National Life and Character in the Mirror of Early English LiteratureUniversity Press, 1907 - 337 pages |
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National Life and Character in the Mirror of Early English Literature Edmund Dale Limited preview - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
afterwards Alcuin Alfred attack battle Bede Benedict Biscop Beowulf bishop blood brave Breca Byrhtnoth Cædmon Cant character Chaucer Christ Christian Chron Church conquest Cyneheard Cynewulf D'Arth Danes Danish death deeds ealdorman Eanmund earl Eccl England English Englishman evil faith feud fierce fight French Geats give Gnomic Verses Grendel Guthlac hall hand hear heart heathen heaven hell Heorot hero Hist holy honour host Hrothgar Hunt Hygelac influence king kingdom knights ladies land Latin Laws learning live lord Malm monastery monastic monks nation never noble Norman Northumbria oath Ongentheow passionate Piers Plow priests race Robert Mannyng Roman Rome Saxon says Scyld seems shield ships side slain slay song sorrow soul spears spirit story strife strong sword tell Teutonic thee thegns things thou thought tribes victory warrior Welsh Widsith wife women words wounded Wyrd
Popular passages
Page 206 - And thou were the kindest man that ever struck with sword. And thou were the goodliest person that ever came among press of knights. And thou was the meekest man and the gentlest that ever ate in hall among ladies. And thou were the sternest knight to thy .mortal foe that ever put spear in the rest.
Page 136 - I rejected them, by the counsel of my ' witan,' and in otherwise commanded them to be holden ; for I durst not venture to set down in writing much of my own, for it was unknown to me what of it would please those who should come after us.
Page 207 - And though that he was worthy, he was wise ; And of his port as meek as is a maid. He never yet no villainy§ ne said In all his life unto no manner wight: He was a very perfect, gentle knit/ht.
Page 201 - I am sorrier for my good knights' loss than for the loss of my fair queen ; for queens I might have enow, but such a fellowship of good knights shall never be together in no company.
Page 86 - Friday, there was marvellous solemn service, in which service time, after the Passion was sung, two of the ancient monks took a goodly large crucifix, all of gold, of the picture of our saviour Christ nailed upon the cross, laying it upon a velvet cushion, having St.
Page 207 - A Knight there was, and that a worthy man That from the time that he first began To riden out, he loved chivalry, Truth and honour, freedom and courtesy.
Page 201 - The clergy, contented with a very slight degree of learning, could scarcely stammer out the words of the sacraments ; and a person who understood grammar, was an object of wonder and astonishment. The monks mocked the rule of their order by fine vestments, and the use of every kind of food. The nobility, given up to luxury and wantonness, went not to church in the morning after the manner of Christians, but merely, in a careless manner, heard matins and masses from a hurrying priest in their chambers,...
Page 9 - And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Page 181 - He planted a great preserve for deer, and he laid down laws therewith, that whosoever should slay hart or hind should be blinded. He forbade the harts and also the boars to be killed. As greatly did he love the tall deer as if he were their father. He also ordained concerning the hares, that they should go free. His great men bewailed it, and the poor men murmured thereat, but he was so obdurate, that he recked not of the hatred of them all ; but they must wholly follow the king's will, if they would...
Page 147 - But here lie disclosed the seeds of that long-enduring contention which ended only at the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. There...