Saint Aldelme's ditties

Saint Aldelme's people had their minds in their "beef-potts" - but then he began to sing.

from "The life of sainct Aldelme Bishop of Sherburne and confessor, of the holy order of Sainct Benedict."

And surely S. ALDELME was the first of our countreymen that writt verses in Latine, as he himself doth testify in these two.

Primus ego in patriam mecum, modo vita supersit

Aonio rediens, de ducam vertice Musas

First to my Countrey from the Roman hill

Ile bring, if life me last, the Muses quill.

Also in compounding, pronouncing, and singing verses and songs in his mother-tongue, he was admirably excellent. And in King Elfreds time (as the same King doth witness) many of saint ALDELMES ditties were yet sung in England.

One thing related of this purpose by King Elfred, is most worthy of memory. The people of those times being yet but rude rustics, and very negligent in the divine service, seemed to come to Church but for fashion sake (as many now adaies do) where they made no long stay, but as soone as the mistery of mass was done, they flocked homewards without any more adoe. Our prudent ALDELME perceiving this small devotion in the people, placed himfelf on a bridge over which they were to pass from Church to their Villages, where when the hasty multitude of people came (whose minds were already in their beef-pott at home) he begane to putt forth his voice with all the musical art he could, and charmed their ears with his songs. For which when he grew to be grateful and plausible to that rude people, and perceived that his songs flowed into their ears and minds to the great pleasure & contentment of both, he began by little and little to mingle his ditties with more serious and holy matters taken out of the holy Scripture, and by that means brought them in time to a feeling of devotion and to spend the Sundays and holy days with far greater profitt to their own soules.

The flowers of the lives of the most renowned saincts of the three kingdoms England Scotland, and Ireland: written and collected out of the best authours and manuscripts of our nation, and distributed according to their feasts in the calendar.

by Hierome Porter, priest and monke of the holy order of Sainct Benedict, of the Congregation of England.

The first tome.

Printed at Doway with license and approbation of the Ordinary. MDCXXXII.