecessors" will
be devoted to the literature of the time covered
by the opening lecture and cannot fail to be of
great interest.