248 Mr. Georsre Tate on the Farm Islands. 



o 



a copy of the Bible — not one classical author, not one historical 

 or scientific work ! The few volumes which may be found on 

 the shelf of many a cottage in Northumberland teach more 

 knowledge than this monastic library, and yet it dwindled down 

 in A.D. 1513 to eight books! During the course of nine cen- 

 turies, Farneland with its hermits and monks produced only one 

 literary work; it is entitled, " Meditationes cujusdam apud 

 Farneland quondam Solatarii." Mr. Hutchinson states that 

 they were written by Bartholomew ; but Mr. Rayne, who has 

 examined the manuscript, which is in the Durham Library, says, 

 that the handwriting seems about a.d. 1350 or 1360, or perhaps 

 somewhat later, which is about two centuries subsequent to the 

 time of Bartholomew. The subjects discussed are characteristic 

 of the age, being on Angels, on the Holy Virgin Mary, on the 

 blessed John the Baptist, on the blessed Cuthbcrt, and similar 

 topics. Some extracts from these meditations have been printed 

 by Mr. Rayne; they indicate a pious but superstitious mind, 

 they are feeble and trite, and are altogether deficient in the sub- 

 tlety and metaphysical acumen for which the schoolmen were 

 distinguished. One specimen will be sufiicient : the monk 

 addressing the angel appointed to take charge of him, says, 

 " How often, when I have been cutting wood with a hatchet or 

 an axe, should I have mutilated my members, hadst thou not 

 turned away the blow, and warded off the danger ! How often, 

 when I would have slept beyond the hour, hast thou awakened 

 me ! " The lights, which now shed their guiding rays over the 

 waters from the rocky islets of the Fame, contrast in brilHancy 

 and usefulness with the feeble glimmerings which have proceeded 

 from the intellects of the monks, and we need not repine because 

 so few of their meditations have reached our own time. 



The occupations of the monks appear to have been more 

 mechanical than intellectual. They were agriculturists and 

 carefully cultivated the soil, and here the contrast with modem 

 treatment is in their favour. There is now no land in cultivation 

 on the islands (excepting small gardens), and neither cattle nor 

 sheep are maintained; but in a.d. 1369 three acres were sown 

 with barley, and of the produce " grown on the croft within the 

 island," 3 quarters and 3 bushels were sold ; and there were 

 also " in the island two horses, two bulls, three cows, two heifers, 

 and a pig;'' in the year a.d. 1513, there were fourteen sheep 

 and six lambs. The monks possessed ploughs, harrows, "cultres," 

 "grapes," " sheringhucks," and other agricultuial implements. 

 The larger repairs and new buildings were done by artificers 

 from the mainland ; but the monks seem to have been, to a con- 

 siderable extent, their own masons, joiners, slaters and millers, 

 for we find they had constantly on the island quarrying tools. 



