150 A WHALE AT MERSEY IN 1299. 



occurring sometimes in the same sentence. For example, 

 the fisherman who describes himself as accustomed to fish from 

 a boat with nets as well as with a hook (hamus, A.S. angil) after 

 enumerating the different kinds of fishes taken by him in fresh- 

 water, is asked why lie does not fish in the sea. He replies that 

 he does so sometimes, but that it necessitates having a larger 

 boat. To the enquiry whether he cares to catch a whale (cetum) 

 he answers, " No, because it is too dangerous. He is safer on 

 the river in his own little boat than going off with a fleet of 

 larger vessels whaling." " Quia periculosa res est capere cetum. 

 Tutius est mihi ire ad amnem cum nave mea, quam ire cum 

 multis navibus in venationem balance " ; adding that it is 

 preferable to catch a fish that he can kill, than to pursue one 

 that might kill him or sink him, and his companions too. This 

 fisherman was wise in his generation. 



Apart from its bearing on the present question, the dialogue 

 quoted is of interest as showing that the Anglo-Saxons were not 

 unacquainted with the whale-trade, of which fact, moreover, 

 there is other evidence. 



If we turn to the supplement to Archbishop Alfrics Vocabulary 

 — the oldest document of the kind in the English language — 

 printed in Wright's Vocabularies, vol. i., 1857, we find 

 under " Nomina Piscium " hwcel, balena, vel cete, vel cetus, vel 

 pistrix. 1 While in another Anglo-Saxon Vocabulary of the nth 

 century, printed in the same volume, only "cetus " (whence the 

 modern cetacean) is given, as if the more preferable word. 



In a semi-Saxon Vocabulary of the 12th century, however, 

 this word is glossed mcBve-swin (Germ, meer-schwein, Fr. marsouin), 

 that is sea-hog, or porpoise (deriv. porc-pisce), though in the 

 Supplement to Abp. Alfvics Vocabulary, above mentioned, the 

 mcere-sivin is identified with the Dolphin. 



In a Pictorial Vocabulary of the 15th century, stated by 

 Wright to be preserved in a MS. in possession of Lord 

 Londesborough, we find Hcec balena, anglice '■ a porpeyse." 



From these examples, then, it will be seen that both before 

 and after the date of the entry in the Wardrobe Accounts of 

 Edw. I. the word "balena" was used with so uncertain a 

 signification as to render it very doubtful whether the animal 

 captured on the Essex coast in 1299 was of a species to which 



1 Pistrix used for any sea monster, whale, shark, or saw-fish, the last named being that 

 to which the modern form pristis is exclusively applied. 



