T HE C AMBRIDGE H ISTORY
OF
E NGLISH AND A MERICAN L ITERATURE
An Encyclopedia in Eighteen Volumes
Volume I: English
F ROM THE B EGINNINGS
T O THE C YCLES OF R OMANCE
Edited by A. W. Ward & A. R. Waller
CONTENTS INDEX TO CHAPTERS INDEX TO BIBLIOGRAPHIES INDEX TO AUTHORS
CONTENTS
Preface
Table of Principal Dates
Chapter I.
The Beginnings
By A. R. WALLER, M.A., Peterhouse
Characteristics of the earliest Poetry
The Gleemen
Theodore and Hadrian
National Strife
BIBLIOGRAPHY
II.
Runes and Manuscripts
By A. C. PAUES, Ph.D., Upsala, Newnham College
The National Germanic Alphabet
Runes in Scandinavian and Old English Literature
The Ruthwell Cross
The Franks Casket
The Roman Alphabet
The Irish School of Writing
Tablets, parchment, vellum, paper, pens, ink, and binding
Scribes and scriptoria
BIBLIOGRAPHY
III.
Early National Poetry
By H. MUNRO CHADWICK, M.A., Fellow of Clare College
Early National Poems the work of Minstrels
Teutonic Epic Poetry
Beowulf: Scandinavian Traditions; Personality of the Hero; Origin and Antiquity of the Poem; the Religious Element
Finnsburh
The Waldhere Fragments
Widsith
Deor
The Wanderer
The Seafarer
The Wifes Complaint
The Husbands Message
The Ruin
Religious Poetry of Heathen Times
BIBLIOGRAPHY
IV.
Old English Christian Poetry
By M. BENTINCK SMITH, M.A., Headmistress of St. Leonards School, St. Andrews
Celtic Christianity
Changes wrought by the New Spirit
Caedmons Hymn
Genesis, Exodus, Daniel
Crist and Satan
Cynewulf: His Personality
Crist, Juliana, The Fates of the Apostles, Elene
Andreas
The Dream of the Rood
Guthlac, The Phoenix, Physiologus, Riddles
Minor Christian Poems
The Riming Poem, Proverbs, The Runic Poem, Salomon and Saturn
The Schools of Caedmon and Cynewulf
BIBLIOGRAPHY
V.
Latin Writings in England to the Time of Alfred
By MONTAGUE RHODES JAMES, Litt.D., Provost of Kings College
Gildas and The History of the Britons
Hisperic Latin
Nennius and Historia Brittonum
The Roman Mission to Kent and its results
Aldhelm and his School
Bedes Ecclesiastical History
Bedes Letter to Egbert of York
Alcuin
Lives of Saints; Visions; Minor writings
BIBLIOGRAPHY
VI.
Alfred and the Old English Prose of his Reign
By P. G. THOMAS, M.A., Professor of English Language and Literature at Bedford College, University of London
Assers Life of Alfred
The Handbook and Pastoral Care
Translations of Orosius and Bede
Codes of Law
De Consolatione Philosophiae
The metres in Alfreds Boethius
Augustines Soliloquies
The Chronicle
Gregorys Dialogues
Works attributed to Alfred
His Literary Achievement
BIBLIOGRAPHY
VII.
From Alfred to the Conquest
By JOHN S. WESTLAKE, M.A., Trinity College
The Chronicle
The Monastic Reform
Blickling Homilies
The Works of Aelfric
Wulfstan
Byrhtferth
Lindisfarne, Rushworth, and West Saxon Glosses
Legends of the Holy Rood
Legends of the East
Quasi-scientific works
The Ballads and Poems in The Chronicle
Judith
The Battle of Maldon or Byrhtnoths Death
Menologium
Be Domes Daege
BIBLIOGRAPHY
VIII.
The Norman Conquest
By A. R. WALLER
Dunstan
The Coming Change
The Wisdom of the East
Lanfranc
Anselm
Norman Gifts
BIBLIOGRAPHY
IX.
Latin Chroniclers from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Centuries
By W. LEWIS JONES, M.A., Professor of English Language and Literature at the University College of North Wales
England and Normandy
Characteristics of the Chroniclers
The Northumbrian School of English Medieval History; Simeon of Durham
Florence of Worcester
Eadmer and Ordericus Vitalis
William of Malmesbury
Henry of Huntingdon
Gesta Stephani
Geoffrey of Monmouth
William of Newburgh
Benedict of Peterborough
Richard Fitz-Neale
Roger of Hoveden
Ralph of Diceto
Richard of Devizes
Jocelin of Brakelond
Giraldus Cambrensis
Walter Map
Matthew Paris
Minor Chroniclers
BIBLIOGRAPHY
X.
English Scholars of Paris and Franciscans of Oxford
LATIN LITERATURE OF ENGLAND FROM JOHN OF SALISBURY TO RICHARD OF BURY
By J. E. SANDYS, Litt.D., Fellow of St. Johns College and Public Orator of the University of Cambridge
The University of Paris
English Scholars of Paris: John of Salisbury
Peter of Blois
Walter Map
Other Writers of Latin
Gervase
Nigel Wireker
Jean de Hauteville; Alain de Lille
Geoffrey de Vinsauf; Alexander Neckam
Joannes de Garlandia
Giraldus Cambrensis
Michael Scot
Franciscans and Dominicans
Franciscans of Oxford
Alexander of Hales
Robert Grosseteste and the Franciscans
Adam Marsh
Roger Bacon
Duns Scotus
William of Ockham
Walter Burleigh
Scholars of Oxford: John Baconthorpe
Thomas Bradwardine
Richard of Bury
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XI.
Early Transition English
By J. W. H. ATKINS, M.A., Professor of English Language and Literature at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Fellow of St. Johns College
The Proverbs of Alfred
Poema Morale
Literary Revolt of the 13th Century
Ormulum
Genesis and Exodus
Hortatory Verse and Prose
The Bestiary; An Bispel; Sawles Warde
Hali Meidenhad; Lives of the Saints
Ancren Riwle
The Virgin Cult and Erotic Mysticism
The Luve Ron
Layamons Brut
The Owl and Nightingale
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XII.
The Arthurian Legend
By W. LEWIS JONES, M.A., Professor of English Language and Literature at the University College of North Wales, Bangor, formerly Scholar of Queens College
Early Welsh Tradition
Nennius and Gildas
Early Welsh Poetry
The Mabinogion
Kulhwch and Olwen
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Caradoc of Llancarvan
The French Romances
Wace
Layamon
Subsidiary Legends
Merlin
Gawain
Lancelot and Guinevere
The Holy Grail
Tristram and Iseult
Celtic Literature
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XIII.
Metrical Romances, 12001500: I
By W. P. KER, M.A., Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, Professor of English Literature, University College, London
French Influences
Benoit de Ste. More and Chrétien de Troyes
Translators difficulties
History of the English Romances
Matter and Form
The matter of France, of Britain, and of Rome
Sources and Subjects
Forms of Verse
Traditional Plots
Breton Lays
Fairy Tales
Sir Gawayne and Sir Tristrem
The Tale of Gamelyn and The Tale of Beryn
Relation of Romances to Ballads
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XIV.
Metrical Romances, 12001500: II
By J. W. H. ATKINS
The Carolingian Element
English Romances: Havelok, Horn, Guy of Warwick, Beves of Hamtoun
The literature of Antiquity: Troy, King Alisaunder, Richard Cur de Lion
Oriental Fable: Flores and Blancheflour, The Seven Sages of Rome
Celtic Romances
The Gawain Cycle
Ipomedon, Amis and Amiloun, Sir Cleges, Sir Isumbras, The Squire of Low Degree
William of Palerne, etc .
Anonymity of the work embodied in the Romances
Qualities and Defects
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XV.
Pearl, Cleanness, Patience and Sir Gawayne
By I. GOLLANCZ, Litt.D., Christs College, Professor of English Language and Literature, Kings College, London, Secretary of the British Academy
Sources and Metre of Pearl
Cleanness and Patience
Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight
Sources of Sir Gawayne
The Question of Authorship
Hypothetical Biography of the Poet
Ralph Strode
Huchoun of the Awle Ryale
Erkenwald, etc .
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XVI.
Later Transition English
LEGENDARIES AND CHRONICLERS
By CLARA L. THOMSON
Robert of Gloucester
Thomas Bek
The South English Legendary
Northern Homilies and Legends
The Northern Psalter
Cursor Mundi
Robert Mannyng of Brunnes Handlyng Synne
Characteristics of Mannyngs style
Mannyngs Debt to Wadington
Mannyngs Chronicle
The Medytacyuns
William of Shoreham
The Ayenbite of Inwyt
Adam Davy
Laurence Minot
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XVII.
Later Transition English
SECULAR LYRICS ; TALES; SOCIAL SATIRE (Further chapters on Fugitive Social Literature of the 14th and 15th centuries will be found in Vol. II .)
By A. R. WALLER
Middle English Lyrics
The Proverbs of Hendyng
The Deeds of Hereward
The Land of Cokaygne
Dame Siriz
The Fox and the Wolf
The Turnament of Totenham
The Tale of Gamelyn
Gesta Romanorum; John de Bromyarde; The Childhood of Jesus
Political verses
Songs of the Soil
John Ball
The Black Death
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XVIII.
The Prosody of Old and Middle English
By GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M.A., Merton College, Oxford, Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature in the University of Edinburgh
Old English Verse
The Transition
Foreign Influence
The Alliterative Revival
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XIX.
Changes in the Language to the Days of Chaucer
By HENRY BRADLEY, M.A., (Oxon.)
Continuity of the English Language
English and Saxon; Periods of English
Changes in Grammar
Old English Grammar; Changes in Declension
Conjugation in Middle English
Influence of the Norman Conquest
Pronunciation and Spelling
Middle English Spelling
Development of Sounds
Changes in Vocabulary
Words adopted from French
Scandinavian Words in English
Loss of Native Words
The Poetical Vocabulary
English Dialects in the Fourteenth Century
BIBLIOGRAPHY
XX.
The Anglo-French Law Language
By the late F. W. MAITLAND, LL.D., Downing Professor of the Laws of England. (By permission of the Council of the Selden Society.)
Retention of French in the Courts and the Making of Legal Terms