In all six of its volumes The Broadview Anthology of British Literature presents British literature in a truly distinctive light. Fully grounded in sound literary and historical scholarship, the anthology takes a fresh approach to many canonical authors, and includes a wide selection of work by lesser-known writers. The anthology also provides wide-ranging coverage of the worldwide connections of British literature, and it pays attention throughout to issues of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. It includes comprehensive introductions to each period, providing in each case an overview of the historical and cultural as well as the literary background. It features accessible and engaging headnotes for all authors, extensive explanatory annotations, and an unparalleled number of illustrations and contextual materials. Innovative, authoritative and comprehensive, The Broadview Anthology of British Literature has established itself as a leader in the field.
The full anthology comprises six bound volumes, together with an extensive website component; the latter has been edited, annotated, and designed according to the same high standards as the bound book component of the anthology, and is accessible by using the passcode obtained with the purchase of one or more of the bound volumes.
In the revised third edition of this volume, the term “Anglo-Saxon” has been removed from our editorial apparatus—a change made in response to recent scholarly work that has drawn attention to the term’s historical and current usage by white supremacists. We have also taken the opportunity to implement a small number of additional improvements; the pagination, however, remains the same.
Comments
Comments on The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Medieval Period:
“Broadview offers the best selection of Old English texts I’ve ever seen in an anthology of this nature … Well done!” — Robert W. Barrett, Jr., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
“With the publication of The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, teachers and students in survey and upper-level undergraduate courses have a compelling alternative to the established anthologies from Norton and Longman. Having adopted the first two volumes for an early period survey course last year, I had no hesitation in repeating the experience this year. The medieval volume, in particular, is superb, with its generous representation of Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman literary culture, as well as its growing collection of texts from the too little-known fifteenth century. This is a very real intellectual, as well as pedagogical, achievement.” — Nicholas Watson, Harvard University
“The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Medieval Period offers remarkable features that make it an excellent choice for instructors. The anthology includes eight Canterbury Tales, compared to Longman’s six and Norton’s seven, enabling students to experience Chaucer’s generic and linguistic range much more fully. The footnotes to The Canterbury Tales are more comprehensive than those in either Longman or Norton, explaining clearly each pilgrim’s profession (not always included in other anthologies); pointing out ambiguous syntax and offering alternative readings. In addition, I was impressed that the editors indicate in the footnotes passages that are not included in Ellesmere, but are considered by some critics as late additions. This attention to scholarly detail models just the kind of accuracy we demand from ourselves and students while researching. The full manuscript page reproductions further enhance the students’ experience with medieval manuscript culture, opening the door to further discussion of this aspect of the written tradition. I especially appreciate the extensive and inclusive “Contexts” sections … [Overall,] The Broadview Anthology certainly contains the most up-to-date and comprehensive selections of medieval texts, with excellent introductory notes and reader-friendly organization.” — Eileen S. Jankowski, Chapman University
Comments on The Broadview Anthology of British Literature:
“ … sets a new standard by which all other anthologies of British Literature will now have to be measured.” — Graham Hammill, SUNY Buffalo
“With the publication of the Broadview Anthology of British Literature, teachers and students in survey and upper-level undergraduate courses have a compelling alternative to the established anthologies by Norton and Longman. … This is a very real intellectual, as well as pedagogical, achievement.” — Nicholas Watson, Harvard University
“ … an excellent anthology. Good selections for my purposes (including some nice surprises), just the right level of annotation, affordable—and a hit with my students. I will definitely use it again.” — Ira Nadel, University of British Columbia
NOTE: The online component of the anthology offers a substantial number of additional readings, edited to the same standards as the bound book. Online readings appear in the indented sections below; to download these readings, please follow the hyperlinks to the BABL online resources site and log in using your passcode.
Readings listed in green are included on the anthology’s companion website.
Preface
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
- History, Narrative, Culture
- Before the Norman Conquest
- Celts in Medieval Britain and Ireland
- Roman Britain
- The Early English, c. 400-700
- Celtic Culture
- Celtic Christianity
- Early English Christianity
- Invasion and Unification
- After the Norman Conquest
- The Normans and Feudalism
- Henry II and an International Culture
- Wales, Scotland, Ireland: Norman Invasions and Their Aftermath
- The Thirteenth Century
- The English Monarchy
- Cultural Expression in the Fourteenth Century
- Fifteenth-Century Transitions
- Language and Prosody
HISTORY OF THE LANGUAGE AND OF PRINT AND MANUSCRIPT CULTURE
GILDAS
Y GODODDIN
PSEUDO-NENNIUS (online)
- from The History of the Britons
BEDE
- from Ecclesiastical History of the English People
- A Description of the Island of Britain and Its Inhabitants
- The Coming of the English to Britain
- The Life and Conversion of Edwin, King of Northumbria; the Faith of the East Angles
- Abbess Hild of Whitby; the Miraculous Poet Cædmon
- Cædmon’s Hymn in Old and Modern English
EARLY IRISH LYRICS
The First Satire
- [A Bé Find, in rega lim] Fair lady, will you go with me
- [Messe ocus Pangur Bán] Me and white Pangur
- [Is acher in gáith innocht] The wind is wild tonight
- [Techt do Róim] Going to Rome?
- The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare
EXETER BOOK ELEGIES
- The Wanderer
- The Seafarer
- Deor
- Wulf and Eadwacer
- The Wife’s Lament
- The Ruin
THE DREAM OF THE ROOD
THE COMMON MAXIMS
THE GIFTS OF MEN (online)
THE FORTUNES OF MEN (online)
EXETER BOOK RIDDLES
- Riddle 1
- (Riddle 2)
- (Riddle 3)
- Riddle 7
- Riddle 14
- Riddle 26
- Riddle 43
- Riddle 44
- Riddle 45
- Riddle 47
- Riddle 85
- Riddle 86
- Riddle 95
OLD ENGLISH METRICAL CHARMS
- For a Swarm of Bees
- Against a Dwarf
- For a Sudden Stitch
- The Nine Herbs Charm
BEOWULF
- IN CONTEXT: Background Material
- Glossary of Proper Names
- Genealogies
- The Geatish-Swedish Wars
JUDITH
THE BATTLE OF MALDON
THE BATTLE OF BRUNANBURH
EXODUS
THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE
- from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- The Coming of the Angles and Saxons to Britain (449–95)
- The Story of Cynewulf and Cyneheard (755)
- King Alfred’s Early Years (871–78)
- King Æthelred’s Troubles (980–93)
- The Life and Death of William the Conqueror (1086)
ALFRED THE GREAT, KING OF WESSEX
- Alfred’s “Preface” to the Old English Version of Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Care
ÆLFRIC OF EYNSHAM (online)
- The Passion of Saint Edmund, King and Martyr
SAINT MARY OF EGYPT (online)
- The Passing of Mary of Egypt
WULFSTAN
BLICKLING HOMILIES (online)
GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH
- from A History of the Kings of Britain
THE FOUR BRANCHES OF THE MABINOGI
- The First Branch: Pwyll Pendeuic Dyfed: Sage, Prince of Dyfed
- The Second Branch: Branwen uerch Llyr: Blanche Crowe, Daughter of Llyr
- The Third Branch: Manawydan, son of Llyr (online)
- The Fourth Branch: Math, son of Mathonwy (online)
FEAST OF BRICRIU (FLED BRICREND) (online)
MARIE DE FRANCE
- Bisclavret (The Werewolf)
- Lanval
- Yonec (online)
- Laüstic (The Nightingale)
- Chevrefoil (The Honeysuckle)
THE LIFE OF SAINT MARGARET (online)
MIRACLES OF THE VIRGIN
- The Monk Who Could Only Learn Ave Maria
- Miracles of Ure Lady
MIDDLE ENGLISH LYRICS
- Sumer is icumen in
- Now goth sonne under wod
- Foweles in the frith
- Betwene Mersh and Averil
- Now skrinketh rose and lily-flour
- Lenten is come with love to toune
- Stond well, moder, under Rode
- Maiden in the mor lay
- I lovede a child of this cuntree
- Erthe tok of erthe erthe with woh
- When Adam delf
- The Lady Dame Fortune is both frende and foe
- I have a gentil cock
- I sing of a maiden
- Adam lay ibounden
- Farewell this world, I take my leve forever
- To dy, to dy. What haue I
- Bring us in good ale
- Of all creatures women be best
- My lefe is faren in a lond
- A god and yet a man
CONTEXTS: THE CRISES OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY
- The Great Famine
- from Anonymous (the “Monk of Malmesbury”), Life of Edward the Second
- The Hundred Years’ War
- from Jean Froissart, Chronicle
- from Prince Edward, Letter to the People of London (1356)
- The Black Death
- from Ralph of Shrewsbury, letter, 17 August 1348
- from Henry Knighton, Chronicle
- The Uprising of 1381
- from Regulations, London (1350)
- from Statute of Laborers (1351)
- from Statute (1363)
- from Jean Froissart, Chronicle, Account of a Sermon by John Ball
- John Ball, Letter to the Common People of Essex (1381)
- from Henry Knighton, Chronicle
SIR ORFEO
PEARL (online)
SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
- IN CONTEXT: Illustrations from the Original Manuscript
- IN CONTEXT: The Thorn and the Yogh
THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM (online)
JOHN GOWER
- from Confessio Amantis
- IN CONTEXT: from Geoffrey Chaucer, The Legend of Good Women (online)
- The Legend of Hypsipyle and Medea
- he Legend of Medea
- from Confessio Amantis (online)
- Prologue
- from Book 1
- from Book 8
- IN CONTEXT: John Gower (online)
- from Ovid, The Art of Love and Cures for Love
- from Saint Augustine, The Confessions
- from Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy
- from Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, The Romance of the Rose
- from Ovid, Metamorphoses
- from William Langland, Piers Plowman
- from The Harley Lyrics
- from John Gower, Vox Clamantis
- from John Gower, Latin Poetry
- from John Gower, French Ballads
WILLIAM LANGLAND
- from Piers Plowman
- B. Prologue
- from Passus 5 (online)
- Passus 7 (online)
- Passus 18
CONTEXTS: LOVE AND MARRIAGE IN MEDIEVAL BRITAIN
- Early Medieval English Laws
- from The Laws of Æthelberht
- from The Laws of Cnut
- from The Canons of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215)
- from Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love
- from The Owl and the Nightingale (online)
- Royal Couples
- Christine de Pizan, “Seulete sui” (Alone I am)
- from Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies
- from Holy Maidenhood
- from The Paston Letters
- from Letter from Agnes Paston to her son John Paston I, c. 1449
- from Letter from Richard Calle to Margery Paston, 1469
- from William Langland, The Vision of Piers the Plowman
- from Robert Grosseteste (attr.), Speculum Confessionis
- from Eadmer, The Life of Saint Anselm
- from Letters of Anselm to fellow monks, late eleventh century
- from The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 22: How the Brothers [or Sisters] Are to Sleep
- from Anonymous, A Relation, or Rather a True Account, of the Island of England, with Sundry Particulars of the Customs of these People, and of the Royal Revenues under King Henry the Seventh
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
- To Rosemounde
- Parliament of Fowles
- from The Canterbury Tales
- The General Prologue
- The Knight’s Tale
- The Miller’s Prologue and Tale
- The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale
- The Clerk’s Prologue and Tale (online)
- The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale
- The Franklin’s Prologue and Tale
- The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale
- The Introduction
- The Prologue
- The Tale
- The Prioress’s Prologue and Tale
- The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue and Tale
- Chaucer’s Retraction
- IN CONTEXT: Backgrounds to The Canterbury Tales (online)
- Pilgrimage
- from The Testimony of William Thorpe
- The World of Chivalry
- from Ramon Lull, The Book of the Order of Chivalry
- from Chapter 2 [On Chivalry]
- from Chapter 3 [Knighthood]
- Orders of Society
- from John Gower, Vox Clamantis
- Pardoners and Indulgences
- An Exemplum
- from The Remedy Against the Troubles of Temptation
- from Giovanni Boccaccio, Teseida
- from Book 3 [Emilia Appears to Palaemon and Arcite]
- “As Fressh as is the Monthe of May”: Illustrations from Illuminated Manuscripts
- To His Scribe Adam
- Complaint of Chaucer to His Purse
- Lenvoy de Chaucer
- from Troilus and Criseyde
THOMAS HOCCLEVE
- Ballad on the Re-Burial of King Richard II
- from The Series
- La Male Regle (online)
- Ballad for Master H. Somer (online)
- Another Poem About the Blessed Virgin (online)
- The Letter of Cupid (online)
THE TRAVELS OF SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE
- from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville
- Prologue
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 29
WYNNERE AND WASTOURE (online)
JULIAN OF NORWICH
- from A Revelation of Love
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 50
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 58
- Chapter 60
- Chapter 86
MARGERY KEMPE
- from The Book of Margery Kempe
- The Proem
- The Preface
- from Book 1
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- from Chapter 4
- from Chapter 11
- Chapter 50
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 52
- Chapter 53
- Chapter 54
- Chapter 55
- Chapter 86
- from Book 2
CONTEXTS: RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL LIFE
- Celtic Christianity
- Church and Cathedral
- Religion for All: The Apostles’ Creed, the Pater Noster, and the Hail Mary
- from Robert Manning of Brunne, Handlyng Synne
- from William of Pagula, Priest’s Eye
- from The Canons of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215)
- Monks, Anchoresses, and Friars
- from The Rule of St. Columba
- from The Rule of St. Benedict
- from The Ancrene Wisse
- Franciscan Friars
- Scholasticism
- from St. Anselm, Proslogion
- The Miraculous and the Strange
- from The Miracles of Thomas of Becket
- Sin, Corruption, and Indulgence
- from William Langland, Piers Plowman (B-Text)
- from Passus 1
- from Passus 5
- from Passus 7
- from Thomas Wimbleton, Sermon
- Lollardy
- from John Wycliffe, “Of Good-Preaching Priests”
- from John Wycliffe’s Confessions on the Eucharist
- from Sixteen Points on which the Bishops accuse Lollards
- from Account of the Heresy Trial of Margery Baxter
- The Persecution of the Jews
- from Thomas of Monmouth, The Life and Miracles of St. William of Norwich
- from Roger Howden, Chronicle
- from Ordinances of the Jews
- from Charter of King John to the Jews
- from Ordinances of Henry III
- Edward I’s Order
MEDIEVAL DRAMA
QUEM QUAERITIS
- The Quem Quaeritis Ceremony
- from the Regularis Concordia of St. Æthelwold
THE SERVICE FOR REPRESENTING ADAM (JEU D’ADAM) (online)
THE YORK CORPUS CHRISTI PLAY
- The Ordo Paginarum (online)
- The Creation (online)
- The Nativity (online)
- The Shepherds (online)
- The Slaughter of the Innocents (online)
- The Crucifixion
- The Harrowing of Hell (online)
- The Resurrection (online)
- The Last Judgment (online)
- The York Mercer’s Indenture (online)
THE TOWNELEY PLAYS (online)
THE WAKEFIELD MASTER
- The First Shepherds’ Play (online)
- The Second Shepherds’ Play
- IN CONTEXT: Biblical Source Material
- from Douay-Rheims Bible, Luke 2.8–21
- Herod the Great
- IN CONTEXT: Biblical Source Material
- from the Douay-Rheims Bible, Matthew 2
- The Judgment (online)
THE CHESTER ADAM AND EVE (online)
THE CHESTER PLAY OF NOAH’S FLOOD
- The Chester Play of Noah’s Flood
- IN CONTEXT: Biblical Source Material
- from the Douay-Rheims Bible, Genesis 6–9
THE CHESTER PLAY OF THE SHEPHERDS (online)
The N-TOWN PLAYS (online)
THE CROXTON PLAY OF THE SACRAMENT (online)
MANKIND
- IN CONTEXT: Castle of Perseverance Stage Plan (online)
EVERYMAN (online)
HENRY MEDWALL (online)
THE INTERLUDE OF YOUTH (online)
JOHN HEYWOOD (online)
JOHN REDFORD (online)
- The Play of Wit and Science
GAMMER GURTON’S NEEDLE (online)
ULPIAN FULWELL (online)
JOHN LYDGATE (online)
- “The Churl and the Bird”
- “The Siege of Thebes”
- “A Disguising at Hertford Castle”
- “On the Image of Pity”
- “The Child Jesus to Mary, the Rose”
SIR LAUNFAL (online)
SIR THOMAS MALORY
- from Morte Darthur
- from Book 1: From the Marriage of King Uther unto King Arthur
- Book 4: The Tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney (online)
- from Book 5: Sir Tristram de Lyones (online)
- from Book 6: The Noble Tale of the Sankgreal (online)
- Book 7: The Tale of Sir Launcelot and Queen Guinevere (online)
- Book 8: The Death of King Arthur
- IN CONTEXT: Early Editions of Morte Darthur
- Caxton’s Preface
- Illustrating Morte Darthur
ROBERT HENRYSON (online)
- from Morall Fabillis of Esope the Phrygian
THE SCOTS MAKARS (online)
- from James I, Kingis Quair
- from Richard Holland, Buke of the Howlatt
- William Dunbar, “Timor Mortis Conturbat Me”
- from Gavin Douglas, Palis of Honoure
APPENDICES
Reading Poetry
Maps
Monarchs and Prime Ministers
Glossary of Terms
Texts and Contexts: Chronological Chart of the Medieval Period (online)
Bibliography (online)
Permissions Acknowledgments
Index of First Lines
Index of Authors and Titles
Our Editorial Team:
Joseph Black, University of Massachusetts
Leonard Conolly, Trent University
Kate Flint, University of Southern California
Isobel Grundy, University of Alberta
Roy Liuzza, University of Tennessee
Jerome McGann, University of Virginia
Anne Prescott, Barnard College
Barry Qualls, Rutgers University
Claire Waters, University of Virginia
Features of The Broadview Anthology of British Literature
- • Unrivalled flexibility
- • Superb, comprehensive introductions
- • Extraordinarily wide range of authors included
- • Close attention paid to issues of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation
- • Substantial coverage of the worldwide connections of British literature
- • More extensive—and more helpful—annotations than in competing anthologies
- • Companion website includes a wide range of addition selections (as well as an audio library, review questions, chronological charts, etc.)
- • Extensively illustrated throughout
- • Fuller range of contextual materials than any competing anthology
- • Customized coursepack options available
- • Can be combined in a shrink-wrapped package with any Broadview edition at no extra charge
- • Online instructor’s guide
Features of The Medieval Period
- • Roy Liuzza’s translations of Old English works, including Beowulf
- • Facing-column translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- • Extensive contextual materials for key individual works and authors
- • “Contexts” sections on “Crises of the Fourteenth Century,” “Love and Marriage in Medieval Britain,” and “Religious and Spiritual Life”
- • Superior coverage of Medieval Drama
Features New to the Third Edition
- • Use of the term “Anglo-Saxon” has been removed from our editorial apparatus
- • Old English material has been substantially revised and expanded
- • Newly translated material includes selections from Y Gododdin and the first two branches of the Mabinogi
- • New section on Early Irish lyrics
- • Expanded “Love and Marriage” Contexts section with additional material by Christine de Pizan and excerpts from Holy Maidenhood
- • Expanded and revised selection of material from Malory’s Le Morte Darthur
- • Several new selections added to the online component
The Broadview Anthology of British Literature companion sites include content for both instructors and students.
The Online Resources Site for both students and instructors features close to 200 interactive review questions; over 500 online readings across all volumes of the anthology, with 56 additional readings specific to this volume; details on British currency; chronological charts; bibliographies; an audio library with 37 samples ranging from Old English to the early 20th Century; and more. An access code to the website is included with all new copies. If you purchased a used copy or are missing your passcode for this site, please click here to purchase a code online.
A separate instructor site features background material, over 200 discussion questions, and “Approaches to Teaching” for key works and authors in the anthology; it also offers a list of anthology contents by theme and region. An access code to the website is included with all examination copies.
PACKAGES:
Add any standalone edition to a package containing one or more of our anthology volumes for free! A second edition may be added for only $10. To view a complete list of available editions, take a look through our full editions chronology.
Multiple volumes of The Broadview Anthology of British Literature can also be packaged together:
- Package of any TWO of Volumes 1-6: $90.95
- Package of any THREE of Volumes 1-6: $101.95
- Package of Concise Volumes A and B: $110.95
To obtain a package ISBN, or to inquire about other discounted package options, please contact your Broadview representative or customerservice@broadviewpress.com. Further discounts may be available for large courses.
CUSTOM TEXTS:
Broadview is happy to create a custom text including only your selected readings, from this and/or any of our other anthologies and editions (with the exception of copyright-protected readings that are controlled by rights holders other than Broadview Press). We offer an easy and intuitive Custom Text Builder, and you can also contact our Custom Text Administrator.
