You all may know this already, but Oxford Poetry 1915 is available online for free, both here (in the combined 1914–1916 edition), and here (by itself).

It's Old, not Middle, English. More specifically, it's line 3052 of Beowulf, which Tolkien himself translated as "the gold of men of long ago enmeshed in enchantment" (Letters, #235).

I must admit, I do despair when I see yet another book of Tolkien criticism show up on Amazon. I really think that everything worth saying has largely been said [...]

On the other hand, people are still writing Shakespeare criticism some four hundred years after his death, aren't they? Not to mention Chaucer, Gawain, and Beowulf criticism, all even longer in the tooth. While I would agree that there have been quite a few mediocre Tolkien studies published (especially as a result of the "Peter Jackson effect"), I do not agree that most everything worth saying has been said. Just my two cents, though, and I suppose I have a vested interest in seeing the scholarship continue. :)

Esteemed? Gosh, thanks! But more thanks for spotlighting the review — and Doug's book. Some of you may know that Doug co-founded the Hall of Fire website. He has an open forum there for discussion of the book, reviews, errata, etc. You can find it here:

http://www.thehalloffire.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=28

I know Doug welcomes feedback.

Mark Sanderson is the one who should be flogged.