Description
Book SynopsisThis volume presents a unique collection of Middle English romances, each with a different view of society. One of the oldest English romances,
Floris and Blancheflour, presents a tale of oriental wonders: a harem, an emir who never lacks a wife, eunuchs, and a garden housing a magical tree and spring.
Sir Degrevant relates a tale of country nobility and marriage between the low and high ranks, while realistically illustrating their status and the ever-present issues of love and battle;
The Squire of Low Degree is a poem about social mobility and the difference between reputation and wealth.
The Tournament of Tottenham and its likely continuation,
The Feast of Tottenham, are excellent examples of burlesque where "the humor is inescapable: the bumpkin heroes in their stuffed sheepskins fighting with flails for the reeve's daughter, who is watching them with her pet hen on her lap, are a spectacle not easily forgotten." - from the Introduction
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Floris and Blancheflour Introduction
Floris and Blancheflour Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
Sir Degrevant Introduction
Sir Degrevant Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
The Squire of Low Degree Introduction
The Squire of Low Degree Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
The Squier of Low Degree, Percy Folio
Textual and Explanatory Notes
The Tournament of Tottenham and
The Feast of Tottenham Introduction
The Tournament of Tottenham Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
The Feast of Tottenham Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
