New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-19

THE HISTORY or EARLY ENGLISH LITERARY k r :
Being the History OF English Poetry from us D. ,
rnnincs 70 the Ascension OF King Alfred. by
sopford A. Brooke. limo, PIP. 800. Macmi'i"h
4 Co.
The author of this handsome volume has made
a welcome and important contribution TO tha'
series Of books about the beginnings OF English
literature which modern research has multi
piled during the last generation. FOR 'ilhc
| the scholarship of Germany took the lead IN TINS
direction, and it has accumulated mass oil III
formation OF the most extensive and Invaluable
character though not always commended TO popu-
lar study BY grace Of FORM But many years
have now passed since English scholars took up
:, task which was their natural birthiisht, ana
they also have erected not few noble monu-
mcnts to tie carly times of English literature
One great difficulty in all such work as the pres
emf writer has undertaken is the necessity OF
translating the early English poetry which Is to
he cited. Mr. Brooke has, as he frankly states
in his preface felt this difficulty, hut he has en-
dcavorcd to meet it in perhaps the only way pos
siblc-namcly, by preserving, the meaning OF the
original closely, and by striving to represent thc
cadence as nearly as may he.
II might BE- going too far TO say that he has al
toccthr succeeded in this: but it is certainly
not too much to say that be has done what many
earlier writer's have sisnally failed in-namcly.
in putting before his readers the old English
poetry in the form of living verse, which does
mcasura',ly reflect tie lhl thin and the move.
mcnt of the original. This, indeed is the most
important Of all considerations, for what Is first
desired is 10 understand what those cary poets
sang, and how they sang it. II Is possible III
This history TO follow tie development OF the
English poetic art intcllgrntly and with sympa-
thy: 70 perceive the nature of the influence,
which moulded il 10 trace the bearing upon "
Of those changes and catlclN-ns which fer a
time and not once only, Threatened 10 sllcnc"
the muses. altogether III those British Isles. AMI
10 rcpllngc the land into intellectual darkness.
Mr. Brooke has treated his prolific subject with
great care and iulness, and has, NJ far a. cah b"
perceived, omitted n source Of information. HIS
history is compact yet not III any sous abridsr :
account of growths and changes which took many
centuries fer their accomplishment. But English
poetry in those early years WIS spars" and scat
tered growth and bcsct with hostil" en- ironmcn'.
In the North and In tie south, Moreover, il grew
under wholly different conditions The southern
branch never took strong root, being too alien In
character, and presently II died Of inanlion. The
northern branch fourishcl for time, but was cut
down and destroyed by the inroa,!s Of the Danes
IN the generations which Immediately pr,c'-cd the
ADVENT VI hlI'u D''IA WIZ l'A'Iu'l '''
or been killel ont of the country. IL hal TO b.
reborn in due course with the coming Of better
possibilities.
II is of these earlier struggles and achieve
mcnts that Mr. brooke treats. Some OF the first
poetry which we now find IL convenient 10 call
English really was not pro iuced in Enellnd at all
Much Of il purely Latin. Those who
ploycd the v'rnacular either then or at II much
later period comparatively few. Even All
the time Of Chauccr il seemed dubious whether
the native literature could flourish. into such dis
rcputc had the English tongue fallen among the
unsympatbetic foreigners who ruled the land
But not less interesting than this struggle for
what may be termed the founding of English
literature IL the history Of the influences which
were 10 mould it, and tho author has devoted
several deeply significant chapters TO thcsc qurs-
tions. The introduction Of Christianity was per
haps III" most important OF these influences, and
II was the more because the als"ncc of persc-
cufHn and coercion permitted the best ina cinativc
materials Of Paganism TO pass over and lc merge
in the new faith. The people became converts 10
the latter through persuasion alone FIR more than
The spac" Of TWO generations the conflicting re-
iigions confronted one another on the same
ground. The heather temples and the Christian
church co-cNstcd all that time and the change
''"i' "StH~m NdS bIduUdI anu Wholly voluntary.
Another deeply interesting question is tho Of
feet Of tho cult Of the Virgin Mary upnn that
nasccnt civilization. There can be- no donht that
in those dark ages il proved of priceless value
to the cause Of civilization. The Tcutonic M
tions. indeed had mover DEGRADED nor cmbrutcl
their women, and they were open in sDcciol
ways 10 the reception Of the Gospel ASPECT Of
woman. But nothing less than Christianity
could have lifted woman TO the social rank she
was destined 10 occupy in the Western world ::
and ii may perhaps he said that only the strouc
leutonic influence could have counteractcd that
Gallo disposition which was at the core very
far away from the feeling which, IN the fulncss of
time, was to become Chivalry TO the Church.
then, in England, during those early centuries.
must bc ascribcd this important gain for civil
zation; and the female uonastcrcs had a good
deal TO do with tho success of the whole
movement
The cult Of the Virgin Lad, no doubt. the
greater acceptance because the crccos which had
preceded it In tie land, coming from tie cold
North, were mainly pcrsoniiications of tho reign
Of the elements and the fierce savagcry of the
sca-rovcrs who embraced them. There was no
comfort in their beliefs, which were gloomy
and hard AMI cpcllant, and the warmth and
the tenderness which marked Christianity, cs-
pccially in its relations to woman, appcalcd
strongly to minds weary of the perpetual con-
tact with the elements and with fierce foes of
their own kind. The English themselves lonped
for rest and for rcircshmcnt. They did not find
1t in the Morse mythology, but they discovered
it in the new faith, and TO the latter they
naturally turned. Changes there were 10 be, for
the worse as well for the better The emanci-
patton and elevation of woman in Britain was
not, Indeed, to prove an easy or a rapid con-
quest. More than thousand years were 10
clap,c before any positive changc for the better
was 70 become apparent And yet there is no
room to doubt that before the time OF Alfred, in
the fifth. sixth and seventh centuries. the slow
Introduction of Christianity exercised very saln-
tary effects upon the general situation.
In. Ii. Al