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

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.