The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-03-06
language of a people before we can
thoroughly understand its literature.

biological list of the principal events
considered in the course of our study.
Two dates were suggested that might
head the list-B. G. 80 and A. d.
476. An important date to come after
these was asked for in the first ques-
ton of February ID, but has not yet
been received. A partially correct
answer to the other part of the ques-
ton, 4" How did England receive its
name?" was sent in, but the date was
not given. This answer speaks of the
Angles having taken possession of
Britain "after the Danish INVASION"
1t may have been slip of the pen; but
there is no record of Danish invasions
until after the Angles were settled in
Britain. The different tribes of An
giles, Saxons and Jutes that came over
from the continent formed themselves
into various settlements; and one hun
dred fifty years after the first Saxon
invasion there were seven states, con-
shutting the Saxon Heptarchy. These
were Kent, Sussex Cor South Saxony),
Wessex Cor West Saxony), Essex Cor
East Saxony), East Anglia, North
umbria and Mercia. Egbert, king of
Wessex, united these and became him
self the first king of Angleland, from
which comes the name England This
was A. D. S27-the beginning of the
kingdom of England. But the language
was still Anglo-Saxon.
"F. M. P" sends the following an
swers to the remaining questions of that
date:
Alfred, called "The Great" became
king of the English in ST.. He de-
livered his country from the Danish in
vasions, and concluded with the Danes
the treaty of Wedmore in 97S. He
caused a code of laws to be made, be-
ginning with the Ten Commandments
and closing with the Golden Rule. Re-
ferring to the former, he said &" He who
keeps this shall not need any other law
book" He translated from Latin the
Universal History of Orosius, and also
Bede's History of England. He con-
structed a superior navy from designs
made by himself. In 1849 the people
of Vantage, his birthplace, celebrated
the thousandth anniversary of his birth.
The Saxon Chronicle was the first his
tory of England. From it we derive
much of our knowledge concerning the
no MI cd ha i'm
after the coming of the Normans. 1t
was begun at Peterburgh and Canter-
bury, and at later period was con-
tinued by William of Mabverbury and
Matthew Paris.
The Saxon Chronicle served the pur-
pose of history, though it was hardly
more than dry chronicle of events.
The first part of it was compiled from
the ecclesiastical history of Bede; and
afterward events were recorded by per-
sons living at the time they occurred.
Here is a sample, taken from transla-
ton of 1928: 1901. This year died
Aired, the son of Eshelnulf, six nights
before the mass of All Saints. He was
king over all the English nation, except
that part that was under the power of
the Danes. He held the government
one year and half less than thirty
winters; and then Edward, his son,
took to the government. 902. This
year there was the great fight at the
Holme, between the men of Kent and
the Danes"
To-day we welcome new member
to our club, who is probably the young
est of our number Though only ten
years old, she sends the following cor
rect answers to the questions of Feb
ruary 20:
QD The Normans were people who
lived in the northern part of Europe.
They were sometimes called Mortimer.
They conquered province in France
which they called Normandy.
(2) William, Duke of Normandy,
claimed that Edward the Confessor,
then King of England, had promised
him that he should be heir to his king
dom. After Edward had died William
gathered together an army and sailed
over to England and conquered the
Anglo-SaXons in the battle of Hastings
and made himself ruler. 1t occurred
in 1866.
(3) The union of the French and
Anglo-SaXon tongues made the En-
glish languo ge. EDNA B. DANA.
" +. M. p" also sends correct an
swers to these questions, and has the
following statement in the answer to
the third question, which is worthy of
notice. "The Norman French modi-
fled the English language, giving it
greater refinement, tlexibility and ee-
gance of expression" This was the
tendency of the Norman French and
its results at last; but there was con-
fict of more than three hundred years
between the Anglo-Saxon and the Nor
man French before the English Ian
guage finally took shape; and even
then neither of these languages Welded