CONTENTS

MAP

INTRODUCTION

I.  ROBERT MANNYNG OF BRUNNE’S HANDLYNG SYNNE

The Dancers of Colbek

II.  SIR ORFEO

III.  MICHAEL OF NORTHGATE’S AYENBYTE OF INWYT

How Mercy increases Temporal Goods

IV.  RICHARD ROLLE OF HAMPOLE

A.  Love is Life

B.  The Nature of the Bee

C.  The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

V.  SIR GAWAYNE AND THE GRENE KNIGHT

The Testing of Sir Gawayne

VI.  THE PEARL, ll. 361–612

VII.  THE GEST HYSTORIALE OF THE DESTRUCTION OF TROY

Prologue

The XXXI Book: Of the Passage of the Grekys fro Troy

VIII.  PIERS PLOWMAN

A.  From the B-Text, Passus VI

B.  From the C-Text, Passus VI

IX.  MANDEVILLE’S TRAVELS

Ethiopia.—Of Diamonds

Beyond Cathay

Epilogue

X.  JOHN BARBOUR’S BRUCE

An Assault on Berwick (1319)

XI.  JOHN WICLIF

A.  The Translation of the Bible

B.  Of Feigned Contemplative Life

XII.  JOHN GOWER

A.  Ceix and Alceone

B.  Adrian and Bardus

XIII.  JOHN OF TREVISA’S TRANSLATION OF HIGDEN’S POLYCHRONICON

A.  The Marvels of Britain

B.  The Languages of Britain

XIV.  POLITICAL PIECES

A.  On the Scots, by Minot

B.  The Taking of Calais, by Minot

C.  On the Death of Edward III

D.  John Ball’s Letter to the Peasants of Essex

E.  On the Year 1390–1

XV.  MISCELLANEOUS PIECES IN VERSE

A.  Now Springs the Spray

B.  Spring

C.  Alysoun

D.  The Irish Dancer

E.  The Maid of the Moor

F.  The Virgin’s Song

G.  Judas

H.  The Blacksmiths

I.  Rats Away

XVI.  THE YORK PLAY ‘HARROWING OF HELL’

XVII.  THE TOWNELEY PLAY OF NOAH

NOTES

APPENDIX: THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

A MIDDLE ENGLISH VOCABULARY BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN