the poetry that has been attributed to
him; that is the poetry which has gone under his name. That he did
write much fine verse we know. On the other hand, we know a good deal as
to the authenticity of Cynewulf's poetry, and nothing about his life.

Both of these poets wrote in the language spoken in England before the
period of French influence. That influence upon English at first seemed
to be disastrous; the language became broken up and spoilt: but this was
only for a time; and by and by, out of roughness and chaotic grammar
there grew up a beautiful and stately speech meet for great poets to
sing in, and great men and women to use. So it is that what for a time
seems to be disastrous may one day be realised as benign and beautiful.

This pre-Conquest language has to be learned as we learn a foreign
tongue. It is much easier to learn than Latin or German, but still it
has to be learned; so we shall have to listen to the thought of these
poets in the language of our own day, allowing ourselves now and then
the use of words or expressions which it is fair to employ in rendering
old poetry or prose, though we do not use them in ordinary speech or
writing.

We shall sometimes use translations, and sometimes I will tell you
about the poetry, giving the gist of it as best I can.

[Illustration: WHITBY ABBEY]

At Whitby you may see the ruins of what must have been a very beautiful
monastery, built high on a hill, swept by brisk and health-giving winds
with the strength and freshness of moorland and sea. This monastery,
part of which was for monks, and part for nuns, was ruled by Abbess
Hild.[A] This seems strange to us, but it was because the Celtic usage
prevailed in the government of the Abbey.

[Footnote A: Hilda is the Latinised form, which it is a pity to use
instead of the English one.]

We must never forget the work of the Celtic missionaries who brought
Christianity from the Western Islands to the North of England: and, of
course, their "ways" as well as their message were impressed on the
converts. Later on, as we know, the Roman usage was established all over
the country.

Among the monks of Streoneshalh, as Whitby was then called, the Danes
having given it its present name, there was, as St Bede the Venerable
tells us, "a brother specially renowned and honoured by Divine grace,
because it was his wont to make fitting songs appertaining to piety and
virtue; so that whatever he learned from scholars abou