From this account of Alfred, we are inclined to think, that the king employed Plegmund, Verefied, or Werfrith, Ethelftan, Werwulf, and some other of his clergy to tranflate the books abovementioned into the Saxon language. Affer indeed exprefly tells us, that Werfrith tranflated the Dialogues of pope Gregory into the Saxon tongue by Alfred's order. Simeon Dunelmenfis fays the fame *. Brompton affirms, that the bishop tranflated both the Dialogues and Boetius +. We are likewife affured, that Affer, Grimbald, and Johannes Scotus, were employed in tranflating the Pfalms of David 1. These translations therefore, upon the leaft pretensions imaginable, might, by court fycophants, be afcribed to the king. Eorum LABORE et INDUSTRIA tranftulit,' fays archbishop Parker.

The learned tranflator of the Saxon Orofius adds fome other proofs, arifing from the verfion itself, that it is to be ascribed to Alfred; but these proofs, we apprehend, are not sufficient to establish the point in queftion.

The original MS. of this Anglo Saxon verfion is in the Cotton Library. The prefent edition is printed from a tranfcript made by Mr. Elftob, well known for his eminent knowledge of northern literature. But the Codex Cottonianus, and other MSS. have been occafionally confulted by the editor; and the various readings are inferted at the bottom of the page.

Alfred's verfion, if we may call it fo, is a paraphrase; nay, in fome places, it is hardly an imitation of Orcfius. The tranflator omits moft of the introductory chapters to each book; fometimes he leaves out confiderable paffages; and often inferts quite new matter. In the first chapter he introduces the voyages of Ohthere and Wufftan, which begin with the following words §: Ohthe. e told his lord, king Elfred, that he lived to the north of all northmen, &c.' In other places there are digreffions concerning the form of a Roman triumph, the constitution of the fenate, Cæfar's engaging the Britons near Wallingford, &c. though the text is continued

Simeon Dunel. fub. an. 872, 884.

+ Bromptoni Chron. p. 814.

Habuerat alios fibi familiares, Afferium Menevenfem, Grim baldum, & Johannem Scotum prefbyteros, quorum labore & induftriâ Pfalterium Davidicum in fermonem Anglicanum tranftulit, cujus priore parte vix abfolutâ, expiravit. Parker De Antiq. Brit. Ecclef. c. 19. W. Malmesb. 1. ii. c. 4.

§ Thefe voyages have been extracted from the Anglo-Saxon Orofius, and feveral times printed. See Hakluyt's Voyages, vol. 1. Somner's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Arii Polyhift. Libellus de Ifandiâ, Inlandicè et Lat. ab A. Buffeo: acceffit Periplus_Otheri & Wulfftani ab Alfredo magno defcriptus, Hauniæ, 1733. Ælfredi magni Vita, à Joh. Spelman, p. 205.

without without any breaks in the Cotton MS. and the tranfcripts from it.

Wulfftan's voyage, from the firft chapter.

Wulfftan faid, that he went from Heathum to Trufo in feven days and nights (the fhip being under fail all the time) that Weonothland was on his right, but Langoland, Læland, Falfter, and Scoley on his' left, all which belong to Denemarca, we had alfo Burgenda-land on our left, which hath a king of its own. After having left Burgenda-land, the islands of Becinga, Meroe, Eauland, and Gotland, were on our left, which country belongs to Sweon; and Weonodland was all the way on our right, to the mouth of the Wefel. This river is a very large one, and near it lies Willand and Weonodland, the former of which belongs to Eftum, and the Wefel does not run through Weonodland, but through Eftmere, which lake is fifteen miles broad. Then runs the Iling, from the eastward into Eftmere: on the banks of which stands Truso, and the Ilfing flows from Faftland into the Eftmere, and the Wefel from Weonodland to the south; the Ilfing, having joined the Wefel takes its name, and runs to the weft of Eftmere, and northward into the fea, when it is called the Wefel's mouth. Eaftland is a large tract of country, and there are in it many towns, and in every town is a king; there is alfo a great quantity of honey and fish, and the king and the richest men drink nothing but milk, whilft the poor and the flaves ufe mead. They have many contests among themselves, and the people of Eftum brew no ale, though they have mead in profufion.

There is alfo a particular custom amongst this nation, that when any one dies, the corpfe continues unburnt with the relations and friends for a month or two, and the bodies of kings and nobles (according to their refpective wealth) lye for half a year before the corpfe is burned, and the corpfe continues above ground in the houfe, during which time drinking and sports laft till the day on which the body is confumed. Then, when it is carried to the funeral pile, the fubftance of the deceased (which remains after thefe drinking bouts and fports) is divided into five or fix heaps (fometimes into more) according to what he happens to be worth. Thefe heaps are difpofed at a mile's diftance from each other, the largest heap at the greatest distance from the town, and fo gradually the fmaller at lesser intervals, till all the wealth is divided, fo that the least heap shall be nearest the town where the corpfe lies.

Then all thofe are to be fummoned who have the fleetest horfes in that country, within the distance of five or fix miles from these heaps, and they all strive for the fubftance of the deceased; he who hath the fwifteft horse obtains the most distant and largest heap, and so the others, in proportion, till the whole is feized up.

on.

He procures, however, the leaft heap, who takes that which is nearest the town, and then every one rides away with his fhare, and keeps the whole of it; on account of this cuftom, fleet horfes are excettively dear. When the wealth of the deceased hath been thus exhausted, then they carry the corpfe from the house, to burn it, together with the dead man's weapons and cloaths, and generally they spend the whole wealth of the deceased, by the body's continuing to long in the house before it is buried; what, however, remains, and is thus disposed in heaps on the road, is taken away by thefe foreign competitors.

VOL. XXXVI. July, 1773.

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It is also a custom with the Eftum, that the bodies of all the inhabitants shall be burned; and if any one can find a fingle bone unconfumed, it is a caufe of anger. These people alfo have the means of producing very fevere cold, by which the dead body continues fo long above ground without putrefying; and if any one fets a veffel full of ale or water, they contrive that they shall be frozen, be it fummer, or be it winter.'

The editor has illuftrated this voyage, and that of Ohthere, by a map, and fome geographical notes and conjectures by the learned Mr. John Reinhold Forfter. We take the liberty to call them conjectures, from a perfuafion that it is as difficult to trace out the navigations of these travellers, as it is to afcertain the fituation and limits of the garden of Eden.

We fhall clofe this article with an extract from the fifth book, including a very concife account of Cæfar's engage. ments with the Britons, as they are reprefented by Orofius, and the Saxon tranflator.

In the year of Rome 677, the Romans gave Julius Cæfar the command of seven legions, to carry on the war for five winters in Gaul f, and after he had conquered thefe nations, he went into the ifland of Brittonie, where fighting with the Bryttast, he was defeated in that part of the country which is called Centland. Soon after this, he had a fecond engagement with the Brittas, in Centland, who were put to flight. Their third battle was near the river that men call the Temefe (near thofe fords which are called Welingaford); after which, not only all the inhabitants of Cyrnceaftre fubmitted, but the whole inland .

Orof. 1. vi. c. 7.

+ Orof. 1. vi. c. 9; the eighth chapter being omitted.

S'I fhould fuppofe that this fhould be Dorchefter, rather than Cirencefter, as the former is so near to Wallingford. It is from this paffage that bishop Kennet hath infifted that Cæfar's army forded the Thames at Wallingford, and not at Coway-Stakes. See Par. Ant.'

Regreffus in Galliam, legiones in hiberna dimifit, ac fexcentas naves utriufque commodi fieri imperavit. Quibus iterum in Britanniam primo vere tranfvectis, dum ipfe in hoftem cum exercitu pergit, naves in ancoris ftantes tempeftate correptæ, vel collife inter fe, vel arenis illifæ ac diffolutæ funt. Ex quibus quadraginta perierunt, cæteræ cum magna difficultate reparatæ funt. Cæfaris equitatus primo congreffu à Britannis victus, ibique Labienus [Laberius] tribunus occifus eft. Secundo prælio cum magno fuorum difcrimine victos Britannos in fugam vertit. Inde ad flumen Thamefim profectus eft, quem uno tantum loco vadis tranfmeabilem ferunt. In hujus ulteriore ripa, Caffivellauno duce, immenfa hoftium multitudo confederat, ripamque fluminis ac pene totum fub aqua vadum acutiffimis fudibus præftruxerat. Quod ubi à Romanis deprehenfum ac vitatum eft, barbari legionum impetum non ferentes, fylvis fese abdidere, unde crebris eruptionibus Romanos graviter ac fæpe lacerabant. Interea Trinobatum firmiffima civitas cum Androgorio [Cæf. Mandubratio] duce, datis quadraginta obfidibus, Cæfari fefe dedidit. Quod exemplum fecutæ urbes aliæ complures, in foedus Romanorum venerunt: iifdemque demonftrantibus

The reader will obferve, that the tranflator pays very little attention to the Latin hiftorian in this chapter. He treats him with equal freedom in other places. In the latter part efpecially, he feems to have been quite tired of his painful émployment; and therefore he fcarcely gives us any thing more than the contents of the chapters.

With refpect to the foregoing extract, its greatest merit confifts in its originality. Some particulars are mentioned, which are not in Orofius, and afford ample room for the difquifition of learned antiquarians.

The public is indebted to the labour and ingenuity of the honourable Daines Barrington for this curious relic of antiquity.

VIII. Remarks on Ecclefiaftical History. Vol. IV. and V. 8vo. 10s. 6d. Boards. White. [Concluded.]

AS

S we travel through the dark and intricate paths of ecclefiaftical history, we fometimes meet with what entertains and inftru&ts us; but much oftener with what is hocking to a rational and benevolent mind. Wee fee the most amiable religion in the world perverted and abufed, and the groffeft fuperftition introduced in its place. We fee the most ridiculous aufterities practifed and recommended under the name of piety; knaves and fools inrolled in the catalogue of faints; the most religious veneration bestowed on the cloke, the shirt, the shoes, the breeches, of a fanctified impoftor; one party denouncing damnation on another, for not adopting into their system of belief, their scholaftic and unintelligible jargon; the orthodox, or those who affume that appellation, perfecuting, with a diabolical fury, the Arians, Pelagians, Semi-Pelagians, Neftorians, Eutychians, Monothelites, &c. under the pretence of preferving the Catholic faith, and promoting the glory of God, and honour and intereft of Christianity.

*

In thefe inftances of fuperftition and bigotry, there is ample room for observation. But ecclefiaftical writers have had their various prejudices and prepoffeffions, and very feldom speak with a proper degree of impartiality and freedom. We are therefore much obliged to Dr. Jortin for giving us a sober, juft, and rational account of men and things.

This volume begins with the tenth century, and contains, befides the author's own remarks, a tranflation of Three Differtations of Fleury. The first confifts of miscellaneous obfervations on Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, from the year 600 to 1100;

ftrantibus, Cæfar oppidum Caffivellauni inter duas paludes fitum, obtentu infuper fylvarum munitum, omnibufque rebus confertiffimum, tandem gravi pugna cepit. Edit. Colon. 1574.

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the fecond relates to fome abuses in difcipline, and other topics; the third is a difcourfe on the croisades, which make a confiderable part of the hiftory of the church, during the twelth and thirteenth centuries.

Thefe croisades were attempted by Gregory VII. and carried into execution, at the inftigation of Peter the Hermit, by Urban II. in the year 1095.

The principal motive which excited Urban and other pontiffs to wage this holy war, arofe in my opinion from the fuperftitious ignorance of the times and the corrupted ftare of religion. It was thought a difgrace to Chriftianity to fuffer a land, confecrated by the footsteps and the blood of Jefus Chrift, to be left in the poffeffion of his enemies; and pilgrimages to holy places were accounted meritorious acts of devotion; though at the fame time the Mahometan poffeffors of Palestine had reafon enough to be alarmed at them. To this motive for a croifade was added a dread left the Turcomans, who had already conquered a great part of the Greek empire, should pass over into Europe and invade Italy. There are learned men who think that the pope stirred up this war with a view to increase his own authority, and to weaken the power of the Latin emperors and kings; and that the European princes concurred with him, hoping to fend away the moft powerful and warlike of their fubjects, and to ftrip them of their lands and riches. These are ingenious conjectures, but they are no more than conjectures. As foon indeed as the pontifs, kings, and princes learned by experience what great profits accrued to them from thefe wars, the defire of acquiring power and wealth were new inducements added to the former.

Yet from these wars, whether juft or unjust, innumerable evils of every kind enfued, both in church and ftate, the remains of which are ftill felt. Europe was deprived of the greatest part of her inhabitants, an immenfe quantity of money was carried away to remote regions, and many illustrious and wealthy families either perifhed entirely, or were reduced to obfcurity and beggary; for the heads of fuch houfes had pawned or fold their eftates, to fupport themfelves with neceffaries for their journey. Other lords impofed intolerable taxes on their fubjects or vaffals, who being terrified by fuch exactions, chofe rather to leave their farms and houses, and join in the croifade. Hence arofe the utmost confufion and diforder through all Europe. I pafs over the pillages, murders, and maffacres committed in all places with impunity by these pious foldiers of God and of Jefus Chrift, as they were called, as alfo new and pernicious rights and privileges to which these wars gave rife and occafion.

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