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the life of our earliest English poet, Ccoedman, and nothing could 
better show the state of the musical education of the time. The 
poet, deeply engaged in other studies, had neglected his musical 
practice, and being in company, where, as usual, the harp was 
passed round for each guest to play and sing in turn, he left the 
party, ashamed to appear deficient in what was deemed necessary 
to complete the education of a gentleman. 
Adhelm, Abbot of Malmesbury, contemporary with Bede, 
found that the people who attended service, left directly the 
musical portion was finished, without waiting for the “‘Exhortation” 
—a practice not unknown in our Cathedrals. So in the guise of a 
minstrel, he took up his post on the bridge, and by playing and 
singing popular poetry, was able to attract their attention, and 
gradually bring them to a better state of mind. Adhelm might 
have been profitably employed in our own day. 
Then we have Dunstan, a very able man, far in advance of 
his times,—a skilful mechanic, an enthusiastic student, and lover 
of music. He was a builder of organs, and gave instruments to 
various monasteries. Like many more in the olden time, who rose 
superior to their fellows, he was accused of magic: he had con- 
structed, by the aid of the devil it was affirmed, a harp that not 
only moved automatically, but played without human assistance, 
outdoing the modern contrivances of Maskelyne and Cook! 
We all know how Alfred the Great gained admission into the 
Danish Camp under the guise of a harper. Fifty years later, a 
Danish warrior returned the compliment, and visited the camp of 
Athelstan. He was heartily welcomed; and after entertaining 
them with his minstrel arts, left the camp with a liberal reward for 
his music. No sooner had he quitted the lines, than with a 
warrior’s disdain of pelf, or with a consciousness of having obtained 
the meed under false pretences, he threw away the money. One of 
Athelstan’s warriors witnessed the act, and perhaps the recollection 
of Alfred’s expedition aroused their suspicion; at any rate, they 
took precautions which prevented the Danes from taking advantage 
of the fraud. 
It would be easy to multiply examples of this kind, but 
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