382 On English PrcBterites. The earlier of these (Cal. A. rx) was in all probability written towards the end of the twelfth century : the later of them^ the consideration of Lajamon, will be found in Mr Madden's notes to Havelock the Dane, published by him under the patronage of the Roxburgh Club. It occurs, p. 189. where in order to prove that seals formed part of the dainties set before our forefathers in the twelfth century, the following passage is quoted, (Lajamon, fol. 45^. col. 2). islajene wagron to }?on mele twaelf )?usend ru^eren sele and J^ritti hundred haertes ahd al swa feole hinden. Now the word sele here is not, seol, phoca^ but sael, honus^ felix^ the Goth, selis, Luc. 8, 15. Mark. 7, 22. Luc. 6, 35. &c. The Old. H. d. sael, saelic in composition, and the Old Saxon salic in the same. Letting alone therefore the copula which Mr Madden must have inserted in order to make any sense at all of the passage, we shall not read, twelve thousand bullocks and seals, but twelve thousand good bullocks : and we shall also think bonus or felix a better epithet to a hero than phoca^ when we read in the same Lajamon " ]p2it Brutus j^a sele ; to )?are sae wolde." So in the very first page of the MS. we may incline to believe, that Lajamon was thinking of a plea- sant residence, when he said, "• sel J^ar him }?uhte," and not at all that he seemed to himself to be a seal. Or a very few paragraphs further, that when Assaracus received, ^' sele )?reo castles" from his father, they were only three good castles. While upon this subject I will furnish Mr Madden with a better translation and arrangement of a portion of Beowulf, than that which I suppose from the hand of some injudicious friend, he has inserted at p. 197? among the same notes. At the same time it will be but just to the author of that performance to give his reading also ; which I correct in columns 3 and 4, P. 197* In Caines cynne |?one cwealm ge- ■vTaec •ece drihten baes be he Abel slog, ne ge-feah he )?aere faeh^e ac he hine feor for-wraec metod for ])Y mane man- cynne fram )?anon un- tydras ealle on-wocon On Cain's kin (descend- ants) this sin (homicide) aveng- ed the etei-nal Lord of him ivho Abel slew. he rejoiced not in that act of hatred, but him afar off the creator exiled. Therefore tnayiy kinds of ryien, from thence unfruitful eotenas and ylfe and orcneas swykegi(gan)'tas all arose, (took their ori- gin) eotenes and ylfs and monsters. Such (were the) giants )?a wi^ gode wun- that against God strove non lange jr^rage a long period : he hem pies lean he them this loan re- for-geald. qidted. Man. (nefas). The Old Saxon Men. Isl. Mein. ought never to have been con- founded with any form of manig (multus nor is it easy to conceive how the dat. c. man-cynne could have been supposed right in connection with any case of that adj ; or how the masc. subst. un-tydras could ever have passed for an adj [^ffis )?e is uni- versally to be rendered, because^ on account of &c. and a careful distinction is no doubt to be made between laen (a loan) and lean {a reward). In Caines cynne j^one cwealm ge-wraec ece drihten |?£es J:>e he Abel slog. Ne ge-feah he |?£ere faeh- «e ac he hine feor for-^vrsec. metod for >y mane man-cjTine fram. |:'anon un-tydras ealle on-wocon eotenas and ylfe and orcneas swlyce gi (gantas) ])dL wi(5 gode "wunnon lange )?rage (he) him [jaes lean for- geald. fol. 132b. Vitel. A. xv. On Cain's kin the murder avenged (the) eternal Lord, In that he, Abel slew. Nor rejoiced he in the feud, but he exiled him afar, the creator, for the wick- edness, from mankind. thence evil-progenies all arose lutes and ylfs and orcneys. Such giants then warred agamst god for a long period. he them, therefore, re- ward, repaid.
