{ix} X. A Collection of Homilies on the Saints' days observed by the
Anglo-Saxon Church.
Though the present is the first edition of these most ancient sermons in
any of the Germanic tongues, it may be interesting to some readers to be
informed that two attempts at publishing them were made in the early part
of the last century by Mrs. Elizabeth Elstob, which failed through want of
encouragement, a few leaves only having been printed[12].
In assigning to Aelfric, archbishop of York, the honour of being the author
of the Homilies and other works enumerated above, it would have been
gratifying to add, that the character of that prelate given by the
chroniclers was beyond a doubt all that could be desired, and such as to
render it highly probable that to him we are indebted for those noble and
holy labours. Unfortunately the case is otherwise, the few facts recorded
of Aelfric of York being for the most part quite irreconcileable with the
portrait of the pious student which our imagination spontaneously draws, on
calling to mind the exertions in the cause of religion and learning
attributed to our Aelfric. Of the archbishop, Malmesbury speaks in terms of
{x} no ordinary severity, asserting, that at his instigation Hardacnut
caused the corpse of his brother Harald Harefoot to be taken from the grave
and decapitated, and afterwards thrown into the Thames; also, that being
exasperated against the people of Worcester, who had rejected him for their
bishop, he again instigated the same king to burn their city and confiscate
their property, under the pretext of their having resisted the royal
tax-gatherers[13]. The better testimony of Florence of Worcester, with
regard to the first of these transactions, is, however, less prejudicial to
the character of Aelfric: he says merely, that Aelfric, archbishop of York,
with others was sent to London by the king for the purpose of digging up
the body of Harald and casting it into a fen[14]. Of the second transaction
Florence makes no mention. But the earliest account is that in the Saxon
Chronicle[15], and in this it is simply said, that "he (Harthacnut) caused
the dead body of Harald to be taken up, and had it cast into a fen:" to
Aelfric and the others there is no allusion whatever. In the same record
his death is mentioned in the following terms of respect: "This year (1052)
died Aelfric, archbishop of York, a very venerable and wise man." It is
also stated that he was the accuser of earl Godwine, of the earl of Kent,
and of Living, bishop of Worcester, as the murderers of the young Aelfred,
the son of Aethelred[16].
The manuscript from which the text of the present volume is taken belongs
to the Public Library at {xi} Cambridge. It is a small folio and probably
coeval with its author, though hardly, as it has been supposed, his own
autograph copy[17]. It is not perfect, having suffered mutilation in
several places, but its defects are all supplied in the present work from
another MS. in the British Museum[18]. For the most liberal use of the
Cambridge manuscript, I beg leave, on the part of the Aelfric Society, to
express the sincerest thanks to the SYNDICS OF THAT UNIVERSITY.
To W. E. BUCKLEY, Esq., Fellow of Brasenose College, and Professor of
Anglo-Saxon in the University of Oxford, I return my sincere thanks for his
kindness in removing my doubts of the integrity of the text by collation
with the Bodleian manuscript; also to my greatly respected friend, the
REVEREND DANIEL ROCK, D.D., I acknowledge myself much indebted for the kind
promptness with which he at all times satisfied my inquiries respecting the
ancient observances of the Church, as well as other points of doubt, which
his deep knowledge of ecclesiastical antiquities so well qualifies him to
solve.
The second volume, containing Homilies for another year, is in preparation,
and will, it is hoped, be laid before the Members of the Society in the
course of the year 1845.