A little book of prayers from Old English sources/Preface
PREFACE
This little book contains some of the prayers used by our Catholic forefathers before the Norman Conquest. They are here translated from the Latin form in which we now find them, in such a way as to preserve, as far as possible the force and rhythm of the original language. Many of the prayers are taken from two small manuscript volumes of private devotions compiled by a monk of New Minister, or Hyde Abbey, Winchester, who became abbot of his monastery in 1035, and died in 1052. There is no reason, however, to suppose that they were composed by this Winchester Benedictine, or that he did more than collect the prayers in common use in the second half of the tenth century. Indeed, many of the devotions here printed can be traced back to much earlier times, and with some degree of certainty can be said to have formed the traditional private prayers of the people during the centuries of Saxon rule. It will be seen that they all manifest that spirit of simple and solid piety which evidently characterized the pre-Norman church in England.
These selections from the devotions of days long gone by are here printed, not as archaeological specimens of the religious thought and practice of our English forefathers, but in the hope and belief that they may be found of practical use to some souls at the present day. The absolute simplicity of these prayers which stimulated the devotion of the Saxon people may, perhaps, prove an aid to the piety of such as do not feel altogether attracted to, or moved by the more elaborate phrases and ornate diction of many of our modern prayer books. It must, however, beremembered that this little volume contains merely specimens of the devotional exercises of those who lived before the Norman Conquest in England, and does not pretend to furnish a complete manual of prayer for general use on all occasions. The prominence given in early and more simple times to devotions to the mysteries of religion — to the Most Holy Trinity; the Holy Cross; the Passion of Christ, etc. — will be found reproduced in this little manual, and may serve to remind us of the need of keeping the memory of these great truths constantly before our minds and of meditating deeply upon them.
F. A. G.