MAP viii
INTRODUCTION ix
I. ROBERT MANNYNG OF BRUNNE'S HANDLYNG SYNNE 1
The Dancers of Colbek 4
II. SIR ORFEO 13
III. MICHAEL OF NORTHGATE'S AYENBYTE OF INWYT 32
How Mercy increases Temporal Goods 33
IV. RICHARD ROLLE OF HAMPOLE 36
A. Love is Life 37
B. The Nature of the Bee 41
C. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost 42
V. SIR GAWAYNE AND THE GRENE KNIGHT 44
The Testing of Sir Gawayne 46
VI. THE PEARL, ll. 361-612 57
VII. THE GEST HYSTORIALE OF THE DESTRUCTION OF TROY 68
Prologue 69
The XXXI Book: Of the Passage of the Grekys fro Troy 72
VIII. PIERS PLOWMAN 76
A. From the B-Text, Passus VI 78
B. From the C-Text, Passus VI 89
IX. MANDEVILLE'S TRAVELS 94
Ethiopia.—Of Diamonds 96
Beyond Cathay 100
Epilogue 104
X. JOHN BARBOUR'S BRUCE 107
An Assault on Berwick (1319) 108
XI. JOHN WICLIF 115
A. The Translation of the Bible 117
B. Of Feigned Contemplative Life 119
XII. JOHN GOWER 129
A. Ceix and Alceone 131
B. Adrian and Bardus 137
XIII. JOHN OF TREVISA'S TRANSLATION OF HIGDEN'S
POLYCHRONICON 145
A. The Marvels of Britain 146
B. The Languages of Britain 148
XIV. POLITICAL PIECES 151
A. On the Scots, by Minot 152
B. The Taking of Calais, by Minot 153
C. On the Death of Edward III 157
D. John Ball's Letter to the Peasants of Essex 160
E. On the Year 1390-1 161
XV. MISCELLANEOUS PIECES IN VERSE 162
A. Now Springs the Spray 163
B. Spring 164
C. Alysoun 165
D. The Irish Dancer 166
E. The Maid of the Moor 167
F. The Virgin's Song 167
G. Judas 168
H. The Blacksmiths 169
I. Rats Away 170
XVI. THE YORK PLAY 'HARROWING OF HELL' 171
XVII. THE TOWNELEY PLAY OF NOAH 185
NOTES 204
APPENDIX: THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY 265
[Illustration: Names of Middle English texts placed on a map of England
and Wales.]