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Article NOTES ON LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART. ← Page 5 of 6 →
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Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.
I may mention that our gifled old York Grand Master , Francis Drake , F . E . S ., who really made the liberal arts and sciences his study—supposed Londesborough to have been the Eoman Station caUed Delvogitia , which Camden , Gale , Stukely , and Horsel y all place at Market Weighton , nearly three nides off ; and Mr . Wri ght , in his Wanderings of an Antiquary , thinks Londesborough may have been the royal residence of Edwin , King of Northumbria , at the time of his conversion to Christianit y , —the pagan
temple of Godinundingham being only one mile distant , the parish church of Godmanham now occupying that important historic site . No doubt "the country all round Malton , " as the late Professor Phillips well remarked , was " in early times the most peopled part of Yorkshire , and so it remained till a comparatively late period . The range of vidages which cling to the foot of the Wolds , from the Huniber , round by Malton to Hunmanby and Fdey , is remarkable ; a simdar crowd of large villages runs
from Scarborough , by Helmsley and Thirsk , to the north of the Tees , and from many circumstances there is reason to conclude these lines to have been occupied by settlements in the earliest times . Along them flowed the finest springs ; above them were open pastures for sheep , the bustard , the dotterel , and other birds ; and below , in boundless forests , roamed red deer and the wdd boar ; herons and wdd fowl frequented the swamps ; wolves , foxes , martens , and other animals of some value for skins , afforded occupation to the arrow , spear , pit , or net ; while , to complete the happiness of savage life , the roving pirates or merchants of the Baltic and the Elbe might land at the
'Uchel ( Ocelum Promontormm , Flaniborough ) , the'Dim' ( Dunsley , near Whitby ) , or the ' Aberach' ( Eburacum , York ) , the coloured glass and amber , which made them amulets and ornaments . "' What a change since the period glanced at by the dear , genial Professor , ancl the days when Mr . Eoss is illustrating the later history of the Celebrities of the Wolds , and Mr . Wdton is singing his Lyrics , Sylvan and Sacred , in that peace and security which I am afraid the green-robed Bards and blue-invested Vates of the ancient Britons never knew . And yetlooking back through the vista of
, so many centuries , what an outrage has the history of our country too often been on the fine symbolic teaching of the white-vesmented Druid , to say nothing of our profession of a purer creed ! The Green of the Bards , or poets , was emblematical of Hope ; the Blue of the Vates , or historians , was indicative of Truth ; whilst the White vestments of the fully-developed Druid was symbolical of Light and Purity . So much has the Almighty Father revealed to his most benighted children . How I should like
to hear and understand one or more of the songs sung by the ancient Bards , on or near the very spots where Mr . Wdton has composed his Lyrics , Sylvan and Sacred , and to compare the two ! Doubtless , in an age when fighting ancl hunting were the dady business of the whole male laity , songs of war and of the chase would greatly predominate ; but our Celtic fore-elders , too , would have their domestic affections and their love of the rural scenery then surrounding them on every hand ; and perhaps could have unhesitatingly sympathised with Mr . Wdton ' s sweet poetic welcome to " the First Violet , " given below : for . they also had then- hopes of immortal life : —
" Sweet violet , that out of view , Through snow , and sleet , and shower , Hast kept a speck of heavenly blue To bless this vernal hour ! Oh ! could we learn thy gentle art When trouble clouds our skies , To cherish in our secret heart
A hope that never dies ! Sweet violet , that dost enfold In buds thy fragrance rare , Through weary months of rain and cold , . To sweeten now the air . Oh ! could wo emulate thy skill , To nurse , through days of gloom , A patient faith that watches still To burst in odorous bloom !
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.
I may mention that our gifled old York Grand Master , Francis Drake , F . E . S ., who really made the liberal arts and sciences his study—supposed Londesborough to have been the Eoman Station caUed Delvogitia , which Camden , Gale , Stukely , and Horsel y all place at Market Weighton , nearly three nides off ; and Mr . Wri ght , in his Wanderings of an Antiquary , thinks Londesborough may have been the royal residence of Edwin , King of Northumbria , at the time of his conversion to Christianit y , —the pagan
temple of Godinundingham being only one mile distant , the parish church of Godmanham now occupying that important historic site . No doubt "the country all round Malton , " as the late Professor Phillips well remarked , was " in early times the most peopled part of Yorkshire , and so it remained till a comparatively late period . The range of vidages which cling to the foot of the Wolds , from the Huniber , round by Malton to Hunmanby and Fdey , is remarkable ; a simdar crowd of large villages runs
from Scarborough , by Helmsley and Thirsk , to the north of the Tees , and from many circumstances there is reason to conclude these lines to have been occupied by settlements in the earliest times . Along them flowed the finest springs ; above them were open pastures for sheep , the bustard , the dotterel , and other birds ; and below , in boundless forests , roamed red deer and the wdd boar ; herons and wdd fowl frequented the swamps ; wolves , foxes , martens , and other animals of some value for skins , afforded occupation to the arrow , spear , pit , or net ; while , to complete the happiness of savage life , the roving pirates or merchants of the Baltic and the Elbe might land at the
'Uchel ( Ocelum Promontormm , Flaniborough ) , the'Dim' ( Dunsley , near Whitby ) , or the ' Aberach' ( Eburacum , York ) , the coloured glass and amber , which made them amulets and ornaments . "' What a change since the period glanced at by the dear , genial Professor , ancl the days when Mr . Eoss is illustrating the later history of the Celebrities of the Wolds , and Mr . Wdton is singing his Lyrics , Sylvan and Sacred , in that peace and security which I am afraid the green-robed Bards and blue-invested Vates of the ancient Britons never knew . And yetlooking back through the vista of
, so many centuries , what an outrage has the history of our country too often been on the fine symbolic teaching of the white-vesmented Druid , to say nothing of our profession of a purer creed ! The Green of the Bards , or poets , was emblematical of Hope ; the Blue of the Vates , or historians , was indicative of Truth ; whilst the White vestments of the fully-developed Druid was symbolical of Light and Purity . So much has the Almighty Father revealed to his most benighted children . How I should like
to hear and understand one or more of the songs sung by the ancient Bards , on or near the very spots where Mr . Wdton has composed his Lyrics , Sylvan and Sacred , and to compare the two ! Doubtless , in an age when fighting ancl hunting were the dady business of the whole male laity , songs of war and of the chase would greatly predominate ; but our Celtic fore-elders , too , would have their domestic affections and their love of the rural scenery then surrounding them on every hand ; and perhaps could have unhesitatingly sympathised with Mr . Wdton ' s sweet poetic welcome to " the First Violet , " given below : for . they also had then- hopes of immortal life : —
" Sweet violet , that out of view , Through snow , and sleet , and shower , Hast kept a speck of heavenly blue To bless this vernal hour ! Oh ! could we learn thy gentle art When trouble clouds our skies , To cherish in our secret heart
A hope that never dies ! Sweet violet , that dost enfold In buds thy fragrance rare , Through weary months of rain and cold , . To sweeten now the air . Oh ! could wo emulate thy skill , To nurse , through days of gloom , A patient faith that watches still To burst in odorous bloom !