[P. 114], l. 833, Nec libertas proprie debet nominari, | quæ permittit inscie stultos dominari.—The reader will hardly fail to call to mind the similar sentiment expressed in the line of Milton—
“Licence they mean, when they cry liberty.”
[P. 115], l. 858, p’rat.—The MS. has pr̄at, the meaning of which is by no means clear.
[P. 116], l. 875, Veritas, lux, caritas, calor, urit zelus.—Perhaps the commas should be omitted after veritas and caritas, and the whole be translated, “Truth is light, charity is warmth, zeal burns.”
[P. 117], Regis esse noveris nomen relativum.—It would be by no means uninteresting to collect the expressions of the popular doctrine concerning the kingly character held by our forefathers at different periods. Perhaps it may not be considered altogether foreign to the subject to point out here a few of them.
I.—In a MS. of the tenth century (MS. Cotton. Nero, A. I., fol. 71, ro.) we have, among some other things of a similar kind, the following sketch of the opinion of the Anglo-Saxons on this subject, said to be from the pen of Alfric:—
Cristenum cyninge ge-byreð on cristenre þeode, þæt he sy eal swa hit riht is folces frofer, ⁊ rihtwis hyrde ofer cristene heorde, ⁊ hym ge-byreð þæt he eallum mægene cristendom rære, ⁊ Godes cyrcan æghwar georne fyrðrie ⁊ friðrie, ⁊ eal cristen folc sibbie ⁊ sehte mid rihtre lage, swa he geornost mæge, ⁊ þurh ælc þing riht-wisnesse lufie, for Gode ⁊ for worolde. For þam þurh þæt he sceal sylf fyrmest ge-þeon, ⁊ his þeodscype eac swa, þe he riht lufige, for Gode ⁊ for worolde. ⁊ him ge-byreð þæt he geornlice fylste þam þe riht willan, ⁊ á hetelicest yre þam þe þryres wyllan.
He sceal mán dæde men þreagean þearle, mid woroldlicre steore; ⁊ he sceal ryperas ⁊ reaferas ⁊ worold-struderas hatian ⁊ hynan; ⁊ eallum Godes feondum styrnlice wiðstandan; ⁊ ægðer he sceal beon mid rihte ge milde ge reðe, milde þam godum, ⁊ styrne þam yfelum. Ðæt bið cyninges riht, ⁊ cynelic ge-wuna, ⁊ þæt sceal on þeode swyþost ge-fremian. La! þurh hwæt sceal Godes þeowum ⁊ Godes þearfum frið ⁊ fultum cuman, butan þurh Crist ⁊ þurh cristenne cyning? Ðurh cyninges wisdom folc wyrð ge-sælig, ge-sundful, ⁊ sigefæst, ⁊ þy sceal wis cyning Cristendom ⁊ cynedom miclian ⁊ mærsian, ⁊ á he sceal hæþendom hindrian ⁊ hyrwan.
He sceal boc-larum hlystan swyþe georne, ⁊ Godes beboda geornlice healdan, ⁊ ge-lome wið witan wisdom smeagan, gyf he gode wile rihtlice hyran. ⁊ gif hwa to þam stræt sy ahwar on þeode, þæt riht nelle healdan swa swa he scolde, ac Godes lage wyrde, oððe folc lage myrre, þonne cyþe hit man þam cynge, gif man þæt nyde scyle, ⁊ he þonne sona ræde ymbe þa bote ⁊ ge-wylde hine georne, to þam þe his þearf sy huru unþances, gif he elles ne mæge. ⁊ do swa him þearf is, clænsige his þeode, for Gode ⁊ for worolde, gif he Godes miltse ge-earnian wylle.
It behoves a Christian King in a Christian people, that he be all as it is right the people’s protector, and a just shepherd over the Christian flock, and it behoves him that he with all his might raise Christendom, and advance and protect God’s church everywhere diligently, and pacify and reconcile with just law all Christian people, as he most earnestly may, and love justice in every thing, before God and before the world. Because by that he shall profit himself in the first place, and also his people, whom let him love rightly, before God and before the world. And it behoveth him that he diligently help those who wish for justice, and ever most hatefully persecute those who wish for wrong. He shall punish men severely for evil deeds, with secular punishment; and he shall hate and put down thieves and robbers and oppressors of the world; and sternly resist all God’s enemies; and he shall be with justice both mild and severe, mild to the good and stern to the bad. This is the king’s right, and the manner of a king, and this shall be most efficient in the people. Lo! through what shall peace and help come to God’s servants and to God’s poor, except through Christ and through a Christian king? Through the king’s wisdom the people shall be happy, prosperous, and victorious, and on that account shall a wise king enlarge and increase Christianity and royalty, and ever he shall hinder and persecute heathendom. He shall listen very diligently to scholars, and diligently hold God’s commandments, and frequently search wisdom from his witans, if he will rightly hear what is good. And if any one openly be any where in the people, that will not hold justice as he should, but infringes God’s law, or obstructs the law of the people, then let people declare it to the king, if they would extinguish that violence, and there let them soon take counsel for the amends, and subdue him diligently, until that he be reduced at last by force, if he may not otherwise. And let him do as it is needful for him, purify his people, before God and before the world, if he will earn God’s mercy.