universe; and which man, inspired by celestial intelligence, has drawn down to earth. Like the sun, it enlightens, it rejoices, it warms with a divine flame, and seems, in some sort, like the element of fire, to bend all nature to our use. By the aid of literature, we bring around us all things, all places, men, and times. By its aid, we calm the passions, suppress vice, and excite virtue. Literature is the daughter of Heaven, who has descended upon earth to soften and charm all human evils." And, as the Old Man adds to Paul, so would I say to every one in Cleveland and South Durham: "Have recourse to your books then, my son. The sages who have written before our days are travellers who have preceeded us in the paths of misfortune; who have stretched out a friendly hand towards us, and invite us to join their society when everything else abandons us. A good book is a good friend."

Every intelligent man and woman will desire to possess some knowledge of the writers which their own part of the country has produced and in Authors neither South Durham nor Cleveland* has been barren,-as the following pages will show. The specimens chosen, both in prose and poetry, will enable my readers to form their own judgment of the writers; and the few criticisms interspersed throughout the volume are such as seemed naturally to arise from the subject. If I am anywhere unjust to any one, it is unintentional; and, in order that those writers who have touched on controversial subjects may be impartially represented, I have fearlessly allowed them to utter their own views, whether they might be in unison or in direct opposition to my own. At the same time, I trust, the entire work will be found to contain nothing which the men and women of Cleveland and South Durham may not only frequently peruse themselves, but also place, without scruple and without diffidence, in the hands of their children. Knowing, by experience, the value of literature to solace the wounded spirit in adversity; and knowing, also, by conversations with some thousands of the people in this part, that the

*In the present work, though I have paid particular attention to the writers connected with the two Langbaurghs, generally known as Cleveland, I have not thought fit totally to omit to notice other authors of eminence who have belonged to other parts of the important Archdeaconry of Cleveland, which not only includes the Deanery of Cleveland, (of itself more extensive than the Langbaurghs,) but also those of Bulmer and Rydall.

refining influence of books has been too little felt by the many; and finding, moreover, that our own Authors are but scantily known, even amongst the educated in our vicinage, I hopefully launch my little barque, confident that the cargo is of valuable and acceptable commodities, and I humbly beseech the Almighty Ruler of the Universe to so bless the voyage of my frail vessel that the mental food which it bears may safely reach the people, and help to support and develope them in all knowledge and virtue.

CEDMO N.

"The old Brigantes from our bosky brooks
And heather-covered hills away were driven;
The Roman legions had been call'd away
From Britain's isle, to cross their swords with men
Who, rear'd in savage wilds, had over-run
Fair Italy, and sought to rule the world;
The hardy Saxons, from Teutonic woods,

Had made our shores their own, and fix'd their feet
So firmly on the sod, that nought could shake
Their footsteps from our soil; when he arose,
Cedmon, the humble herdsman of the swine
That fed on mast of Cleveland's oaks and beeches,
Or tended beeves that then were wont to graze
In Cleveland pastures. He heard old Ocean
Dash his wild waves in fury at the feet

Of Cleveland's iron cliffs, and saw them foam
As if with rage,-anon lie sleeping on

Our silver sands, their motion as serene

As maiden's breasts, which merely heave with breathing;
He saw the morning sun rise in its beauty,

Shine in its glory, and in splendour set;

The moon and stars for him adorn'd the night,

As they had done for Homer; flowers came forth

In all their rustic beauty at his feet;

And birds and bees made music for his ears;
And he became-a Poet!"

PETER PROLETARIUS.

The first name that we meet with of any eminence in our literature, as that of a writer who composed in his mother tongue, was a native of this district, and was employed in tending cattle, or in other words, followed the humble occupation of a herdsman, during the Saxon Heptarchy. This was Cedmon, who became a monk of Streoneshalh Abbey, now called Whitby, then newly founded by Oswy, who reigned

over the kingdom of Northumbria from A.D. 643 to 670. Cedmon may be termed the Milton of the Anglo-Saxon era; and we are indebted to King Alfred's Saxon version of Bede for the preservation of Cedmon's celebrated hymn. In a dark age, every thing wonderful is deemed miraculous; accordingly the gift of Poesy given to Cedmon was attributed to supernatural inspiration. Venerable Bede, (who was born somewhere in the county of Durham, most probably at Sunderland, A.D. 676, and who died at the monastery of Gyrwie, now called Jarrow, where his life had been passed in useful labours, May 26th, 735,) with beautiful simplicity records the legend of Cedmon's sudden inspiration, to the following purport. Cedmon had grown to man's estate, not only unable to read and write, an accomplishment confined to very few in that age, but also unable to sing; and the habit then appears to have been to pass the harp from guest to guest, and for each to sing some improvised song in turns, accompanying himself with the melody of that ancient instrument. One evening, to avoid being called upon for his song, he left an entertainment, sooner than he otherwise would have done, and retired to the stalls which contained the oxen committed to his care. Having laid himself down to rest upon the straw, he soon fell into a sleep, and some one appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Cedmon, sing me something." Cedmon did not plead a sore throat, (a common excuse at least as far back as Shakspere's time,) but honestly stated his inability to sing, and told how he had left the feast early on that account. The presence, however, was not to be satisfied, but told him that he must sing. Cedmon asked in amazement what he must sing, for he had learnt nothing. "Sing me the origin of things!" rejoined the spirit and lo! he instantly began to chaunt verses which he had never heard before. When he awoke, the hymn was still remembered by him, so that he could repeat it to his neighbours; and he told it to his master, who introduced him to St. Hilda, who was then the Lady Abbess of Streoneshalh. To her and to the nuns and monks, (for the abbey was a double one, intended for both males and females, each under their respective officers,) he repeated the marvellous story of his dream, and rehearsed the inspired verses. There are several translations of this remarkable hymn; the following is that of the late REV. GEORGE YOUNG, D. D., the learned historian of Whitby, who states that "the translation is not only

literal, but correspondents line for line with the original," which he also gives for the use of the Saxon scholar:

"Now we must praise

The heavenly kingdom's Guardian,
The Creator's might,

And the thoughts of His mind;
Glorious Father of Works!

How He of every glory,
Eternal Lord!

Established the beginning.

He first framed

For the children of earth
The heaven for a roof,
Holy Maker!

The middle region,
Mankind's Guardian,
The Lord Eternal,
Afterwards made,
A dwelling for men;
Almighty Ruler !"

:

The inmates of the monastery were satisfied that the gift of song had been granted him by the Lord; and they read or recited to him a portion of Scripture in the vulgar tongue, requesting him to produce them a poem upon it, which he did the next day, so much to their satisfaction that the Lady Hilda persuaded him to become one of the monks of her abbey, and caused him to be educated, especially in Sacred History. And well did Cedmon repay the teaching; for "he sang,' as DR. YOUNG well expresses it, "of the creation of the world, the origin of the human race, and the whole history of Genesis; of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and their entrance into the promised land, with many other passages of the ancient Scripture history; and of the incarnation of our Lord, His passion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the preaching of the apostles. He likewise composed many verses on the terrors of a future judgment, the horrors of hell, and the delights of the kingdom of heaven : as also on a variety of the mereies and judgments of God. All his poems were religious, calculated to draw men from the pursuits of sin, and lead them to the love and practice of goodness: and he himself was distinguished for piety, regularity, and zeal. *** Cedmon's hymn, which he composed beside the oxen, is not the only part of his works which has reached our times. A considerable portion of his poetical paraphrase, mentioned by Bede, is still extant; and has been published by Junius,* the learned editor of the Gothic version of the Gospels. is the first part of Cedmon's work, commencing with the fall of the angels, and the creation of the world, and comprising the history of Adam and Eve; of Cain, and the Deluge; of Abraham and Moses; with some account of Nabuchodonsor and Daniel. In describing the fall of the angels, the ideas of *The edition here refered to by the Doctor was published at Amsterdam in 1655.

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