The illuminated letters are simply large vermilion letters without ornament, and are of an earlier form than the writing of the rest of the manuscript. Every line ends with a full stop (or metrical point), except, very rarely, when omitted by accident. Whenever this stop occurs in the middle of a line it has been marked thus (.) in the text. DESCRIPTION OF THE POEM. Our author, of whom, unfortunately, we know nothing, introduces his subject to his readers by telling them that they ought to love a rhyming story which teaches the "layman" (though he be learned in no books) how to love and serve God, and to live peaceably and amicably with his fellow Christians. His poem, or "song," as he calls it, is, he says, turned out of Latin into English speech; and as birds are joyful to see the dawning, so ought Christians to rejoice to hear the "true tale" of man's fall and subsequent redemption related in the vulgar tongue ("land's speech"), and in easy language ("small words"). So eschewing a "high style" and all profane subjects, he declares that he will undertake to sing no other song, although his present task should prove unsuccessful.[3] Our poet next invokes the aid of the Deity for his song in the following terms:— "Fader god of alle ðhinge, Almigtin louerd, hegeſt kinge, ðu giue me ſeli timinge To thaunen ðis werdes biginninge, ðe, leuerd god, to wurðinge, Queðer ſo hic rede or ſinge!"[4] Then follows the Bible narrative of Genesis and Exodus, here and there varied by the introduction of a few of those sacred legends so common in the mediæval ages, but in the use of which, however, our author is far less bold than many subsequent writers, who, seeking to make their works attractive to the "lewed," did not scruple to mix up with the sacred history the most absurd and childish stories, which must have rendered such compilations more amusing than instructive. It seems to have been the object of the author of the present work to present to his readers, in as few words as possible, the most important facts contained in the Books of Genesis and Exodus without any elaboration or comment, and he has, therefore, omitted such facts as were not essentially necessary to the completeness of his narrative;[5] while, on the other hand, he has included certain portions of the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy,[6] so as to present to his readers a complete history of the wanderings of the Israelites, and the life of Moses their leader. In order to excite the reader's curiosity, we subjoin a few passages, with a literal translation:— LAMECH'S BIGAMY.