The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25

Win the AnEt0-ShNOn OF eNTly rHHnsu 'VUkues
or the poems which have conc down TO ua
great quantity OF passages representing not
only what Is best. but what is most character
istic. will be found here set forth in metrical
form. For this purpose the author has
adopted n trochaic movement, each line. how
ever. being divided into two halves BY n pause.
as In the Anglo-Saxon original. ALTERATION
also has been used wherever 1t is practicable.
and az much stress as possible Is laid on the
allterated words. Theoretically the method
seems we'll fitted to convey tho impression Of
Anglo. Saxon verse. but OF course. tho results
sre not always satisfactory: no metrcal
TRANSACTIONS OF poems ever are. For these
versions. OF which there are many hundreds
in this volume we must refer the rcader to the
book itself. and we shall conine ourselves to
the interesting historical question how 1t
came to pass that Northumbria which ever
since the first invasion OF the Danes has been
tho most backward part OF England. was tho
special homo OF English poetry? Why did
literature In any form first flourish in the
north instead OF in tho south Of England. and
why did 1t take tho form o! poetry instead OF
prose,
The fourishing period OF Northumbrian
poetry lasted not much more than century
namely from about soto about 800. All that
remains OF it is contained In the manuscripts
NJ Boowui. in two other books. ono kept at En-
eter md another found Mt Nerceliiin the Chron-
ice and in Il few other man uscrpts. Mono OF the
fragments Is OF any length. A man might read
them all through in a fow days. but In their
narrow space there is an astonishing variety
OF methods and subjects that proves n keen
individuality and an eager life among tho
poets OF tho Northumbrnn folk. Tho war
| song. indeed. was universal among the Teu.
tonic races: the surprising thing is that poetry
| should in Northumbrn and at early an
| epoch. have taken SO wide n range. What
| were the elements Which fostered this remark
| able growth. and which. so far as we know.
| existed at the period nowhere else than in
| Northumbria? Tho reasons for such flower
| ing OF song ought TO be found in the years
| preceding G70-1O0.
| The first and most obvious OF these clements
is the early greatness OF Northumbria and the
influence which its tradition of national splen-
dor exertcd on the minds of men. The pride
! Of country has always given an impulse to
poetry. Tho most illustrlous poetic times OF
| England are coincident with the sense OF ma
tonal unity and greatness which. succeeding
an era OF sp!endor upliits the people to a high
level OF feeling and OF aspiration. This was
the case in the days OF Edward ILL.,: it was
| still more the case In the time OF Elizabeth: it
has boon tho case In our own century At
the present and cxcites 1t: the present is full
| OF its own eagerness and 10y. and the fll-
ture seems to thrill with expectation.
| Poetry is then born. or. IL not actually
born. the nation Is then pregnant with
| It. Such conditions prevailed in Northumbria
in the seventh century. Ethelirfth who
reigned from SOB to Gl7 raised his country to
great honor; and his victory at Chester over
tho Britons secured the supremacy OF tho
IA ;vy No IT., xra foil nd Nv hi o
brother in law. Eadwine. whose supremacy
was established far beyond Northumbria. Al
most the whole OF England owned his sway.
and every Northumbran must have felt the
pride OF country. Then Eadwine set up his cap
ital at York. and he thus inherited share OF
the greatness at Rome. for York had been the
capital Of Roman Britans. Added to these
things was tho strong Eovcrnm Ont which Fad
wine founded. and the profound peace which
in his days prevailed. When he died in G33 the
sense OF Irrational splendor. peace. and overload.
ship was keen in the heart OF every Northum
brian. and it lasted for more than a century
Oswald. his successor deepened this i'm pres
sion. for he not only was overload OF the greater
part OF England. but he becume also centre
OF the spiritual glory which saintship shed
! around him in the eyes OF the people Sc
Jealous was the Christianity OF Northumbria
that under Oswald the greater part OF Eng.
! lana was eSnnEell2Hc ny tIo hlHE IulSsiOu
aries. and his name still abdcs in man,
churches Even after Northumbrias gu
premacy over the rest OF England was lost
her people. concentrated within her own Dor
ders. made rapid progress Ia informal develop
ment. Peace. while 1t was SO close to warlikt
glory as still to DO thrilled with it's excitement
becot new Is prations. and even after the lane
had fallen into ruinous disorder. the memoir.
,, OF its former glory fingered like a slumberinl
fire in tho hearts OF men. and produced
poetry Of lam entation and regret
This, no doubt. was ono OF the elem emit
. which caused a native poetry to rise in North
I umbria. Taken by itself. however it woul,
not go far to explain tho problem. Merci
likewise had its time OF splendor. and SO hat
> Wessex. but they produced no English vers
with which We are acquainted. Ono reason VIII
they did not was that. when their years o
glory came tho influence OF Romo was so pre-
ponderant in England that Latin became tn
sole tongue OF learning and OF art This wa
not tho case at the outset OF the Northnmbra
, supremacy. At tho time when Christian an
patriotic feelings were stirred in Sorthnmbri
Rome was almost unrepresented there. Chris
tinnity WAS established in tho north by Iris
missionn ries-that is to say. by men who wer
animated by strong passion OF nntionalit,
) and who. rejecting the tcnationalzinG liteFa
: tnre OF Rome. wero in the habit OF using thei
: own language for poetry. not only on warlik
. themes. but also on all supplementary imae
o NATIVE and religious subjects. The habit {
'' the Irish missionaries uggested to their Ems
l. lish rroselytes the employment OF the Englis
rather than the Latin tongue. When at las
u the influence OF Roman learning came
o literary form to tho north. it was too lato
o I.atinize tho poetry OF Northumbria. for We
o nacular poetry had taken root. Even the Syno
n OF Whitby. held in A. d. U64. though 1t settle
" the quarrel about Easter In favor OF HON
VI did not prevent the enthusiastic reception
l. English poetry six years afterward by II
d very persons who had attended the Synod ar
II In tho very place where it was held
There are geographical and cthnologlc
't considerations which perhaps ought not to
lost sight OF in the effort to account for Il
" evolution Of carly English poetry in Northur
B. bria rather than in any other part OF En:lan
The position OF the northern kingdom expose
u 1t to u greater mixture OF races than was u