A great difficulty is caused by the use of the Saxon letter _w_ (ƿ). This letter, the thorn-letter (þ), and _y_, are all three made very nearly alike. In general, the _y_ is dotted, but the dot is occasionally omitted. Wherever the letter really appears to be a _w_, I have denoted it by printing the _w_ as an italic letter. The following are, I believe, the _only_ examples of it. _W_it-drow = withdrew, l. 502; _w_e, 1058; _w_as, 1129 (cf. “him was ful wa,” _Sir Tristr._ f. iii. st. 43); ber_w_en, 1426 (written “berwen” in l. 697); _w_at = known, 1674; _w_e, miswritten for _w_o = who, 1914; to which perhaps we may add _w_it, 997. This evidence is interesting as shewing that this letter was then fast going out of use, and I think that we may safely date the final disappearance of this letter from MSS. at about the year 1300. As regards the _th_, we may remark that at the end of a word both þ and _th_ are used, as in “norþ and suth,” l. 434; sometimes _th_ occurs in the middle of a word, as “sithen,” l. 1238, which is commonly written “siþen,” as in l. 399. The words þe, þat, þer, &c., are hardly ever written otherwise. But the reader will remark many instances in which _th_ final seems to have the hard sound of _t_, as in _brouth_, 57, _nouth_, 58, _lith_, 534, _þouth_, 1190, &c.; cf. § 27. The letter _t_ is sometimes shortened so as nearly to resemble _c_, and _c_ is sometimes lengthened into _t_. The letters _n_ and _u_ are occasionally alike, but the difference between them is commonly well marked. The _i_ has a long stroke over it when written next to _m_ or _n_. On the whole, the writing is very clear and distinct, after a slight acquaintance with it. The poem is marked out into paragraphs by the use of large letters. I have introduced a slight space at the end of each paragraph, to shew this more clearly. § 27. ON THE GRAMMATICAL FORMS OCCURRING IN THE POEM.