Political Poems and Songs Relating to English History, Composed during the Period from the Accession of Edward III to that of Richard III

First published in 1859, this two-volume set contains a collection of poems and tracts from the late medieval period.

Thomas Wright (Edited by)

9781108042482, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 15 November 2012

440 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.64 kg

Veering between unprecedented military successes and the violent downfalls of kings, the period between the accession of Edward III and the death of Edward IV was a rich subject for contemporary political writers. This two-volume collection of poems and tracts was first compiled by Thomas Wright as part of the Rolls Series, commissioned to edit and publish publicly owned manuscript texts. First published in 1861 and including forty-four pieces in English, French and Latin, Volume 2 covers the turbulent years between Henry IV and Edward IV. It features poems by Gower, an account of the battle of Agincourt, and Chaucer's apocryphal 'Jack Upland' with 'The Reply of Friar Daw'. Also included are translations of the French poems, and a thorough, contextualising introduction. A fascinating example of Victorian scholarship and its expectations of readers, this set represents an interesting resource for students of English literature and history.

Introduction
1. Complimentary verses on King Henry IV by John Gower
2. Address of John Gower to Henry IV
3. Jack Upland
4. The reply of Friar Daw Topias, with Jack Upland's rejoinder
5. On the execution of Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York
6. On the death of Henry IV by Thomas of Elmham
7. On the Battle of Azincourt
8. Epigram on the Battle of Azincourt
9. The Frenchman to the Englishman
10. On the Lollards
11. On the death of Henry V
12. Epigram on the assumption of the arms of France
13. On the English title to the Crown of France
14. To King Henry VI on his coronation
15. On the coronation of Henry VI
16. On the Duke of Burgundy
17. Philippe of Burgundy and James of Scotland
18. On the Siege of Calais
19. The libel of English policy
20. Lament of the Duchess of Gloucester
21. On the prospect of peace
22. On the truce of 1444
23. On the popular discontent at the disasters in France
24. On the arrest of the Duke of Suffolk
25. On Bishop Boothe
26. A warning to King Henry
27. Verses against the Duke of Suffolk
28. On the death of the Duke of Suffolk
29. On the corruptions of the times
30. On the corruptions of the times
31. Against the Lollards
32. To the King
33. A political prophecy
34. Against the friars
35. On the corruption of public manners
36. Epigrams on the public extravagance
37. On the times
38. On the times
39. On the procession to St. Paul's of the reconciled parties
40. Epitaph for Richard Duke of York
41. On the civil wars
42. A political retrospect
43. On the recovery of the throne by Edward IV
44. On England's commercial policy
Glossary and index of medieval Latin words
Glossary and index of obsolete English words
Index.

Subject Areas: British & Irish history [HBJD1]