mitian, to treat concerning terms of peace. Tacitus relates, that Velleda, another German prophetefs, held frequent conferences with the Roman generals; and that on fome occafions, on account of the facredness of her perfon, fhe was placed at a great distance on a high tower, from whence, like an oracular divinity, the conveyed her anfwers by fome chofen meffenger. She appears to have preferved the fupreme rule over her own people and the neighbouring tribes. And there are other inftances, that the government among the ancient Germans was fometimes vefted in the women. This practice alfo prevailed among the Sitones or Norwegians. The Cimbri, a Scandinavian tribe, were accompanied at their affemblies by venerable and hoary-headed propheteffes, apparelled in long linen vestments of a fplendid white. Their matrons and daughters acquired a reverence from their skill in ftudying fimples, and their knowledge of healing wounds, arts reputed myfterious. The wives frequently attended their husbands in the most perilous expeditions, and fought with great intrepidity in the most bloody engagements. These nations dreaded captivity, more on the account of their women, than on their own and the Romans, availing themfelves of this apprehenfion, often demanded their nobleft virgins for hoftages. From thefe circumftances, the women even claimed a fort of precedence, at leaft an equality fabfifted between the fexes, in the Gothic conftitutions. But the deference paid to the fair fex, which produced the fpirit of gallantry, is chiefly to be fought for in thofe ftrong and exagge rated ideas of female chastity which prevailed among the northern nations. Hence the lover's devotion to his mistress was encreased, his attentions to her service multiplied, his affection heightened, and his follicitude aggravated, in proportion as the difficulty of obtaining her was enhanced: and the paffion of love acquired a degree of delicacy, when controlled by the principles of honour and purity. The highest excellence of character then known was a fuperiority in arms; and that rival was most likely to gain his lady's regard, who was the bravest champion. Here we fee valour infpired by love. In the mean time, the fame heroic fpirit which was the fureft claim to the favour of the ladies, was often exerted in their protection: a protection, much wanted in an age of rapine, of plunder, and piracy> when the weakness of the fofter sex was expofed to continual dangers and unexpected attacks. It is eafy to fuppofe the officious emulation and ardour of many a gallant young warrior, preffing forward to be foremost in this honourable fervice, which flattered the most agreeable of all paffions, and which gratified every enthusiasm of the times, efpecially the fashionable fondness for a wandering and military life. In the mean time, we may conceive the lady thus won, or thus defended, conscious of her own importance, affecting an air of statelinefs it was her pride to have preferved her chastity inviolate, fhe could perceive no merit but that of invincible bravery, and could only be approached in terms of refpe&t and fubmifion,'

Now, though we shall readily fubfcribe to Mr. Warton's opsnion with refpect to the peculiar influence of the fair fex under the Gothic eltablishments, we can by no means agree with him in that idea of unpoliteness which he throws into the character

of

of the claffic times. Worfe than Goths he reprefents the polifhed Greeks and Romans, and fuppofes the female part of them in a state of feclufion and infignificance; for the truth of which obfervation, he tells us, we need only appeal to the claffic writers.' If there be any thing in this affertion we must have read the claffics very idly indeed, for we will own that they never gave us any fuch idea. Is it from their poets or from their hiftorians that we are to draw this opinion of the unim portance of their women? Has that unimportance left the claffic poets in filence? Have they left us no records of tenderness, of fubduing beauty, or affiduous love? Or, if they have, was female importance confined to the fofter influences only? Were there no Fulvias, no Portias? Had Porfenna no female hostages? And, if he had, were not hostages taken from the most impor tant of the people? Did not Rome owe even her fafety to female influence? Was not Greece governed by the wife of Themistocles +? Was not the matron-tax mitigated through the eloquence of Hortenfia? Had the female infignificance and feclufion, afcribed by our Author to claffic times, been predicated of the women of modern Greece, the remark had been juft S. But fixed on the eras of Sophocles and Alcibiades, of Propertius and Tibullus, Brutus and Cato, it loses, in our opinion, all manner of propriety.

The following general and comprehenfive conclufion results from the firft differtation:

Amid the gloom of fuperftition, in an age of the groffeft ignorance and credulity, a tale for the wonders of oriental fiction was introduced by the Arabians into Europe, many countries of which were already feafoned to a reception of its extravagancies, by means of the poetry of the Gothic fcalds, who perhaps originally derived their ideas from the fame fruitful region of invention. These fictions, coinciding with the reigning manners, and perpetually kept up and improved in the tales of troubadours and minstrels, feem to have centered about the eleventh century in the ideal hiftories of Turpin and Geoffry of Monmouth, which record the fuppofititious atchievements of Charlemagne and King Arthur, where they formed the ground-work of that fpecies of fabulous narrative called romance. And from thefe beginnings or caufes, afterwards enlarged and enriched by kindred fancies fetched from the crufades, that fingular and capricious mode of imagination arofe, which at length compofed the marvellous machineries of the more fublime Italian poets, and of their difciple Spenfer.'

The fecond differtation, prefixed to the Hiftory of the English Poetry, relates to the introduction of learning into England.

Plut. in Vit. Coriol:

+ Id. in Vit. Them.

Val. Max. lib. viii. cap. 3. Quinct. 1. c. 1. App. Civil. 4. § Voyage Litteraire de la Grece, &c.

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After

After a pathetic review of thofe public calamities which had laid the glorious libraries of Rome and Conftantinople in afhes, and almost banished learning and civility out of Europe; after fhewing with what difficulty the remaining gleams of science were kept alive, the wonderful fcarcity of books, and the ftill greater fcarcity of men that were able to read them, our Author leads us forward to the eighth century, an era when the Saxon learning, gradually promoted by the propagation of Christianity, arrived at its highest ftate in this kingdom. At this point Mr. Warton finds footing for his general view of the progress of the English learning, and thus he proceeds:

In the mean time England fhared thefe improvements in know. ledge and literature, chiefly derived from the fame fources, was communicated to our Saxon ancestors about the beginning of the eighth century. The Anglo-Saxons were converted to Chriftianity about the year 570. In confequence of this event, they foon acquired civility and learning. Hence they neceffarily established a communication with Rome, and acquired a familiarity with the Latin language. During this period, it was the prevailing practice among the Saxons, not only of the clergy but of the better fort of laity, to make a voyage to Rome. It is natural to imagine with what ardour the new converts vifited the holy fee, which at the fame time was fortunately the capital of literature. While they gratified their devotion, undefignedly and imperceptibly they became acquainted with ufeful science.

In return, Rome fent her emiffaries into Britain. Theodore, a monk of Rome, originally a Greek prielt, a native of Tarfus in Cilicia, was confecrated Archbishop of Canterbury, and fent into England by Pope Vitellian, in the year 688. He was killed in the metrical art, aftronomy, arithmetic, church-mufic, and the Greek and Latin languages. The new Prelate brought with him a large library, as it was called and efteemed, confifting of numerous Greek and Latin authors; among which were Homer in a large volume, written on paper with most exquifite elegance, the homilies of Saint Chryfoftom on parchment, the pfalter, and Jofephus's Hypomnefticon, all in Greek. Theodore was accompanied into England by Adrian, a Neopolitan monk, and a native of Africa, who was equally skilled in facred and profane learning, and at the fame time appointed by the Pope to the abbacy of Saint Auftin's at Canterbury. Bede informs us, that Adrian requested Pope Vitellian to confer the archbishopric on Theodore, and that the Pope confented on condition that Adrian," who had been twice in France, and on that account was better acquainted with the nature and difficulties of fo long a journey," would conduct Theodore into Britain. They were both escorted to the city of Canterbury by Benedict Bifcop, a native of Northumberland, and a monk, who had formerly been acquainted with them in a visit which he made to Rome. Benedict feems at this

time to have been one of the moft diftinguished of the Saxon ecclefiaftics availing himself of the arrival of these two learned ftrangers, under their direction and affiftance, he procured workmen from France,

and

and built the monaftery of Weremouth in Northumberland. The church he constructed of stone, after the manner of the Roman architecture; and adorned its walls and roof with pictures, which he purchafed at Rome, reprefenting among other facred fubjects the Virgin Mary, the twelve apoftles, the evangelical hiftory, and the vifions of the Apocalypfe. The windows were glazed by artists brought from France. But I mention this foundation to introduce an anecdote much to our purpofe. Benedict added to his monaftery an ample library, which he ftored with Greek and Latin volumes, imported by himself from Italy. Bede has thought it a matter worthy to be recorded, that Ceolfrid, his fucceffor in the government of Weremouth-abbey, augmented this collection with three volumes of pandects, and a book of cofmography wonderfully enriched with curious workmanship, and bought at Rome. The example of the pious Benedict was immediately followed by Acca Bishop of Hexham in the fame province: who having finished his cathedral church by the help of architects, mafons, and glaziers hired in Italy, adorned it, according to Leland, with a valuable library of Greek and Latin authors. But Bede, Acca's cotemporary, relates, that this library was entirely compofed of the hiftories of thofe apoftles and martyrs to whofe relics he had dedicated feveral altars in his church, and other ecclefiaftical treatifes, which he had collected with infinite labour. Bede however calls it a moft copious and noble library. Nor is it foreign to our purpofe to add, that Acca invited from Kent into Northumberland, and retained in his fervice during the space of twelve years, a celebrated chantor named Maban: by the affiftance of whofe inftructions and fuperintendance he not only regulated the church mufic of his diocefe, but introduced the use of many Latin hymns hitherto unknown in the northern churches of England. It appears that before the arrival of Theodore and Adrian, celebrated fchools for educating youth in the fciences had been long established in Kent. Literature, however, feems at this period to have flourished with equal reputation at the other extremity of the island, and even in our most northern provinces. Ecbert Bishop of York, founded a library in his cathedral, which, like fome of thofe already mentioned, is faid to have been replenished with a variety of Latin and Greek books. Alcuine, whom Ecbert appointed his firft librarian, hints at this library in a Latin epiftle to Charlemagne. "Send me from

France fome learned treatifes, of equal excellence with those which I preserve here in England under my cuftody, collected by the industry of my mafter Ecbert: and I will fend to you some of my youths, who fhall carry with them the flowers of Britain into France. So that there fhall not only be an enclosed garden at York, but also at Tours fome fprouts of Paradife," &c. William of Malmesbury judged this library to be of fufficient importance not only to be mentioned in his hiftory, but to be flyled, "Omnium liberalium artium armarium, nobiliffimam bibliothecam." This repofitory remained till the reign of King Stephen, when it was deftroyed by fire, with great part of the city of York. Its founder Ecbert died in the year 767. Before the end of the eighth century, the monafteries of Weftminfter, Saint Alban's, Worcefter, Malmbury, Glaftonbury, with fome others, were founded, and opulently endowed; That of Saint Alban's

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Alban's was filled with one hundred monks by King Offa. Many new bishoprics were also established in England: all which inftitutions, by multiplying the number of ecclefiaftics, turned the attention of many persons to letters.'

After this follows fome account of the principal Saxon Authors at this period, which were Aldhelm, Bishop of Shirburn, Ceolfrid, Alcuine, Bede, and King Alfred.

In an enquiry of this nature, fays our Author, Alfred deferves particular notice, not only as a writer, but as the illustrious rival of Charlemagne, in protecting and affifing the restoration of literature. He is faid to have founded the univerfity of Oxford; and it is highly probable, that in imitation of Charlemagne's fimilar inftitutions, he appointed learned perfons to give public and gratuitous inftructions in theology, but principally in the fashionable feiences of logic, aftronomy, arithmetic, and geometry, at that place, which was then a confiderable town, and conveniently fituated in the neighbourhood of thofe royal feats at which Alfred chiefly refided. He fuffered no prieft that was illiterate to be advanced to any ecclefiaftical dignity, He invited his nobility to educate their fons in learning, and requefted thofe lords of his court who had no children, to fend to fchool fuch of their younger fervants as difcovered a promifing capacity, and to breed them to the clerical profeffion. Alfied, while a boy, had himself experienced the inconveniences arifing from a want of scholars, and even of common inftructors, in his dominions: for he was twelve years of age, before he could procure in the western kingdom a master properly qualified to teach him the alphabet. But, while yet unable to read, he could repeat from memory a great variety of Saxon fongs. He was fond of cultivating his native tongue : and with a view of inviting the people in general to a love of reading, and to a knowledge of books which they could not otherwife have underflood, he tranflated many Latin authors into Saxon. These, among others, were Boethius OF THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY, á manufcript of which, of Alfred's age, still remains, Orofius's HISTORY OF THE PAGANS, Saint Gregory's PASTORAL CARE, the venerable Bede's ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, and the SOLILOQUIES of Saint Auftin. Probably Saint Auftin was felected by Alfred, because he was the favourite author of Charlemagne. Alfred died in the year 900, and was buried at Hyde abbey, in the fuburbs of Winchester, under a fumptuous monument of porphyry.

Aldhelm, nephew of Ina King of the Weft Saxons, frequently vifited France and Italy. While a monk of Malmesbury in Wiltshire, he went from his monaftery to Canterbury, in order to learn logic, rhetoric, and the Greek language, of Archbishop Theodore, and of Albin abbot of Saint Auftin's, the pupil of Adrian. But he had before acquired fome knowledge of Greek and Latin under Maidulf, an Hibernian or Scot, who had erected a small monastery or school at Malmesbury. Camden affirms, that Aldhelm was the first of the Saxons who wrote in Latin, and that he taught his countrymen the art of Latin verfification. But a very intelligent antiquarian in this fort of literature, mentions an anonymous Latin poet, who wrote the life of Charlemagne in verfe; and adds, that he was the firft of the