but then they are but Northmen a little civilized; but I have heard
the earl say that the French, and still more the Italians, are
vastly ahead of us in all arts, and bear themselves with a courtesy
and gentleness to each other that puts to shame our rough manners."

"We should be neither happier nor better that I can see, Wulf, did
we adopt the manners of these Italians you speak of instead of our
own."

"Perhaps not, Beorn, but we should be able to make the people happier
and better if we could raise them."

"I will not even grant that, Wulf. Think you that the smith and the
shepherd, the bowmaker and the weaver, would be any the happier
could they read or even write than they are as they sing Saxon songs
over their work? I should like to be able to read, because Harold
thinks much of it, but except for that I see not that it would do
me much good. If the king makes me any further grant of land it
will be doubtless properly made out, and I can get a clerk or a
monk to read it to me. My steward will keep the tallies of the
tenants' payments. I can learn the history of our forefathers as
well from the songs and tales of the gleemen as from books."

"You are as bad as my man Osgod," Wulf said indignantly.

"Well, you need not get hot about it, good Wulf," Beorn laughed.
"When you come to see me I will have gleemen to sing the deeds of
our fathers to you. When I come to you I will sit as mum as a mouse
while you read to me from some monk's missal. I will force you
neither to eat nor to drink more than it pleases you, and you shall