at the beginning
of the Historical period, the majority. And yet it was not thought of
Christianizing them through their own tongue; a tongue which, because it
has never been systematically reduced to writing, conscientious
clergymen say is incapable of being written. As if the Frisian of
Friesland, the Frisian of the south, had not been the language of law
and poetry for more than eight hundred years, and, as if it were a bit
harder to write, or print, the northern dialect of the same, than it was
for Scotland to have a literature. For the tongue is no growth of
yesterday. It may, possibly, be as much older as any other tongue of the
Peninsula as the Welsh is older than the English. That it is older than
some of them is certain. Amateur investigators of it there are, of
course. Outzen, the pastor of Brekkelum, was the father of them; and
honourable mention is due to the present clergyman in Hacksted. As a
general rule, however, the religion of Sleswick has been centralized.

The literature, as far as it has been collected, consists of a
wedding-song of the fifteenth century, to be found in Camerarius, with
addition of, perhaps, a dozen such _morceaux_ as the following
approaches to song, epigram, and ballad, respectively.

1

Laet foammen kom ins jordt to meh,
Ik hev en blanken daaler to deh,
Di vael ik deh vel zjoenke,
Dae sjaellt du beh meh tjoenke,
Laet foammen, &c.

2

Ik[21] vael for tusend daaler ej
Dat ik het haad of vaas,
Den luep ik med den rump ombej
En voest ekj vaer ik var.

3

DER FREYER VOM HOLSTEIN.

Diar kam en skep bi Sudher Sioee
Me tri jung Fruers oen di Floot.
Hokken wiar di foerdeorst?
Dit wiar Peter Rothgrun.
Hud saeaet hi sin spooren?
Fuar Hennerk Jerkens dueuer.
Hokken kam toe Dueuer?
Marrike sallef,
Me Kruek en Bekker oen di jen hundh,
En gulde Ring aur di udher hundh.
Jue noeoedhight hoem en sin Hinghst in,
Doed di Hingst Haaver und Peter wuen.
Toonkh Gott fuar des gud dei.
Al di Brid end bridmaaner of wei,
Butolter Marri en Peter alluening!
Jue look hoem uen to Kest
En wildh hoem nimmer muar mest.

_Translated._

1.

Little woman come in the yard to me,
I have a white dollar for thee;
I will give it you
So that you think of me.

2.

I would not for a thousand dollars,
That my head were off,
Then sho