Middle English Literature

This collection of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century documents is designed for students of Chaucer and Middle English literature. It makes readily available accounts of key historical events and descriptions of pertinent cultural phenomena.

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• Brings together in one volume fourteenth- and fifteenth-century historical and cultural texts.
  
• Documents shed light on the themes and styles that appear in Chaucer and other Middle English literature.
  
• Contains twelve important images from the period.
  
• Concise introductions and bibliographies accompany all documents.

“This astute and well-referenced collection offers numerous ports of embarcation for those seeking adventure in the turbulent and productive textual seas surrounding the more thoroughly explored masterworks of medieval literary culture." Paul Strohm, J.R.R. Tolkien Professor, University of OxfordIntelligently chosen, carefully set out, and succinctly introduced...As far as documents can tell the story, this is the 'real world' of our medieval writers." Derek Pearsall, Gurney Professor of English, Emeritus, Harvard University”

"This astute and well-referenced collection offers numerous ports of embarcation for those seeking adventure in the turbulent and productive textual seas surrounding the more thoroughly explored masterworks of medieval literary culture."
Paul Strohm, J.R.R. Tolkien Professor, University of Oxford

"Intelligently chosen, carefully set out, and succinctly introduced...As far as documents can tell the story, this is the 'real world' of our medieval writers."
Derek Pearsall, Gurney Professor of English, Emeritus, Harvard University

Matthew Boyd Goldie is Assistant Professor of English at Rider University.

This collection of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century documents is designed for students of Chaucer and Middle English literature. It makes readily available accounts of key historical events and descriptions of pertinent cultural phenomena.

The documents have been chosen to complement the themes and styles that appear in the literature, enabling students to compare fourteenth- and fifteenth-century creative writing with contemporary debates on a range of important topics such as friars, marriage, Lollardy, the perception of non-Western others, lechery, law, the revolt of 1382, books, and the English language. Twelve images are also included.

Modern English translations have been used where the texts were originally written in Latin and French, but Middle English selections remain in Middle English, with glosses and explanatory footnotes where necessary. Succinct introductions help to place the documents in relation to historical, authorial, and manuscript contexts. Select bibliographies list other related medieval works and the most helpful secondary studies.

This collection of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century documents is designed for students of Chaucer and Middle English literature. It makes readily available accounts of key historical events and descriptions of pertinent cultural phenomena. The documents have been chosen to complement the themes and styles that appear in the literature, enabling students to compare fourteenth- and fifteenth-century creative writing with contemporary debates on a range of important topics such as friars, marriage, Lollardy, the perception of non-Western others, lechery, law, the revolt of 1382, books, and the English language. Twelve images are also included. Modern English translations have been used where the texts were originally written in Latin and French, but Middle English selections remain in Middle English, with glosses and explanatory footnotes where necessary. Succinct introductions help to place the documents in relation to historical, authorial, and manuscript contexts. Select bibliographies list other related medieval works and the most helpful secondary studies.

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