be enjoined to him according as it is reasonable; and that is very just law.*

Concerning the everyday life of the early Franks we have not much record; Gregory of Tours is almost the sole authority. In his history of the Merovingian period, there is much which is intensely interesting. The story of St. Fredegonda, Queen of King Clothaire, with her education, intellect and refinement, at the barbarous period of the sixth century, constitutes a romance which will well pay perusal.

Of the domestic life of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors, we have much more ample details. In the eighth century they had attained considerable cultivation, though still simple in their manners. The legend of the poet Coedmon, narrated by Beda, gives a peep into the interior life of the period. Coedmon was a poor cowherd, who had lived to middle life without any education or training. At the entertainments of that time, it was customary for the harp to be passed round from hand to hand, each person in turn reciting or singing a song, with the accompaniment of the instrument Poor Coedmon, as the instrument gradually approached him, feeling his ignorance and incapacity, arose for very shame, and hied home to his house. This he had done several times, till, on one occasion, after going to the shippon and attending to his beasts, he threw himself down in despair and fell into a sleep. In this state a vision appeared to him. He heard a voice calling him by name, saying "Coedmon, sing me something." To which he replied, "I cannot sing, and never could: even now I have been obliged to quit the company because of my inability." The voice rejoined, "Nevertheless thou mightest try to sing for me." He replied, "What shall I sing ?" The voice said, "Sing about the creation." "Then," adds

*Laws of Ethelred, 6 sec., 46, &c.

the legend, "he burst into song, with words which he had never heard," being the poem on the creation, well known to Saxon scholars, to which some have supposed Milton was indebted for some of his noblest conceptions. He then arose from sleep, with his song fresh in his memory, and went on composing until morning, when he hied him to the tun-gerefa, or chief magistrate of the place, and told him of the gift which he had received. This dignitary took him to St. Hilda, the Abbess of Whitby, who, after testing the dumb poet who had found a tongue, called a council of learned men and scholars, who, after due examination, acknowledged his pretensions, and induced him to devote himself to a religious life in the neighbouring monastery. Here he spent many years, turning into Saxon verse the various themes of Divine revelation, and, after a long and blameless life, finished his course with the praises of God upon his tongue. When he lay on his death-bed, he inquired how near it was to the hour when the brethren should arise and sing their matin-song. They answered, it was not far off. Then said he, "Well, we will wait until then;" and so they signed him with the sign of the cross, and, his head declining on the pillow, he fell into a gentle sleep, and so passed away.

The concluding words of the story I must give in the original.

"Ond swa was geworden, thætte swa swa he hluttere móde, and bylewite and smyltre willsumnesse Drihtne theowde, that he eac swylce swa smylte deathe middan-geard wœs forlætende, and to his gesyhthe becom. And seo tunge the swa monìg halwende word on thoes Scyppendes lóf gesette, he tha swylce eac tha ytemestan word on his herenesse, hine sylfne seniende and his gast in his handa bebeodende, betynde."

"And so it came to pass, that even as he served the

Lord with a sincere mind and simple and gentle devotion, in such wise he was dismissed from earth with a gentle death, and attained the (heavenly) vision. And the tongue which had uttered many wholesome words on the love of the Creator, even the last utterances in his praise, blessing himself and committing his soul into His hands, so came to silence."

Whatever inferences we might be disposed to draw from the laws, and however rude in many respects the state of society in the ninth century might be, the people for whom this was written in their native tongue must have had much that was gentle and noble in their feelings and habits..

At this point we are naturally led to take a glance at the mental condition of the Teutonic races at this early period, when Tacitus says, "Literarum secreta viri pariter ac femince ignorant. This must be taken with some qualification. It is quite true as regards the Greek or Roman method of writing, but there are indications that the Runic system of notation and letters was in existence previously. The following passage of Tacitus has been a puzzle to his editors and annotators. In reference to the mode of taking auspices and casting lots, he proceeds: "Virgam, frugiferae arbori decisam, in surculos amputant, eosque notis quibusdam discretos, super candidam vestem temerè ac fortuitò spargunt: mox si publicè consuletur, sacerdos civitatis sin privatim, ipse paterfamiliae, precatus deos, cœlumque suspiciens, ter singulos tollit, sublatos secundùm impressam ante notam interpretatur."

Nothing could more clearly indicate the Runic method of writing, as it would be described by a person ignorant of its true meaning. The "virguli," or twigs, of Tacitus, are equivalent to the "Buch-staben," or beechen rods, of the

*De Mor. Ger., sec. 19.

FOURTH ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 2nd December, 1867.

The Rev. C. D. GINSBURG, LL.D., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

The Rev. Walton Lowe Clay, M.A., was unanimously elected an Ordinary Member.

Mr. Morton, F.G.S., exhibited a specimen of Ammonites oxynotus, from the lias formation of Gloucester, remarkable on account of its being converted into iron pyrites, and showing the original thickness of the shell.

The following Paper was then read :

ON CERTAIN CONTRADICTORY OR ABNORMAL

PHENOMENA OF THE AGE.

BY THE REV. J. S. JONES.

HARDLY second in importance to the men rock pre 16,
"know thyself," would be the counsel to "inte
age." To see, in due light and prp rtin, "the ay and
body of the time, its form and pressure," if ...
our knowledge of ourselves, will contritte to our pr
use ourselves for the common good.

I have ventured to put together some ti niin os cerning certain characteristics of this ar, wi, h, an root others, afford matter for either simple remark, as 2 1worthy, speculation, as interesting, or na important.

None of these, perhaps, are more remark E coincidence of Luxury and Energy. Whatever dangers are incident to a luxurious civilisation are curs in an in cedented degree. Armies of conquest and are of circumstance have given us empire. An unique Lady and education have given us power. Natural advantage, utilized by strong heads and hands, Lave given us wealt A visit to an International Exhibition, or the Crystal Palace, would fill a citizen of any other age with worker at the resources which could create, and the industry within 1 produce, treasures so infinite for the use and etjent A a multitude so vast. And, appalling as the contrast w......d le when he saw the darker side of the picture, the contrast itself would derive much of its suggestive Less and ad