Henry Frank Heath

“ Lisle was a notable pioneer in the study of Anglo-Saxon. Anxiety to learn the doctrinal position of the early English church on various points in controversy in his day first led him in that direction. In 1623 he printed and published for the first time, with an English translation, the ‘Treatise on the Old and New Testament,’ by Ælfric Grammaticus [q. v.] , whom Lisle wrongly identified with Ælfric [q. v.] , archbishop of Canterbury. Lisle found the manuscript in Sir Robert Cotton's library (Bodl. Laud E. 19) . ”

“ The book concludes with the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and Ten Commandments in Anglo-Saxon, with a verbal interlinear translation intended to serve as easy exercises for beginners. The translation, though not free from minor errors, is wonderfully accurate when the difficulties under which Lisle laboured are remembered. ”

“ Lisle was also the author of some second-rate verse. In 1598 he published translations of parts of Du Bartas's ‘Weeks,’ but no copy is extant. In 1625 appeared a still larger instalment of Du Bartas in English and French, ‘so neare the French Englisshed as may teach an Englishman French, or a Frenchman English. With the commentary of S. G [oulart de] S [enlis] .’ The portion translated includes the end of the fourth book of ‘Adam’ and all four books of ‘Noah,’ the subjects of the poems for the first two days of the second week. ”