Description
Book SynopsisSpanning almost seven centuries, this anthology encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English, culminating in some of the finest works produced in the Middle Ages. Building on the success of the first two editions, Old and Middle English c. 890-c.
Table of ContentsAlphabetical List of Authors and Works x
List of Illustrations xii
Preface and Acknowledgements to the First Edition xii
Preface and Acknowledgements to the Second Edition xiv
Preface and Acknowledgements to the Third Edition xv
Chronology of Events and Literary Landmarks xvi
Introduction xix
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History 1
Cædmon’s Hymn 1
The Settlement of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes; The Life of Cædmon 2
Alfred 13
Preface to the Translation of Gregory’s Pastoral Care 13
Translation of Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy 16
The Accounts of the Journeys of Ohthere and Wulfstan 24
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 33
Annal 755: Cynewulf and Cynheard; Annal 855–78: The Death of Edmund; Alfred’s Battles with the Vikings 33
The Reign of Æbelstan and The Battle of Brunanburh 42
The Exeter Book 48
Advent Lyrics vii and viii 49
The Wanderer 54
The Seafarer 60
The Whale 66
Deor 70
Wulf and Eadwacer 74
Exeter Book Riddles 5, 7, 12, 26, 29, 30, 43–6, 55 76
The Wife’s Lament 86
The Husband’s Message 90
The Ruin 94
The Vercelli Book 100
The Fates of the Apostles 101
Vercelli Homily x 108
The Dream of the Rood 118
Ælfric 129
Old English Preface to his First Series of Catholic Homilies 129
Homily on the Nativity of the Innocents 134
Old English Preface to his Lives of Saints 142
Passion of Saint Edmund 144
The Battle of Maldon 155
The Beowulf-Manuscript 171
The Wonders of the East 173
Beowulf 182
Judith 224
The Junius Manuscript 243
Exodus 243
Wulfstan’s Sermo Lupi ad Anglos 259
King Cnut’s Letter to the English of 1020 269
Apollonius of Tyre 275
The Peterborough Chronicle 301
The Life of Saint Margaret 308
The Hymns of Saint Godric 324
The Orrmulum 326
Cambridge, Trinity College B. 14. 52 335
Poema Morale, edited by Carla M. Thomas 336
Trinity Homily 33 354
Worcester Cathedral Library, F. 174 363
The First Worcester Fragment 363
Hali MeiKhad 366
Ancrene Wisse 382
Sumer is Icumen In 409
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Digby 86 412
Ubi Sount Qui Ante Nos Fuerount? 413
Stond Wel, Moder, Ounder Rode 415
The Fox and the Wolf 417
Dame SiriF 423
Love is Sofft 434
Arundel 292: The Bestiary 435
Oxford, Jesus College 29 437
The Love-Ron of Friar Thomas Hales 437
The Proverbs of Alfred 443
London, British Library, Cotton Caligula A. ix 456
La3amon’s Brut 456
The Owl and the Nightingale 468
Lyrics from Cambridge, Trinity College B. 14. 39 506
Of One That Is So Fair and Bright 507
When I Think on Domesday 508
When the Turf is Thy Tower 509
A Saying of Saint Bernard 509
I Sing of One That Is Matchless 509
An Orison to Our Lady 510
The South English Legendary 512
The Life of Saint Wulfstan 513
Cursor Mundi 519
Robert Mannyng of Brunne 525
The Chronicle 525
Handlyng Synne 534
The Land of Cockayne 545
The Auchinleck Manuscript 550
Sir Orfeo 550
The Four Foes of Mankind 563
London, British Library, Harley 2253 567
Earth upon Earth 567
Alysoun 568
Spring 569
Advice to Women 570
An Old Man’s Prayer 571
Blow, Northerne Wynd 574
The Death of King Edward I 576
I Syke when Y Singe 578
An Autumn Song 580
King Horn 582
The Ayenbite of Inwit 615
Richard Rolle 619
Ego Dormio 620
Ghostly Gladness 626
Kyng Alisaunder 627
Ywain and Gawain 642
Athelston 656
Wynnere and Wastoure 675
William Langland 688
Piers Plowman 688
Geoffrey Chaucer 728
The Canterbury Tales 728
The General Prologue 729
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale 748
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 776
Julian of Norwich 801
A Vision 801
The Book of Margery Kempe 809
Select Bibliography 826
Glossary of Common Hard Words 845
Index of Manuscripts 848
General Index 850
