ALDHELMI ENIGMA 183 



sins, all mortal creatures, with the exception of the chosen 

 few who were to preserve the race for future times, I was 

 the first of the survivors to set at nought the compact with 

 the Father and disobey his behests, for I spurned to bow 

 my neck to his will. This is the reason why the poet, long 

 since, said of me in verse, " he is atoning now on land for 

 his former sins on the sea." My punishment is that I 

 shall never satisfy my callow young with the food they 

 want, till I see their feathers begin to grow black upon 

 their white skin. Take away a letter from my name, and 

 I shall be bereaved of them altogether. 



The " Father," in line five of the above, is, of course, 

 Noah ; "the poet," in line six, is Coelius Sedulius, a Christian 

 poet of the fifth century ; and the letter to be taken from 

 the name Corvus is C, leaving behind orvus or orbus, = 

 " bereaved of my young." 



