Changes
Created page with "Gem, S. Harvey 1912 An Anglo-Saxon abbot. Ælfric of Eynsham, A Study. https://archive.org/details/MN5145ucmf_4 CHAPTER X p.183-195 "This is translated from Thorpe's Analec..."
Gem, S. Harvey 1912 An Anglo-Saxon abbot. Ælfric of Eynsham, A Study.
https://archive.org/details/MN5145ucmf_4
CHAPTER X p.183-195
"This is translated from Thorpe's Analecta Saxonica. The MS. that he took it from is MS. Cott. Tib. A. 3. Latin, with an interlinear Saxon gloss. Some critics think the gloss was added later, but Thorpe supposes it by .ffilfric, v. p. vii in his Introduction. There is another MS., including the Grammar and some other colloquies, in the library of St. John's College, Oxford. This MS. is being edited by Mr. W. H. Stevenson, M.A., Fellow and Librarian of that college." [GEM 1912:p.183]
==A COLLOQUY, FOR EXERCISING BOYS IN SPEAKING LATIN==
''First compiled by Aelfric, and added to by Aelfric Bata, his disciple.''<br>
<br>
''Scholar''. We boys beg you, Master, to teach us to speak Latin correctly, for we are ignorant, and we speak badly.
''Master''. What do you wish to talk about?
''Scholar''. We do not care what we talk about, as long as our speech is correct, and useful, and not foolish, or base.
''Master''. Are you willing to be flogged while learning?
''Scholar''. We would rather be flogged that we may learn, than remain ignorant, but we know that you are kindly, and that you will not lay strokes upon us, unless we oblige you to do so.
Master. I ask you what you are to talk about?
What work have you ?
Scholar. I am preparing to be a monk, and every
day I sing seven times with the brethren, and I am
busy with reading and singing ; yet in the meantime
I wish to learn to converse in the Latin language.
Master. What do these companions of yours know ?
Scholar. Some are ploughboys, some shepherds,
some oxherds, some also are huntsmen, some fisher-
men, some fowlers, some chapmen, some tailors, some
salters, some bakers in the place.
Master. What do you say, Ploughboy, how do you
carry on your work ?
Ploughboy. Master, I have to work far too
much; I go out at dawn, driving the oxen to the
field, and I yoke them to the plough ; I dare not in
the severest weather lie hid at home, for fear of my
lord ; and when I have yoked the oxen together, and
fastened the ploughshare to the plough, I have to
plough a whole acre every day, or more.
Master. Have you any companion ?
Ploughboy. I have a boy who threatens the oxen
with a goad, and he is also hoarse with the cold and
his shouting.
Master. What more do you perform in the day ?
Plougliboy. Certainly I do more besides that. I
have to supply the mangers of the oxen with hay,
and give them water, and carry their dung outside.
Master. indeed ! This is a great labour.
Ploughboy. Yes, it is a great labour that I have to
fulfil, for I am not free.
Master. What do you say, Shepherd, have you any
work ?
A COLLOQUY 185
Shepherd. Indeed, I have. In early morning I
drive my sheep to the pastures, and I stand by them,
in heat and cold, with dogs, lest the wolves should
devour them, and I bring them back to their folds,
and milk them twice a day, and I move their folds
besides. I also make butter and cheese, and I am
faithful to my lord.
Master* Oxherd, what do you work at ?
Oxherd. Master, I labour much. When the
ploughman unyokes the oxen, I lead them to the
pastures, and all night I stand by them watching
against thieves, and then, early in the morning, I
give them over to the ploughman, well fed and
watered.
Master. Is that boy one of your companions ?
Oxherd. He is.
Master. Can you do anything ?
Huntsman. One craft I know.
Master. Which is that ?
Huntsman. I am a huntsman.
Master. Whose ?
Huntsman. The King's.
Master. In what way do you practise your
art ?
Huntsman. I make myself nets, and set them in
a fitting spot, and I urge on my dogs, to chase the
wild animals, till unawares they get into the nets,
and so they are entangled, and I cut their throats
when in the nets.
Master. Don't you know how to hunt without nets ?
Huntsman. Yes, I am able to hunt without nets.
Master. How do you manage that ?
Huntsman. I hunt the wild animals with swift
186 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
dogs. I take stags, and boars, and fallow deer, and
goats, and sometimes hares.
Master. Were you hunting to-day ?
Huntsman. I was not, because it is the Lord's
Day, but yesterday I was hunting.
Master. What did you catch ?
Huntsman. I took the stags in nets, and I cut the
throat of the boar.
Master. How was it that you were daring enough
to cut the throat of the boar ?
Huntsman. The dogs drove him towards me, and
I, standing towards him, suddenly cut his throat.
Master. You were very daring then.
Huntsman. A huntsman must not be fearful, for
a number of various beasts haunt the woods.
Master. How do you dispose of what you have
caught ?
Huntsman. I give whatever I catch to the King,
as I am his huntsman.
Master. And what does he give you ?
Huntsman. He clothes and feeds me well, and
sometimes he gives me a horse, or a bracelet, that
I may the more willingly practise my art. [Anglo-
Saxon men were fond of wearing bracelets.]
Master. What craft do you know ?
Fisherman. I am a fisherman.
Master. And what do you gain by your craft ?
Fisherman. Food, and clothing, and money.
Master. How do you catch the fish ?
Fisherman. I get into a boat, and place my nets
in the river, and I throw in a hook, and baskets,
and whatever they catch I take.
Master. What if your fishes are not clean ?
A COLLOQUY 187
Fisherman. I throw the unclean away, and take
the clean ones for food.
Master. Where do you sell your fish ?
Fisherman. In the city.
Master. Who are your purchasers ?
Fisherman. The citizens. I cannot catch as many
as I could sell.
Master. What kinds of fish do you catch ?
Fisherman. Eels and pike, minnows and joltheads,
trout and lampreys, and any fish that swim in the
river.
Master. Why don't you fish in the sea ?
Fisherman. I do sometimes, but it is a long way
to the sea, so I seldom go thither.
Master. What do you catch in the sea ?
Fisherman. Herrings and salmon, dolphins and
sturgeons, oysters and crabs, mussels and winkles,
cockles, plaice, soles and lobsters, and the like.
Master. Are you desirous of catching a whale ?
Fisherman. I am not.
Master. Why is that ?
Fisherman. Because catching a whale is a dangerous
business. I prefer to go on the river in my own
boat rather than to accompany a number of boats
for hunting a whale.
Master. How is that ?
Fisherman. Because I like better to catch a fish
that I can kill, than a fish that by one blow can
drown or put to death both myself and my com-
panions.
Master. Yet there are many, who catch whales,
and escape the dangers and make great gain
thereby.
188 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
Fisherman. You speak the truth, but I dare not,
for my mind is slothful.
Master. Fowler, what have you to say ? How do
you deceive the birds ?
Fowler. I have many ways of deceiving the birds ;
sometimes by nets, sometimes by snares, sometimes
by lime, sometimes by whistling, sometimes by a
hawk, sometimes by a trap.
Master. Have you a hawk ?
Fowler. I have one.
Master. Do you know how to tame them ?
Fowler. Yes, I know how. What use would they
be to ine, unless I knew how to tame them ?
Huntsman. Pray give me a hawk.
Fowler. Willingly, if you will give me in return a
swift dog. What sort of hawk do you want, a large
one, or of the smaller kind ?
Huntsman. Give me a large one.
Master. How do you feed your hawks ?
Fisherman. They feed themselves, and me in the
winter, and in the spring I let them fly away to the
wood, and I catch young ones in the autumn and
tame them.
Master. And why do you allow those whom you
have tamed to fly away from you ?
Foider. Because I do not like feeding them in the
summer, for they eat too much.
Master. Yet many persons keep the hawks which
they have tamed through the summer, that they
may have them ready again.
Fowler. Yes, they do, but I am not inclined to
bestow so much labour on them, as I know how to
catch others, and many of them.
A COLLOQUY 189
Master. What have you to say, Merchant ?
Merchant. I maintain that I am useful to the
King, and to the nobles, and to the wealthy, and to
the whole people.
Master. How so ?
Merchant. I go on board ship, with my merchandise.
I sail to regions beyond the sea, and sell my goods,
and buy valuable produce that is not made in this
country, and I bring it you here. I face great
dangers in crossing the ocean and sometimes I
suffer shipwreck, with the loss of all my goods,
hardly escaping with my life.
Master. What kinds of things do you bring us ?
Merchant. Purple and silk, precious stones and
gold, various sorts of clothing, pigments, wine and
oil, ivory, copper, brass and tin, sulphur and glass,
and the like.
Master. Are you willing to sell your things just
as you bought them there ?
Merchant. By no means. If I did so, what good
would my labour be to me ? I wish to sell dearer
here, than I bought there, that I may gain some
profit, to keep myself, and my wife and son.
Master. You, Shoemaker, what do you produce ?
Shoemaker. My craft is indeed very useful and
necessary for you.
Master. How is that ?
Shoemaker. I buy skins and hides, and prepare
them, and make various kinds of sandals, slippers,
shoes, and high boots, besides bridles, harness, and
other horse trappings, halters and spurs ; and also
leather bottles, flasks, purses, and bags. 1
1 The order of some of these names has been transposed in the
190 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
Master. Oh, Salter, of what value is your craft
to us?
Salter. My craft is of great value to all of you ;
none of you would enjoy his dinner or supper unless
my craft were his entertainer.
Master. How is that ?
Salter. What man would enjoy pleasant meats,
without the savour of salt ? Who could fill his
pantry, or his storeroom without my craft ? Behold,
all your butter and cheese would perish, unless I
were near to be their keeper, and you could not use
your herbs without me.
Master. What have you to say, Baker ? What
is the use of your craft, or can we live our life
without you ?
Baker. You might indeed, for a while, live your
life without me, but not for long, nor well; for
without my craft, every table would seem empty,
and without bread all food would be distasteful. I
stablish the heart of man, I am the strength of men,
and even the little ones cannot pass me by.
Master. What shall we say of the Cook ? Do we
in any way need his craft ?
Cook. If you drive me out of your society, you will
have to eat your vegetables and your meat raw, and
anyhow you cannot have good gravy without my craft.
Master. We do not care about your craft, nor is it
necessary for us, for we can ourselves cook the things
that need to be cooked, and roast what has to be
roasted.
translation so as to bring together those that appear to have
the same meaning. It is by no means easy to identify the
signification of these names.
A COLLOQUY 191
Cook. If therefore you drive me out, to do as you
say, then you will all be servants, and none of you
will be master, and yet without my craft you will
not be able to bite your food.
Master. Monk, who hast spoken to me already,
behold I find that you have good companions, and
very necessary ones, who are they ?
Scholar. I have smiths, iron smiths, goldsmiths,
silver smiths, brass smiths, carpenters, and many
other workmen skilled in various arts.
Master. Have you any wise councillor ?
Scholar. Certainly we have. How could our
society be ruled if we had no councillor?
{Here the Councillor comes forward.}
Master. What say you, Wise one? What art
seems to you to hold the first place amongst all
these ?
Councillor. I say to thee, that the service of God
holds the primary place among these arts, as we
read in the Gospel " Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you."
Master. And which do you think among secular
crafts holds the first place ?
Councillor. Agriculture; because the ploughman
feeds us all.
(The Blacksmith now speaks.)
Blacksmith. How does the ploughman get his
plough or his ploughshare, or his goad, but by my
craft? How does the fisherman obtain his hook,
or the shoemaker his awl, or the tailor his needle,
but by my work ?
Councillor. What you say is indeed true : but we
192 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
all prefer to be guests of the ploughman, rather than
yours ; for the ploughman gives us bread and drink,
and what do you give us in your workshop but
sparks of iron, and the noise of hammers striking,
and bellows blowing ?
(The Woodman speaks.)
Woodman. Which of you does not avail himself
of my craft, when I make houses, and various
utensils and boats for you all?
Blacksmith. Woodman, why do you talk like
that, when you could not pierce a single aperture
without my craft ?
Councillor. friends, and good workmen ! Let us
quickly cease from these contentions, and let there
be peace and concord between us, and let each of us
help the other by his art, and let us always meet at
the ploughman's, where we find food for ourselves,
and fodder for our horses, and this advice I give to
workmen, that each should diligently practise his
craft : for every one who forsakes his art is forsaken
by his art : whether thou art a priest, or a monk, or
a layman, or a scholar, practise thyself in this, be
what thou art, for it is a great loss and shame to a
man to be unwilling to be what he is, and what he
ought to be.
Master. boys, how does this conversation please
you?
Scholar. We are indeed well pleased with it, but
your words are deep, and your speech goes beyond
our age; pray speak to us as remembering our
youthful minds, that we may understand what you
are talking about. 1
1 The critics consider that JSlfric Bata did not improve upon his
A COLLOQUY 193
Master. I will ask you why you are so diligent in
learning ?
Scholar. It is because we do not wish to be like
brute animals, that know nothing but grass and
water.
Master. And what then is your wish ?
Scholar. We wish to be wise.
Master. "With what kind of wisdom? Do you
wish to be clever turncoats, taking many shapes,
cunning in lies, acute in speech ; talking fairly, and
thinking evil, given to using pleasant words, while
cherishing guile within, like a sepulchre, painted
outside, but full of foulness inside ?
Scholar. We do not wish to be wise in this way,
for he is not wise who deceives his own self by
pretences.
Master. Then how do you desire to be wise ?
Scholar. We wish to be simple, without hypocrisy,
and wise in avoiding the evil, and in doing what is
good, but up to now your discussion with us is more
profound than our years can take in ; pray speak to
us in our way, and not so profoundly.
Master. I will do as you ask. You, my boy, what
have you done to-day ?
Scholar. I have done many things. This night,
when I heard the call, I rose from my bed, and
went out to the church, and sang nocturns with
the brethren ; then we sang of all the saints, and
the matin song of praise ; after that prime, and the
seven psalms, with litanies, and the first mass, then
terce, and we performed the mass of the day, after
master's work by his additions. The above remark seems un-
reasonable, as the speech is plain enough.
194 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
that we sang sext ; then we ate and drank, and had
our sleep, and rose up again, and sang nones, and
now we are here before you, prepared to hear what
you may say to us.
Master. When do you mean to sing vespers and
compline?
Scholar. When it is the time for them.
Master. Have you been flogged to-day ?
Scholar. I have not, for I behaved with caution.
Master. And how was it with your companions ?
Scholar. Why do you ask me about that ? I dare
not reveal our secrets to you. Each one knows
whether he has been flogged, or not.
Master. What do you eat in the day ?
Scholar. I am allowed meat, because I ani still
a boy, living under the rod.
Master. What do you eat besides ?
Scholar. Vegetables and eggs, fish and cheese,
butter and beans, and all clean things I eat, with
giving of thanks.
Master. You are very voracious, to eat everything
that is put before you.
Scholar. I am not such a glutton as to be able to
eat all these kinds of food at the same meal.
Master. Then how do you manage ?
Scholar. I eat sometimes this food, and sometimes
that, with moderation, as befits a monk; I do not
eat voraciously, for I am not a glutton.
Master. And what do you drink?
Scholar. Beer, if I have any, or water, if I have
no beer.
Master. Don't you drink wine ?
Scholar. I am not rich enough to buy myself wine ;
A COLLOQUY 195
and wine is not a drink for boys, or foolish persons,
but for elders, and wise men.
Master. Where do you sleep ?
Scholar. In the dormitory with the brethren.
Master. Who rouses you up for nocturns ?
Scholar. Sometimes I hear the call, and rise,
sometimes the master rouses me up sharply with a
rod.
Master. good boys, and pleasant scholars, your
instructor exhorts you to be obedient to the rules of
divine discipline, and to behave yourselves decor-
ously, wherever you may be. Walk with steadiness
when you hear the bells of the church, enter into the
house of prayer, and bend reverently before the holy
altars. Stand in good order, and sing together, ask
forgiveness for your faults, and go out again, without
playing the fool, into the cloister or the schoolroom,
https://archive.org/details/MN5145ucmf_4
CHAPTER X p.183-195
"This is translated from Thorpe's Analecta Saxonica. The MS. that he took it from is MS. Cott. Tib. A. 3. Latin, with an interlinear Saxon gloss. Some critics think the gloss was added later, but Thorpe supposes it by .ffilfric, v. p. vii in his Introduction. There is another MS., including the Grammar and some other colloquies, in the library of St. John's College, Oxford. This MS. is being edited by Mr. W. H. Stevenson, M.A., Fellow and Librarian of that college." [GEM 1912:p.183]
==A COLLOQUY, FOR EXERCISING BOYS IN SPEAKING LATIN==
''First compiled by Aelfric, and added to by Aelfric Bata, his disciple.''<br>
<br>
''Scholar''. We boys beg you, Master, to teach us to speak Latin correctly, for we are ignorant, and we speak badly.
''Master''. What do you wish to talk about?
''Scholar''. We do not care what we talk about, as long as our speech is correct, and useful, and not foolish, or base.
''Master''. Are you willing to be flogged while learning?
''Scholar''. We would rather be flogged that we may learn, than remain ignorant, but we know that you are kindly, and that you will not lay strokes upon us, unless we oblige you to do so.
Master. I ask you what you are to talk about?
What work have you ?
Scholar. I am preparing to be a monk, and every
day I sing seven times with the brethren, and I am
busy with reading and singing ; yet in the meantime
I wish to learn to converse in the Latin language.
Master. What do these companions of yours know ?
Scholar. Some are ploughboys, some shepherds,
some oxherds, some also are huntsmen, some fisher-
men, some fowlers, some chapmen, some tailors, some
salters, some bakers in the place.
Master. What do you say, Ploughboy, how do you
carry on your work ?
Ploughboy. Master, I have to work far too
much; I go out at dawn, driving the oxen to the
field, and I yoke them to the plough ; I dare not in
the severest weather lie hid at home, for fear of my
lord ; and when I have yoked the oxen together, and
fastened the ploughshare to the plough, I have to
plough a whole acre every day, or more.
Master. Have you any companion ?
Ploughboy. I have a boy who threatens the oxen
with a goad, and he is also hoarse with the cold and
his shouting.
Master. What more do you perform in the day ?
Plougliboy. Certainly I do more besides that. I
have to supply the mangers of the oxen with hay,
and give them water, and carry their dung outside.
Master. indeed ! This is a great labour.
Ploughboy. Yes, it is a great labour that I have to
fulfil, for I am not free.
Master. What do you say, Shepherd, have you any
work ?
A COLLOQUY 185
Shepherd. Indeed, I have. In early morning I
drive my sheep to the pastures, and I stand by them,
in heat and cold, with dogs, lest the wolves should
devour them, and I bring them back to their folds,
and milk them twice a day, and I move their folds
besides. I also make butter and cheese, and I am
faithful to my lord.
Master* Oxherd, what do you work at ?
Oxherd. Master, I labour much. When the
ploughman unyokes the oxen, I lead them to the
pastures, and all night I stand by them watching
against thieves, and then, early in the morning, I
give them over to the ploughman, well fed and
watered.
Master. Is that boy one of your companions ?
Oxherd. He is.
Master. Can you do anything ?
Huntsman. One craft I know.
Master. Which is that ?
Huntsman. I am a huntsman.
Master. Whose ?
Huntsman. The King's.
Master. In what way do you practise your
art ?
Huntsman. I make myself nets, and set them in
a fitting spot, and I urge on my dogs, to chase the
wild animals, till unawares they get into the nets,
and so they are entangled, and I cut their throats
when in the nets.
Master. Don't you know how to hunt without nets ?
Huntsman. Yes, I am able to hunt without nets.
Master. How do you manage that ?
Huntsman. I hunt the wild animals with swift
186 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
dogs. I take stags, and boars, and fallow deer, and
goats, and sometimes hares.
Master. Were you hunting to-day ?
Huntsman. I was not, because it is the Lord's
Day, but yesterday I was hunting.
Master. What did you catch ?
Huntsman. I took the stags in nets, and I cut the
throat of the boar.
Master. How was it that you were daring enough
to cut the throat of the boar ?
Huntsman. The dogs drove him towards me, and
I, standing towards him, suddenly cut his throat.
Master. You were very daring then.
Huntsman. A huntsman must not be fearful, for
a number of various beasts haunt the woods.
Master. How do you dispose of what you have
caught ?
Huntsman. I give whatever I catch to the King,
as I am his huntsman.
Master. And what does he give you ?
Huntsman. He clothes and feeds me well, and
sometimes he gives me a horse, or a bracelet, that
I may the more willingly practise my art. [Anglo-
Saxon men were fond of wearing bracelets.]
Master. What craft do you know ?
Fisherman. I am a fisherman.
Master. And what do you gain by your craft ?
Fisherman. Food, and clothing, and money.
Master. How do you catch the fish ?
Fisherman. I get into a boat, and place my nets
in the river, and I throw in a hook, and baskets,
and whatever they catch I take.
Master. What if your fishes are not clean ?
A COLLOQUY 187
Fisherman. I throw the unclean away, and take
the clean ones for food.
Master. Where do you sell your fish ?
Fisherman. In the city.
Master. Who are your purchasers ?
Fisherman. The citizens. I cannot catch as many
as I could sell.
Master. What kinds of fish do you catch ?
Fisherman. Eels and pike, minnows and joltheads,
trout and lampreys, and any fish that swim in the
river.
Master. Why don't you fish in the sea ?
Fisherman. I do sometimes, but it is a long way
to the sea, so I seldom go thither.
Master. What do you catch in the sea ?
Fisherman. Herrings and salmon, dolphins and
sturgeons, oysters and crabs, mussels and winkles,
cockles, plaice, soles and lobsters, and the like.
Master. Are you desirous of catching a whale ?
Fisherman. I am not.
Master. Why is that ?
Fisherman. Because catching a whale is a dangerous
business. I prefer to go on the river in my own
boat rather than to accompany a number of boats
for hunting a whale.
Master. How is that ?
Fisherman. Because I like better to catch a fish
that I can kill, than a fish that by one blow can
drown or put to death both myself and my com-
panions.
Master. Yet there are many, who catch whales,
and escape the dangers and make great gain
thereby.
188 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
Fisherman. You speak the truth, but I dare not,
for my mind is slothful.
Master. Fowler, what have you to say ? How do
you deceive the birds ?
Fowler. I have many ways of deceiving the birds ;
sometimes by nets, sometimes by snares, sometimes
by lime, sometimes by whistling, sometimes by a
hawk, sometimes by a trap.
Master. Have you a hawk ?
Fowler. I have one.
Master. Do you know how to tame them ?
Fowler. Yes, I know how. What use would they
be to ine, unless I knew how to tame them ?
Huntsman. Pray give me a hawk.
Fowler. Willingly, if you will give me in return a
swift dog. What sort of hawk do you want, a large
one, or of the smaller kind ?
Huntsman. Give me a large one.
Master. How do you feed your hawks ?
Fisherman. They feed themselves, and me in the
winter, and in the spring I let them fly away to the
wood, and I catch young ones in the autumn and
tame them.
Master. And why do you allow those whom you
have tamed to fly away from you ?
Foider. Because I do not like feeding them in the
summer, for they eat too much.
Master. Yet many persons keep the hawks which
they have tamed through the summer, that they
may have them ready again.
Fowler. Yes, they do, but I am not inclined to
bestow so much labour on them, as I know how to
catch others, and many of them.
A COLLOQUY 189
Master. What have you to say, Merchant ?
Merchant. I maintain that I am useful to the
King, and to the nobles, and to the wealthy, and to
the whole people.
Master. How so ?
Merchant. I go on board ship, with my merchandise.
I sail to regions beyond the sea, and sell my goods,
and buy valuable produce that is not made in this
country, and I bring it you here. I face great
dangers in crossing the ocean and sometimes I
suffer shipwreck, with the loss of all my goods,
hardly escaping with my life.
Master. What kinds of things do you bring us ?
Merchant. Purple and silk, precious stones and
gold, various sorts of clothing, pigments, wine and
oil, ivory, copper, brass and tin, sulphur and glass,
and the like.
Master. Are you willing to sell your things just
as you bought them there ?
Merchant. By no means. If I did so, what good
would my labour be to me ? I wish to sell dearer
here, than I bought there, that I may gain some
profit, to keep myself, and my wife and son.
Master. You, Shoemaker, what do you produce ?
Shoemaker. My craft is indeed very useful and
necessary for you.
Master. How is that ?
Shoemaker. I buy skins and hides, and prepare
them, and make various kinds of sandals, slippers,
shoes, and high boots, besides bridles, harness, and
other horse trappings, halters and spurs ; and also
leather bottles, flasks, purses, and bags. 1
1 The order of some of these names has been transposed in the
190 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
Master. Oh, Salter, of what value is your craft
to us?
Salter. My craft is of great value to all of you ;
none of you would enjoy his dinner or supper unless
my craft were his entertainer.
Master. How is that ?
Salter. What man would enjoy pleasant meats,
without the savour of salt ? Who could fill his
pantry, or his storeroom without my craft ? Behold,
all your butter and cheese would perish, unless I
were near to be their keeper, and you could not use
your herbs without me.
Master. What have you to say, Baker ? What
is the use of your craft, or can we live our life
without you ?
Baker. You might indeed, for a while, live your
life without me, but not for long, nor well; for
without my craft, every table would seem empty,
and without bread all food would be distasteful. I
stablish the heart of man, I am the strength of men,
and even the little ones cannot pass me by.
Master. What shall we say of the Cook ? Do we
in any way need his craft ?
Cook. If you drive me out of your society, you will
have to eat your vegetables and your meat raw, and
anyhow you cannot have good gravy without my craft.
Master. We do not care about your craft, nor is it
necessary for us, for we can ourselves cook the things
that need to be cooked, and roast what has to be
roasted.
translation so as to bring together those that appear to have
the same meaning. It is by no means easy to identify the
signification of these names.
A COLLOQUY 191
Cook. If therefore you drive me out, to do as you
say, then you will all be servants, and none of you
will be master, and yet without my craft you will
not be able to bite your food.
Master. Monk, who hast spoken to me already,
behold I find that you have good companions, and
very necessary ones, who are they ?
Scholar. I have smiths, iron smiths, goldsmiths,
silver smiths, brass smiths, carpenters, and many
other workmen skilled in various arts.
Master. Have you any wise councillor ?
Scholar. Certainly we have. How could our
society be ruled if we had no councillor?
{Here the Councillor comes forward.}
Master. What say you, Wise one? What art
seems to you to hold the first place amongst all
these ?
Councillor. I say to thee, that the service of God
holds the primary place among these arts, as we
read in the Gospel " Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you."
Master. And which do you think among secular
crafts holds the first place ?
Councillor. Agriculture; because the ploughman
feeds us all.
(The Blacksmith now speaks.)
Blacksmith. How does the ploughman get his
plough or his ploughshare, or his goad, but by my
craft? How does the fisherman obtain his hook,
or the shoemaker his awl, or the tailor his needle,
but by my work ?
Councillor. What you say is indeed true : but we
192 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
all prefer to be guests of the ploughman, rather than
yours ; for the ploughman gives us bread and drink,
and what do you give us in your workshop but
sparks of iron, and the noise of hammers striking,
and bellows blowing ?
(The Woodman speaks.)
Woodman. Which of you does not avail himself
of my craft, when I make houses, and various
utensils and boats for you all?
Blacksmith. Woodman, why do you talk like
that, when you could not pierce a single aperture
without my craft ?
Councillor. friends, and good workmen ! Let us
quickly cease from these contentions, and let there
be peace and concord between us, and let each of us
help the other by his art, and let us always meet at
the ploughman's, where we find food for ourselves,
and fodder for our horses, and this advice I give to
workmen, that each should diligently practise his
craft : for every one who forsakes his art is forsaken
by his art : whether thou art a priest, or a monk, or
a layman, or a scholar, practise thyself in this, be
what thou art, for it is a great loss and shame to a
man to be unwilling to be what he is, and what he
ought to be.
Master. boys, how does this conversation please
you?
Scholar. We are indeed well pleased with it, but
your words are deep, and your speech goes beyond
our age; pray speak to us as remembering our
youthful minds, that we may understand what you
are talking about. 1
1 The critics consider that JSlfric Bata did not improve upon his
A COLLOQUY 193
Master. I will ask you why you are so diligent in
learning ?
Scholar. It is because we do not wish to be like
brute animals, that know nothing but grass and
water.
Master. And what then is your wish ?
Scholar. We wish to be wise.
Master. "With what kind of wisdom? Do you
wish to be clever turncoats, taking many shapes,
cunning in lies, acute in speech ; talking fairly, and
thinking evil, given to using pleasant words, while
cherishing guile within, like a sepulchre, painted
outside, but full of foulness inside ?
Scholar. We do not wish to be wise in this way,
for he is not wise who deceives his own self by
pretences.
Master. Then how do you desire to be wise ?
Scholar. We wish to be simple, without hypocrisy,
and wise in avoiding the evil, and in doing what is
good, but up to now your discussion with us is more
profound than our years can take in ; pray speak to
us in our way, and not so profoundly.
Master. I will do as you ask. You, my boy, what
have you done to-day ?
Scholar. I have done many things. This night,
when I heard the call, I rose from my bed, and
went out to the church, and sang nocturns with
the brethren ; then we sang of all the saints, and
the matin song of praise ; after that prime, and the
seven psalms, with litanies, and the first mass, then
terce, and we performed the mass of the day, after
master's work by his additions. The above remark seems un-
reasonable, as the speech is plain enough.
194 AN ANGLO-SAXON ABBOT
that we sang sext ; then we ate and drank, and had
our sleep, and rose up again, and sang nones, and
now we are here before you, prepared to hear what
you may say to us.
Master. When do you mean to sing vespers and
compline?
Scholar. When it is the time for them.
Master. Have you been flogged to-day ?
Scholar. I have not, for I behaved with caution.
Master. And how was it with your companions ?
Scholar. Why do you ask me about that ? I dare
not reveal our secrets to you. Each one knows
whether he has been flogged, or not.
Master. What do you eat in the day ?
Scholar. I am allowed meat, because I ani still
a boy, living under the rod.
Master. What do you eat besides ?
Scholar. Vegetables and eggs, fish and cheese,
butter and beans, and all clean things I eat, with
giving of thanks.
Master. You are very voracious, to eat everything
that is put before you.
Scholar. I am not such a glutton as to be able to
eat all these kinds of food at the same meal.
Master. Then how do you manage ?
Scholar. I eat sometimes this food, and sometimes
that, with moderation, as befits a monk; I do not
eat voraciously, for I am not a glutton.
Master. And what do you drink?
Scholar. Beer, if I have any, or water, if I have
no beer.
Master. Don't you drink wine ?
Scholar. I am not rich enough to buy myself wine ;
A COLLOQUY 195
and wine is not a drink for boys, or foolish persons,
but for elders, and wise men.
Master. Where do you sleep ?
Scholar. In the dormitory with the brethren.
Master. Who rouses you up for nocturns ?
Scholar. Sometimes I hear the call, and rise,
sometimes the master rouses me up sharply with a
rod.
Master. good boys, and pleasant scholars, your
instructor exhorts you to be obedient to the rules of
divine discipline, and to behave yourselves decor-
ously, wherever you may be. Walk with steadiness
when you hear the bells of the church, enter into the
house of prayer, and bend reverently before the holy
altars. Stand in good order, and sing together, ask
forgiveness for your faults, and go out again, without
playing the fool, into the cloister or the schoolroom,
