A BOOK OF MIDDLE ENGLISH

This book is an introduction to the wide range of literature written in England between 1150 and 1400. The first part describes the language of the time to enable the reader to achieve a proper understanding of the literature introduced in the second part. The authors describe the language as it was used in different parts of the country, giving guidance on pronunciation, metre and vocabulary, and showing how the language evolved in the period. The also explain how a manuscript text is edited. The following texts are presented: "The Peterborough Chronicle"; "Sir Orfeo"; "Patience"; "St Erkenwald"; John Trevisa's "Dialogue Between a Lord and Clerk"; and the York play of the crucifixion. There are, additionally, extracts from "Piers Plowman", "The Cloud of Unknowing", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and John Gower's "Confessio Amantis". Each text is accompanied by notes.