Description
Book SynopsisAspects of the turbulent rule of Richard II freshly examined. The reign of Richard II is well known for its political turmoil as well as its literary and artistic innovations, all areas explored by Professor Nigel Saul during his distinguished career. The present volume interrogates many familiar literary and narrative sources, including works by Froissart, Gower, Chaucer, Clanvow, and the Continuation of the Eulogium Historiarum, along with those less well-known, such as coroner's inquests and gaol delivery proceedings. The reign is also notorious for its larger than life personalities - not least Richard himself. But how was he shaped by other personalities? A prosopographical study of Richard's bishops, a comparison of the literary biographies of his father the Black Prince, and Bertrand du Guesclin, and a reconsideration of Plantagenet family politics, all shed light on this question. Meanwhile, Richard II's tomb reflects his desire to shape a new vision of kingship. Commemoration more broadly was changing in the late fourteenth century, and this volume includes several studies of both individual and communal memorials of various types that illustrate this trend: again, appropriately for an area Professor Saul has made his own. Contributors: Mark Arvanigian, Caroline Barron, Michael Bennett, Jerome Bertram, David Carpenter, Chris Given-Wilson, Jill Havens, Claire Kennan, Hannes Kleineke, John Leland, Joel Rosenthal, Christian Steer, George Stow, Jenny Stratford, Kelcey Wilson-Lee.
Trade ReviewProvides a feast of new insights on primary sources, while never losing sight of the human drama--all in the great tradition of its honoree. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *
A lasting and indispensable complement to Saul's talent and reach as a historian of the reign of Richard II. * SPECULUM *
Offers a welcome thematic unity often lacking in the Festschrift format and focuses its appeal. When politicians speak of learning from history, they rarely mean the late medieval past, yet this is a volume that has distinct resonance for the present. It is a worthy celebration of Professor Saul's contribution to the field. * CHURCH MONUMENTS *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Contributors Abbreviations Introduction JESSICA A. LUTKIN AND J. S. HAMILTON Part I: Sources 1.Froissart and the Great Revolt CAROLINE BARRON 2.'Defenders of truth': Lord Cobham, John Gower and the political crisis of 1387¬-88 MICHAEL BENNETT 3.The Authorship of the Continuation of the Eulogium Historiarum: A Reconsideration GEORGE B. STOW Part II: Government and Administration 4.The bequests of Isabel of Castile, first duchess of York, and Chaucer's 'Complaint of Mars' JENNY STRATFORD 5.Lollards in Arms: Lollardy, Loyalty, and the Trauma of the Hundred Years War JILL C. HAVENS 6.Pardons for Self-Defence in The Reign of Richard II: The Use and Abuse of Legal Formulas JOHN L. LELAND 7.The representation of Devonshire in the 'Bad' Parliament of January 1377 HANNES KLEINEKE 8.'John of Gaunt, Richard II and Plantagenet Family Politics in the 1390s' MARK ARVANIGIAN 9.Richard II's Bishops: Fair Weather Friends? JOEL T. ROSENTHAL 10.Power, Piety and Presence: The Cult of Corpus Christi and the 1389 Guild Enquiry in Lincolnshire CLAIRE KENNAN Part III: Commemoration 11.Edward, the Black Prince, and Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France: Chivalry and Rivalry in Life and Death CHRIS GIVEN-WILSON 12.'Suche scripture...shewyng what I was': The brass of Margaret of Cieszyn and associated monuments KELCEY WILSON-LEE 13.The Patronage of Queen Isabella (d. 1358): Monuments of the Royal Household at Friars Minor London CHRISTIAN STEER 14.The 'Dreadful Draytons' of Dorchester and their Brasses JEROME BERTRAM † 15.Nigel Saul as a Teacher: An Appreciation DAVID CARPENTER Bibliography of Prof. N. E. Saul's work Index Tabula Gratulatoria
