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Document number: 6276
Date: 22 Mar 1876
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: HAIGH Daniel Henry
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 14th March 2012

My dear Sir

I now send you the passage from S. Augustine’s Enchiridion, and those from Lanfranc fairly copied for your printer.

You may say: –

[line across the page]

“There is, and always has been, a tradition, (though it be not an article of Faith), in the Church, that mankind were created to fill the thrones of the Angels who fell; and this tradition doubtless is derived from the Church of Syna – the Old Law –gogue. the following passages have been communicated to me, showing how distinctly this was taught, even as a doctrine, by S. Augustine; to our own fathers in the first century of their conversion to Christianity; and by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury.”

[line across the page]

I have a particular reason for not wishing my name to appear in the Transactions of our Society. I was invited to contribute to our Transactions by Dr Birch and Mr Smith, and I did so, by four papers, two of which were read. But I was so unfairly treated by the secretary, that I resolved not to subject myself to a recurrence of such treatment, and withdrew my papers, with the exception of one which was at the time in the printers hands. Otherwise I should have withdrawn that also. I say this in confidence. This is the reason why I have been contributing to the Zeitschrift, although the form thereof necessarily obliges me to abridge my communications, even at the cost of sacrificing many important illustrations of my views. If I get the passage from S. Dionysis I will send it, and that may suffice. I have additional testimony to the fact of the tradition still living and vivid; but I am afraid my friends are so occupied that they have difficulty in finding time to look out for printed authorities. Otherwise their kindness on every occasion assures me they would.

Yours very truly
D H Haigh

22/3/76

I open my letter to express my pleasure in having been the occasion of introducing you to Cædmon. He is the father of English poets, and a father of whom every one of his sons may be proud. Milton, his noblest son, is most indebted to him. I have had the honour of returning to C. poems previously not acknowledged as his: –

1. The dream of the Holy Rood (App: B to Mr Cooper’s Report on [illegible]), of which part is inscribed on the Ruthwell Cross;

2. The [Hrliond?], (Schmoller Munich 1830). With regard to the former of these, I had the satisfaction of finding his name written [runic characters] on the Cross, as the artist who carved it, nine years after I advanced my claim on his behalf. It is a beautiful poem, and it will be a pleasure to me to make a copy for you, for his sake, and in return for you kind offer of a copy of your Glossary, which is not amongst my very few books

It has often occurred to me to refer you to Milton for the vacant thrones I am almost sure you will find something.

[enclosure]

Dat gafregin ih mit firahun

firi uuizzomeista

dat ero ni uuas

noh ufhimil

noh paum noh pereg ni uuas

[noh prunno –]

ni [sterro] noh heinig

noh sunna ni scein

noh mano ni liuhta

noh der mareo seo

do dar ni uuiht ni uuas

entes ni uuenteo

enti do uuas der eino

almahtico cot

manno miltisto

enti dar uuarun auh manake mit inan

cootlihhe geista enti cot heilac

The rest is a prayer beginning

Cot almahtico

du himil enti erda gauuorahtos

[translation:]

That I have heard with men,

of most desire-of-Knowledge,

that ere was not

yet up-heaven,

yet tree yet hill was not,

[yet stream flowed not],

no [star] yet any,

yet sun shone not,

yet moon lighted not

yet the broad sea.

Thru there no wight was not

being nor going.

And there was the One

Almighty God,

most merciful man.

Observe the word man used for God. There are still sayings “God is a good man” “The man above knows all”

And there were also many with him,

godlike ghosts and God Holy.

God Almighty

The heaven and earth wroughtest.

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