of European literature. It had begun to be cultivated later than the
Saxon, but then it had ages of culture at its back. The strength of this
language was in its poetry--just the element which had stagnated in
England. The French taught not only the English but all Europe in
poetry. All modern European poetry is after the French model.

After the Conquest Saxon literature had a stronghold in the great
religious houses, and here it continued to be cultivated until far into
the twelfth century. This was due not only to the patriotic sentiment,
but also to the interests of their several foundations. The chief
Anglo-Saxon works that we have from the times after the Conquest are
concerned directly or indirectly with the property or privilege of the
religious house from which the books emanate. This is the time that
produced the Worcester chartulary, the Rochester chartulary, the
Peterborough chronicle which embodies the privileges of the house, and
the Winton chartulary. This diplomatic interest was strong and permanent
enough to cause Anglo-Saxon studies to be pursued until late in the
Middle Age, perhaps even down to the time of the Dissolution by Henry
VIII.

But passing from this, which is an artificial continuation of the old
literature, we may observe that it had a continuation which was
perfectly natural and spontaneous. Examples of this are the late
semi-Saxon Homilies, in which we see the gradual decay of the old
flectional grammar: but the most signal examples are the two great
poetical works of Layamon and Orm. These are full of French influence,
though not in the same manner. Layamon's "Brut" is translated (though
not without original episodes) from the French of Robert Wace: and the
"Ormulum," though drawn as to its matter from Latin comments on the
Gospels, yet is in form deeply imbued with the character of French