BENJAMIN THORPE.

Otago Witness, Issue 987, 29 October 1870, Page 5

BENJAMIN THORPE.

Among the recent deaths recorded by the Home News of the 12th August is that of the well-known Anglo-Saxon scholar and archaeologist, Benjamin Thorpe, in the 88 th year of his age, Mr Thorpe, who was one of the best Teutonic scholars of the age, was among the foremost in the early part of this century to promote the extension of Anglo-Saxon learning, and to encourage edu a ed men in England to enter upon the study ; and up to a very recent period he continued his active exertions in that field hy editing printed editions of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. His productions are numerous, and they all exhibit marks of his conscientious accuracy and critioil acumen. In 1830 Thorpe published at Copenhagen a translation into English of Rask's Anglo-Saxon grammar. Bosworth had published an Anglo-Saxon grammar in 1823, and several less perfect grammars had appeared earlier, but Thorpe's translation of Rask (from the Danish) eclipsed them all. To this day, it is the best extant. In 1834 Thorpe published a selection in prose and verse, from twenty Ar.glo-Saxon au'hors, under the title of Analecta Anglo-Saxoniq. This work was designed " to promote amonget ua the study of the language and literature of our Saxon foref a' hers." It contains a very full glossary (84 pages), and has ever since been the standard work to which students have resorted, as a sort of Delectus of the Anglo-Saxon tongue. Since then Thorpe's contributions to Anglo-Saxon literature have been numerous, He edited, for the Record Com-

missioners their edition of the AngloSaxon lawß in 2 vois. folio, and a hbrary edition in 2 vols. royal Bvo. He next edited for the historical publications i«i3ued under the superintendence of the Mas er of the Rolls (now extending to 9) vola.) bix Anglo- Saxon chronicles. F >r the Antiquarian Society, he edited the first perfect edition of the poems of Ciedmon (who died 680), the AngloSaxon Milton, and the Exeter collection k'own as the Coder Exoniensis. Be also published an excellent edition of the Angl >- Saxon Gospels, and editions of Beowulf, Alfred's Orosius, and several minor works. Beowulf, Caedrm>n, the Chronicles, Orosius, and oiher works, were accompanied r>y translations and glossaries, which render them extremely valuable to the Btudent. Although the roll of Anglo-Saxon scholars of the present century is large — Kemble, Cardfile, Conybeare, Bosworth, Madden, White, Wright, Stephenson, Earle, Skeate, and others — no one hasdonemoretostimulatea tasteforArjglo-Saxon learning thanThorpe, and even the best scholars of the present time looked up to him as their master, and will reverence his memory, and mourn his death — so far as the death of a man of such advanced age, who has faithfully fulfilled his mission, should be mourned. Thorpe also translated from the German the volumes of Lappenberg's History of England which treat of the Saxon and fhe Norman periods — the former in two volumes, the latter in one volume — with copious and most valuable notes. While all this was going on, he was a constant contributor to the Archceologia of the Society of Antiquaries, and to the Reviews. He was always ready with his generous advice and assistance, not only to scholars, but to students ; and the only comfort we have for his loss is, that he has helped to form a large body of scholars, some of whom, let ua hope, will fill the place which he has left. We may conclude with the eloq\ient aspiration of Tacitus :—": — " Si guis piorum manibus locus — Si, ut sapientibus placet, non cum cor" pore extinguuntur magnae animae, placide quiescat."