Spanning almost seven centuries, this anthology encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English, culminating in some of the finest works produced in English in the high Middle Ages.
* New edition of this widely-used anthology of Old and Middle English literature
* Now extended to include newly-edited versions of Old English Wonders of the East, of Poema Morale, extracts from Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
* Full translations are offered for the Old and earlier Middle English material, along with marginal glosses for the later texts
* A general introduction gives an outline of key works and the historical context in which they are written

Elaine Treharne is Professor of Early English at Florida State University. She has published extensively on Old and Middle English literature, and focuses particularly on medieval manuscripts and their contexts of production. She is a General Editor of the Oxford Textual Perspectives Series, Editor of Essays and Studies, Medieval Editor for Review of English Studies, and a former Chair and President of the English Association. She is the founding convenor of the English Association Special Interest Group in the History of Books and Texts.

Alphabetical List of Authors and Works x

List of Illustrations xii

Preface and Acknowledgements to the First Edition xii

Preface and Acknowledgements to the Second Edition xiv

Preface and Acknowledgements to the Third Edition xv

Chronology of Events and Literary Landmarks xvi

Introduction xix

Bede's Ecclesiastical History 1

Cædmon's Hymn 1

The Settlement of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes; The Life of Cædmon 2

Alfred 13

Preface to the Translation of Gregory's Pastoral Care 13

Translation of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy 16

The Accounts of the Journeys of Ohthere and Wulfstan 24

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 33

Annal 755: Cynewulf and Cynheard; Annal 855-78: The Death of Edmund; Alfred's Battles with the Vikings 33

The Reign of Æbelstan and The Battle of Brunanburh 42

The Exeter Book 48

Advent Lyrics vii and viii 49

The Wanderer 54

The Seafarer 60

The Whale 66

Deor 70

Wulf and Eadwacer 74

Exeter Book Riddles 5, 7, 12, 26, 29, 30, 43-6, 55 76

The Wife's Lament 86

The Husband's Message 90

The Ruin 94

The Vercelli Book 100

The Fates of the Apostles 101

Vercelli Homily x 108

The Dream of the Rood 118

Ælfric 129

Old English Preface to his First Series of Catholic Homilies 129

Homily on the Nativity of the Innocents 134

Old English Preface to his Lives of Saints 142

Passion of Saint Edmund 144

The Battle of Maldon 155

The Beowulf-Manuscript 171

The Wonders of the East 173

Beowulf 182

Judith 224

The Junius Manuscript 243

Exodus 243

Wulfstan's Sermo Lupi ad Anglos 259

King Cnut's Letter to the English of 1020 269

Apollonius of Tyre 275

The Peterborough Chronicle 301

The Life of Saint Margaret 308

The Hymns of Saint Godric 324

The Orrmulum 326

Cambridge, Trinity College B. 14. 52 335
Poema Morale, edited by Carla M. Thomas 336

Trinity Homily 33 354

Worcester Cathedral Library, F. 174 363

The First Worcester Fragment 363

Hali MeiKhad 366

Ancrene Wisse 382

Sumer is Icumen In 409

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Digby 86 412

Ubi Sount Qui Ante Nos Fuerount? 413

Stond Wel, Moder, Ounder Rode 415

The Fox and the Wolf 417

Dame SiriF 423

Love is Sofft 434

Arundel 292: The Bestiary 435

Oxford, Jesus College 29 437

The Love-Ron of Friar Thomas Hales 437

The Proverbs of Alfred 443

London, British Library, Cotton Caligula A. ix 456

La3amon's Brut 456

The Owl and the Nightingale 468

Lyrics from Cambridge, Trinity College B. 14. 39 506

Of One That Is So Fair and Bright 507

When I Think on Domesday 508

When the Turf is Thy Tower 509

A Saying of Saint Bernard 509

I Sing of One That Is Matchless 509

An Orison to Our Lady 510

The South English Legendary 512

The Life of Saint Wulfstan 513

Cursor Mundi 519

Robert Mannyng of Brunne 525

The Chronicle 525

Handlyng Synne 534

The Land of Cockayne 545

The Auchinleck Manuscript 550

Sir Orfeo 550

The Four Foes of Mankind 563

London, British Library, Harley 2253 567

Earth upon Earth 567

Alysoun 568

Spring 569

Advice to Women 570

An Old Man's Prayer 571

Blow, Northerne Wynd 574

The Death of King Edward I 576

I Syke when Y Singe 578

An Autumn Song 580

King Horn 582

The Ayenbite of Inwit 615

Richard Rolle 619

Ego Dormio 620

Ghostly Gladness 626

Kyng Alisaunder 627

Ywain and Gawain 642

Athelston 656

Wynnere and Wastoure 675

William Langland 688

Piers Plowman 688

Geoffrey Chaucer 728

The Canterbury Tales 728

The General Prologue 729

The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale 748

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 776

Julian of Norwich 801

A Vision 801

The Book of Margery Kempe 809

Select Bibliography 826

Glossary of Common Hard Words 845

Index of Manuscripts 848

General Index 850