seventh year, and that the first year of their childhood began with the eighth In the early stage, he exhibits the person of whom he speaks as amusing himself with his playfellows in the tricks and sports of his age, but as excelling in his dexterity, and in his power of pursuing them without fatigue. It is hardly worth a line to remark, that the Anglo-Saxon child must have resembled every other: restless activity without an object, sport without reasoning, grief without impression, and caprice without affectation, are the usual characteristics of our earliest years in every age and climate. As the Anglo-Saxons were not a literary people, it is natural that their childish occupations should be the exercises of muscular agility. Leaping, running, wrestling, and every contention and contortion of limb which love of play or emulation could excite, were their favourite sports. Bede describes his hero as boasting of his superior dexterity, and as joining with no small crowd of boys in their accustomed wrestlings in a field; where, as usual, he says, they writhed their limbs in various but unnatural flexures.' The names of the Anglo-Saxons were imposed, as with us, in their infancy, by their parents. In several charters it is mentioned, that the persons therein alluded to, had been called from their cradles by the names expressed; and which they had received, "not from accident," but from the will of "their parents." Their names seem to have been frequently compound words, rather expressive of caprice than of appropriate meaning. The appellation of Mucil," large," which Alfred's wife's father bore," may have been suggested by the size of the new-born infant; as hwithyse, "the white boy," or Egbert, "bright eye," might have been imposed from some peculiar appearance. But the following names, when considered as applied first in infancy, appear to be as fantastic, and as much the effusions of vanity, as the lofty names so dear to modern parents : Sigeric, Eadmund, Eadwin, Wulfric, Eadward, Ethelstan, Ethelbert, Of the female names, the victorious and rich. powerful as a wolf. noble and illustrious. meaning is more applicable, and sometimes displays better taste. We give the following as specimens, taken as they occurred: We will subjoin a few specimens of the names prevailing in the same families: • The state of this family is thus mentioned in a Saxon MS. "Dudda was a husbandman in Hæthfelda; and he had three daughters: one was called Deorwyn; the other Deorswythe; and the third Golde. Wullaf, in Hathfelda, hath Deorwyn for his wife; and Ælfstan, at Kingawyrth, hath Deorwythe; and Ealhstan, the brother of Efstan, married Golde." Cott. MS. Tib. B. 5. It has been a subject of discussion, whether the Anglo-Saxons used surnames. There can be no question that many were distinguished by appellations added to their original, or Christian names. Thus we find a person called Wulfsic se blaca, or the pale; Thurceles hwitan, or the white; others Ethelwerde Stameran, and Godwine Dreflan. Sometimes a person is designated from his habitation, as Elfric at Bertune; Leonmære at Biggrafan. Very often the addition expresses the name of his father, as Elfgare Elfan suna, Elmar Elfrices suna, Sired Ælfrides suna, Godwine Wolfnothes suna, or more shortly Wulfrig Madding; Badenoth Beotting. The office, trade, affinity, or possession, is frequently applied to distinguish the individuals mentioned in the charters: as Leofwine Ealdorman, Sweigen Scyldwirtha, Eadwig his mæg, Egelpig munuc, Osword preost, Leowine se Canon, Heording gerefa, and such like. But although it is certain that such additional appellations were occasionally used by the Anglo-Saxons, yet they appear to have been but personal distinctions, and not to have been appropriated by them as family names, in the manner of surnames with us. In the progress of civilization, the convenience of a permanent family denomination was so generally felt as to occasion the adoption of the custom. It is probable that the first permanent surnames were the appellations of the places of birth, or residence, or a favourite ancestor. To these, the caprice of individual choice or popular fancy, the hereditary pursuit of peculiar trades, and the continued possession of certain offices, added many others, especially in towns. But this custom of appropriating a permanent appellation to particular families, became established in the period which succeeded the Norman conquest. P See Hickes's Dissert. Epist. p. 22-25. And yet one Saxon MS. seems to express an actual surname, Hatte. Thus, "Hwita Hatte was a keeper of bees in Hæthfelda; and Tate Hatte, his daughter, The power of the Anglo-Saxon parent over his child was limited; or at least the clergy, as soon as Christianity was introduced, began to confine it. Theodore, the second archbishop of Canterbury, in 668, allowed that a father, if compelled by necessity, might deliver up his son to a state of servitude, that is, slavery, without the child's consent. But he declared that a boy of fifteen might make himself a monk, and a girl of sixteen or seventeen might choose a religious life. Up to the age of fifteen the father might marry his daughter as he pleased; but after fifteen he was forbidden to dispose of her against her will. CHAPTER II. Their Education. We cannot detail the particular course of education by which the Anglo-Saxons conducted their children to maturity, but some information may be gleaned. Their society was divided into two orders of men, laymen and ecclesiastics. Among the latter as much provision was made for intellectual improvement, as the general darkness of the period would allow. The laity were more contented with ignorance; and neglecting the mind, of whose powers and nature they knew nothing, they laboured to increase the hardihood and agility of the body, and the intrepidity, perhaps the fierceness of the spirit. Some men, rising above the level of their age, endeavoured to recommend the use of schools. Thus Sigebert, in the seventh century, having enlarged his mind during his exile in France, as soon as he regained the East Anglian throne, established a school in his dominions for youth to be instructed in learning. So we find in Alfred's time, and under his improving auspices, most of the noble, and many of the inferior orders, were put under the care of masters, with whom they learnt both Latin and Saxon was the mother of Wulfsige, the shooter; and Lulle Hatte, the sister of Wulfsige, Hehstan had for his wife in Wealadene. Wifus, and Dunne, and Seoloce, were born in Hæthfelda. "Duding Hatte, the son of Wifus, is settled at Wealadene; and Ceolmund Hatte, the son of Dunne, is also settled there; and Etheleah Hatte, the son of Seoloce, is also there; and Tate Hatte, the sister of Cenwald, Mæg hath for his wife at Weligan; and Ealdelm, the son of Herethrythe, married the daughter of Tate. Werlaf Hatte, the father of Werstan, was the rightful possessor of Hæthfelda," &c. Cott. MS. Tib. B. 6. The above is a literal translation. • Capitula Theodore ap. D'Acheri Spicel. vol. i. 17 VOL. II. ૧ 489. P. a Bede. books, and also writing, that "before they cultivated the arts adapted to manly strength, like hunting, and such others as suited the noble, they might make themselves acquainted with liberal knowledge." Hence Edward and Elfthrythe are stated by Asser to have studiously learnt Psalms and Saxon books, and chiefly Saxon poetry. But among the laity, these were transient gleams of intellectual sunshine, neither general nor permanent. The great and powerful undervalued knowledge; hence Alfred's brothers did not offer to attain the faculty of reading which he was tempted to acquire. Hence, even kings state in their charters, that they signed with the cross, because they were unable to write; and hence so many of Alfred's earls, gerefas, and thegns, who had been illiterate all their lives, were compelled by his wise severity to learn in their mature age, that they might not discharge their duties with such shameful insufficiency. It is mentioned on this occasion, that those who from age or want of capacity could not learn to read themselves, were obliged to have their son, kinsman, or, if they had none, one of their servants taught, that they might at least be read to, and be rescued from the total ignorance with which they had so long been satisfied. Asser expresses the great lamentations of these well-born, but untaught men, that they had not studied such things in their youth. Nothing can more strongly display the general want of even that degree of education which our poorest charity-children receive, than these circumstances. The clergy were the preceptors of those who sought to learn; and though Alfred tells us how few even of these could read, yet our history of the Anglo-Saxon literature will show some very brilliant exceptions. Such as they were, however, to them the moral and intellectual education of the age was entrusted. Thus Aldhem's father, a prince, put him under the tuition of the Abbot Adrian. Thus the Irish monk Maildulf, who settled at Malmsbury, and was well skilled in Greek and Latin, took scholars to earn subsistence. From a passage in the biographer of Wilfrid, we learn that children, who afterwards pursued the paths of ambition, received, in the first part of their lives, instruction from ecclesiastics. He says of Wilfrid, a bishop in the eighth century, "Princes and noblemen sent their children to him to be brought up, that they might be dedicated to God, if they should choose it; or that, when full grown, he might present them in armour to the king, if they preferred it."h When they reached the age of fourteen, the aspiring, or the d In a MS. charter of Wihtred, in the possession of the late Mr. Astle, to the king's mark was added, “ad cujus confirmationem pro ignorantia literarum." ⚫ Asser. f Malmsb. 3 Gale, 338. • Ibid. Eddius, p. 62. |