The materials in this volume follow the original texts in most important respects. Occasionally, light punctuation has been added and contractions have been silently expanded. Antiquated footnotes in the original have generally been deleted; when this has been done it is indicated in the headnote to the particular selection. Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. All references to Skelton’s text are to ‘The Poetical Works of John Skelton’, ed. Alexander Dyce (1843; reprinted New York, AMS Press, 1965). It is a matter of continuing regret that this edition has not yet been superseded; but it is still the only available complete, lineated edition. The prose translations from the Latin are as literal as possible, with no claims to literary style. For the translation of Whittinton (No. 7) I am indebted to Mr William Fitzgerald of Princeton University. Notes I have added have been given arabic numerals. The authority for dates is generally the ‘Dictionary of National Biography’.