390 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
ENGLISH LITER AT UEE BEFORE THE CONQUEST. 
ABSTRACT OF LECTURE BY MR. DANIEL SLATER, M.A. 
(Read March 13th, 1884.) 
The lecturer, after pointing out how greatly the study of early 
English had until recently been neglected by Englishmen, while it 
had received much attention from Germans, spoke of the labours of 
Kemble and Thorpe, and those of Skeat, Earle, and Sweet. The 
lecturer gave a summary of the earliest epic poem in any Teutonic 
tongue — that of Beowulf ; and also of the earliest specimen of 
Teutonic prose — the entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle under 
date 755. The works of Alfred and Aelfric were spoken of in 
detail, and quotations given, as well as from the Codex Exoniensis, 
and the translations of the Scriptures into early English. The 
Anglo-Saxon laws were reviewed, their importance insisted upon, 
and the great work of Dr. Grein — -Bibliothek der Angel-Sachsischen 
Poesie, exhibited. In conclusion, the lecturer drew attention to 
recent publications in England — the new Cartularium Saxonicum, 
Toller's Dictionary, and the fac-simile of the Epinal Glossary, the 
oldest Anglo-Saxon document. 
PLACE OF THE LOWER ANIMALS IN OUR REGARD. 
ABSTRACT OF PAPER BY MR. H. M. EVANS. 
(Read March 20th, 1884.) 
After referring to the great influence exerted by the nervous 
system, as dealt with last year, the lecturer described the different 
methods of enquiry into points of bodily structure, it being im- 
portant to correct conclusions to clearly bear in mind the object 
and scope of each plan when considering facts. He described 
some of the wonderful correlation of parts in the same organism 
as indicative of intelligent design, quoting Cuvier's successes as 
largely due to his recognition of these correspondencies ; and spoke 
