his place in Goliardic literature is very considerable. But I am
inclined to think that the weight of evidence favours chiefly the
ascription of serious and satiric pieces to his pen. It is probable
that the Archipoeta, the follower of Reinald von Dassel, the man who
composed the most vigorous Goliardic poem we possess, and gave the
impulse of his genius to that style of writing, was not the Walter of
the _Versa est in luctum_ or of _Dum Gualterus aegrotaret_. That
Walter must have been somewhat his junior; and it is not unreasonable
to assume that he was Walter of Lille, who may perhaps be further
identified with the _Gualtherus sub-prior_ of the poem on the author's
poverty. This Walter's Latin designation, _Gualtherus de Insula_,
helps, as I have observed above,[51] to explain the attribution of the
Goliardic poems in general to Walter Map by English scribes of the
fifteenth century.

After all, it is safer to indulge in no constructive speculations
where the matter of inquiry is both vague and meagre. One thing
appears tolerably manifest; that many hands of very various dexterity
contributed to form the whole body of songs which we call Goliardic.
It is also clear that the Clerici Vagi considered themselves a
confraternity, and that they burlesqued the institutions of a
religious order, pretending to honour and obey a primate or bishop, to
whom the nickname of Golias was given at the period in which they
flourished most. Viewed in his literary capacity, this chief was
further designated as the Archpoet. Of his personality we know as
little as we do of that of Homer.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 36: Grimm's _Gedichte des Mittelalters_, p. 232.]

[Footnote 37: _Carm. Bur._, p. 254.]

[Footnote 38: Page 69.]

[Footnote 39: Giesebrecht in _Allg. Monatschrift_. Jan. 1853. p. 35.]

[Footnote 40: Op. cit., p. 182.]

[Footnote 41: Ib., p. 232.]

[Footnote 42: Ib., pp. 238, 239.]

[Footnote 43: Published at Parma, 1857.]

[Footnote 44: See Novati, _Carmina Medii Aevi_, p. 8, note.]

[Footnote 45: _Decameron_, i, 7.]

[Footnote 46: See above, p. 21.]

[Footnote 47: Grimm, op. cit., p. 189 et seq.]

[Footnote 48: Giesebrecht identifies Walter of Lille with the
Archipoeta. But he seems to be unacquainted with Salimbene's
Chronicle, and I agree with Hubatsch that he has not made out his
point.]

[Footnote 49: Op. cit., p. 235, also in _Carm. Bur._, p. 74.]

[Footnote 50: Hannover, 1859.]

[Footnote 51: Page 2