This lively narrative, written by a monk, relates the history of the abbey of Saffron Walden from its foundation around 1136 to the year 1203. Its characters include the English kings, the earls of Essex, and other local landowners, large and small, as well as the monks and other ecclesiastics. Its interest extends far beyond the local: the editors' introduction and notes establish the chronicle's position as a valuable historical source.

This is the first complete edition and translation of the Historia Anglorum ( History of the English People) by Henry, Archdeacon of Huntingdon (c. 1088-c.1157). The main narrative covers the history of England from the invasions of Julius Caesar down to the accession of King Henry II in 1154, and includes the only contemporary account of the entire reign of King Stephen (1135-54). In the influential circle of successive bishops of Lincoln, Henry was often at the centre of political life - a practical man whose consciousness of the world extended far beyond the limits of his archdeaconry, a visitor to France and Rome. His work is a major source for events in England and Normandy in his lifetime. Henry's pages are filled with good stories, including the first written record of Cnut and the waves, and of Henry's death from a surfeit of lampreys. The final two books consist of poems that show Henry to be one of the finest of Anglo-Latin poets. Henry's work has never before been published in its entirety. The 1879 edition in the Rolls series provided only a Latin text, omitted three books and other sections of the text, and failed to take account of several manuscripts. The critical edition in the present volume shows the author's successive revisions and continuations of his text. It is offered with parallel translation and historical notes. The introduction provides a fresh appraisal of Henry's career, incorporates new discoveries about his family origins and education, and assesses his importance as a poet and historian.

'In the year of grace 1066, the Lord, the ruler, brought to fulfilment what He had long planned for the English people: He delivered them up to be destroyed by the violent and cunning Norman race.' Henry of Huntingdon's narrative covers one of the most exciting and bloody periods in English history: the Norman Conquest and its aftermath. He tells of the decline of the Old English kingdom, the victory of the Normans at the Battle of Hastings, and the establishment of Norman rule. His accounts pf the kings who reigned during his lifetime - William II, Henry I, and Stephen - contain unique descriptions of people and events. Henry tells how promiscuity, greed, treachery, and cruelty produced a series of disasters, rebellions, and wars. Interwoven with memorable and vivid battle-scenes are anecdotes of court life, the death and murder of nobles, and the first written record of Cnut and the waves and the death of Henry I from a surfeit of lampreys. Diana Greenway's translation of her definitive Latin text has been revised for this edition. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The essays in this book have as their theme Tradition and Change. They view institutions, groups and individuals responding and adjusting to changes in their world, whether in religious discipline or in the needs of government. They also explore the continuity of traditions in both ecclesiastical and secular society and trace how changes themselves crystallize into the traditions of the future. The topics chosen to illustrate this general theme reflect the wide interests of the honorand, whose publications, including her edition of the Ecclesiastical History of Orderic Vitalis, have illuminated the twin cultures of England and Normandy and their joint influence on European society in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

This narrative of events between the years 1173 and 1202--as recorded by Jocelin of Brakelond, a monk who lived in the abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, in the region of West Suffolk--affords many unique insights into the life of a medieval religious community. It depicts the daily worship in the abbey church and the beliefs and values shared by the monks, as well as the whispered conversations, rumors, and disagreements within the cloister--and the bustling life of the market-town of Bury, just outside the abbey walls. This edition offers the first modern translation from the Latin to appear since 1949.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.