336 
On the Study of Anglo-Saxon and its Galue 
to the Archwologist. 
By the Rey. J. Baron, M.A., Rector of Upton Scudamore. — 
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(Read before the Society at Warminster, August 23rd, 1877.) © 
{/GNGLO-SAXON lore may be conveniently divided into four 
al: divisions: Ist, charters; 2nd, laws; 3rd, poetry; 4th, 
general prose. I will not attempt, on the present occasion, to dis- 
cuss any one of these divisions, but I will first offer a few practical 
hints on the study of Anglo-Saxon, and then pass on to give some 
examples of its value to the archxologist, drawing my illustrations 
chiefly from the localities and features of this neighbourhood. 
As regards the study of Anglo-Saxon I am not one of those who 
advocate its being introduced. into schools or into examinations. 
Enough, if not too much, is required there already, and notwith- 
standing the interest I have felt in Anglo-Saxon for many years, I 
believe the Three Rs, with Latin, French, Greek, and, in some cases, 
German, to be more important and valuable as educational studies, 
although it would be much more reasonable to give young people an 
initiation into the rudiments of their language in its earliest and 
most grammatical stage, than to perplex them, as is now done even 
in the case of young men going into the army, with Chaucer, Piers 
Ploughman, and Spenser, which, without a previous knowledge of f 
Anglo-Saxon, can only appear as transitional chaos, and confusion 
worse confounded by a most formidable array of glossary and notes. _ 
Why should people generally be troubled with historical English, — 
which ought to be a special study or an amusement rather than a 
task? If archeologists and others desire to master historical English, — 
they cannot profitably work backwards from their own day further $ 
than Shakspere and Bacon. If they wish to master earlier writers 
and historical documents, they ought to go much further back, and 
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