Thomas Wright's Political Songs of England: From the Reign of John to that of Edward II

by Thomas Wright , Edited by Peter Coss

• ISBN13: 9780521555876
• ISBN10: 0521555876
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-05-31
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book contains a collection of political verses, venality satires and songs of social protest from medieval England. First edited by Thomas Wright in 1839, these so-called 'political songs' are reissued here on behalf of the Royal Historical Society. The collection provides a fascinating insight into medieval responses to contemporary events. A new and wide-ranging introduction from Peter Coss offers observations on authorship, audience, the means of dissemination and the use of the languages involved. The reader is brought up to date on the critical study of the poems and on their significance and potentiality for the modern historian and literary scholar. Professor Coss corrects Wright's dating where necessary and puts each item into its full contemporary context, making these fascinating verses accessible to the modern reader.

Table of Contents

Introduction to 1996 edition

Thomas Wright's preface to 1839 edition

Reign of King John: Song of the Siege of Thouars (French)

Sirvente on King John (Provenç

al)

Song on the Bishops (Latin)

Song on the Times (Latin)

Reign of Henry III: The Taking of Lincoln (Latin)

Song on the Corruptions of the Time (Latin)

Sirvente against King Henry (Provenç

al)

Another Sirvente (Provenç

al)

The Song of the Church (Anglo-Norman)

Song against the Bishops (Latin)

Song on the Times (Latin)

Song upon the Tailors (Latin and Anglo-Norman)

Song of the Welsh (Latin)

Song of the Barons (Anglo-Norman)

Song of the Peace with England (French)

Song against the King of Almaigne (English)

The Battle of Lewes (Latin)

Song upon the Divisions among the Barons (Latin)

Lament of Simon de Montfort (Anglo-Norman)

Reign of Edward I: Praise of Young Edward (Latin)

Song on the Times (Latin, with an Anglo-Norman version)

The Order of Fair-Ease (Anglo-Norman)

Song of the Husbandman (English)

Against the Pride of the Ladies (English)

Satire on the Consistory Courts (English)

Song on the Scottish Wars (Latin)

On the Deposition of Baliol (Latin)

Song against the King's Taxes (Anglo-Norman and Latin)

Song on the Flemish Insurrection (English)

Song on the Times (English)

Song against the Scholastic Studies (Latin)

Song of 'Nego' (English)

Song on the

Execution of Sir Simon Fraser (English)

Song on the Venality of the Judges (Latin)

The Outlaw's Song of Trailebaston (Anglo-Norman)

Song against the Retinues of the Great People (English)

Reign of Edward II

Lament on the Death of Edward I (Anglo-Norman)

Elegy on the Death of Edward I (English)

Song on the Times (Anglo-Norman, Latin and English)

On the King's Breaking his Confirmation of Magna Carta (Anglo-Norman and English)

Two Songs on the Death of Peter de Gaveston (Latin)

The Battle of Bannockburn (Latin)

Office of St Thomas of Lancaster (Latin)

Appendix: Extracts from Peter Langtoft's Chronicle (Anglo-Norman and English) i. Edward I's War with Scotland ii. The Trailebastons, and the Execution of Wallace

Poem on the Evil Time of Edward II (English)

Notes

Index.