• King Horn: Introduction

symbols of rings and fish, the significance of dreams, even the simple but effective patterns of repetition themselves. All this is put together without the digressions and interlacing that typify continental romances of this period. The streamlined, folksy directness of

• Herward the Wake: Introduction

this Richard was the author of the extant Gesta or an earlier version of them. By that time Richard was apparently dead ("of blessed memory"). His identity is uncertain, but he was clearly familiar with the locality and of sufficient

• Audelay, Poems and Carols: Introduction

of faith; feasts of the Church; support of king and social order; honor to the holy family; praise of virginity, chastity, and love of God; a holy fear of death; and, last of all, honor to Saint Francis, promoter

• William Dunbar, The Tretis of the Twa Mariit Wemen and the Wedo

amang the grene bewis. The soft sowch of the swyr and soune of the stremys, The sweit savour of the sward and singing of foulis, Myght confort ony creatur of the kyn of Adam, And kindill agane his curage, thocht

• Robyn and Gandelyn: Introduction

enemies, but Robin Hood and the Monk, one of the versions of The Death of Robin Hood, and, to some extent, Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne have resemblances with this kind of fatal duel, while the "Robin Hood meets

• Plowman Writings: Chaucer's Plowman

to the lazy labourers of estates satire or Piers's half-acre" (The Canterbury Tales, Oxford Guides to Chaucer [New York: Oxford University Press, 1989], p. 53). For another mention of labor shortages after the Great Plague of 1349, see Benson, The

• Ancrene Wisse, Author's Preface

al of the uttre riwle, earst of mete ant of drunch, ant of othre thinges thet falleth ther-abuten, th'refter of the thinges the ye mahen undervon ant hwet thinges ye mahen witen other habben, th'refter of ower clathes ant of

• John Gower, The Minor Latin Works: Unanimes esse qui secula

are to be feared, So that men of true wisdom can learn to heal the times. May the Son of God himself, in whom rests our hope of repose, From the merits of faith give direction to deeds and events.

• Poems of Political Prophecy: The Prophecy of Merlin (Dublin MS)

Prophecy of Merlin (Bodley MS) Return To The Table of Contents The Prophecy of Merlin (Dublin MS), Notes THE PROPHECY OF MERLIN (DUBLIN MS): FOOTNOTE 1 Priests intend treachery, and guile turns into figures of speech THE PROPHECY OF MERLIN

• Poems of Political Prophecy: The Prophecy of Merlin (Magdalene Coll. MS)

Poems of Political Prophecy: The Prophecy of Merlin (Magdalene Coll. MS) Return to the Merlin Menu of The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester Return to Menu of TEAMS Texts Copyright Information for this edition 5 10 When

• John Gower, The Minor Latin Works: Cultor in ecclesia

is lacking, Sows seeds of vanity, will be a harvester of nothing. But those husbandmen whose seeds are good morals Reap great gains there for Christ's harvest. Therefore let the good farmer who desires profits of Heaven Sow seeds that

• The Shewings of Julian of Norwich

be from the knowing thereof. Go To The Shewings of Julian of Norwich, Part II The Shewings of Julian of Norwich: Notes THE SHEWINGS OF JULIAN OF NORWICH: FOOTNOTES 2 Off, Of. 3 pretious . . . thornys, precious crowning

• Confessio Amantis, vol. 1: Introduction

account of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the monster of time, with its head of gold, chest of silver, belly of brass, and legs and feet of iron and clay (Prol.585 ff.).38 Gower places the narrative immediately after his critique of the

• Jack Upland: Introduction

authorities, and lovers of luxury. Most of these charges have their origins in the bitter struggles between the secular masters and mendicant faculties at the University of Paris in the thirteenth century, and especially in William of St. Amour's De

• Anticlerical Poems: Of Thes Frer Mynours

faith burned preach; poverty (see note) Go To Thou That Sellest the Worde of God Return To The Table of Contents Of These Frer Mynours, Notes OF THESE FRER MYNOURS: FOOTNOTES 1 That have grown so proud, who once were

• A True Tale of Robin Hood: Introduction

Touch of the life and death of that Renowned Outlaw, Robert Earle of Huntington vulgarly called Robbin Hood, who lived and dyed in A.D. 1198, being the 9 yere of the reigne of King Richard the first, commonly called Richard

• Complaint of a Prisoner against Fortune: Introduction

"Complaint of a Prisoner against Fortune" (IMEV 860) survives in a number of manuscripts derived from John Shirley, a London scribe of the middle of the fifteenth century who is responsible for preserving unique copies of minor works of Chaucer

• Sir Cleges: Introduction

of the viable presence of that oral/aural mode of discourse and the interactive aspect of medieval poetry read aloud and often performed to groups of attentive and responsive listeners, an audience not exclusively made up of courtly aristocrats, but

• Pety Job

correction of synew. According to Crawford, the variants suggest "that the poet or some of the scribes did have a verbal memory of at least parts of a Prymer or of some similar vernacular version of the Office of the

• Wisdom

of the fyrst man, Adame, Of hym takynge the fylthe of synne orygynall, For of hym all creaturys cam. Than by hym of reson ye have blame, And be made the brondys of helle. Wen ye be bore fyrst