The great scholar and palaeographer Sir Frederic Madden (1801-73) was Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum (as it then was) when most of the items in this 'Handlist' were acquired. The manuscripts here represented, from the still expanding Additional collection, provide examples of almost every kind of Middle English prose composition. Many of the items in this 'Handlist' are well known, but some have been previously overlooked and a surprising number remain unedited.

The essays in this volume celebrate the career of the distinguished medievalist, Ronald Waldron. Fittingly, they focus on the Middle English alliterative tradition, but do not exclude material in other areas. Acting as a linking theme is a concern with the relationship of texts to their contexts, whether historical, philosophical, linguistic, or codicological. Topics discussed include feasting in Middle English alliterative poetry; setting and context in the works of the Gawain-poet; Henryson's Testament of Cresseid; Layamon; and Middle English verse in Chronicles. Contributors: MALCOLM ANDREW, ROSAMUND ALLEN, RALPH HANNA, SUSAN POWELL, JANE ROBERTS, JEREMY SMITH, DEREK PEARSALL, N.F. BLAKE, JULIA BOFFEY, A.S.G. EDWARDS, JANET COWEN, ROGER DAHOOD, ELTON D. HIGGS, GEORGE KANE.

The Index of Middle English Prose is an international collaborative project which will ultimately locate, identify and record all extant Middle English prose texts composed between c.1200 and c.1500, in both manuscript andprinted form in medieval and post-medieval versions. The first step towards this goal has been this series of Handlists, each recording the holdings of a major library or group of libraries. Compiled by scholars, Handlists include detailed descriptions ofeach prose item with identifications, categorisations and full bibliographical data. Every Handlist will also contain a series of indexes including listings of opening and closing lines, authors, titles, subject matter and rubrics. For students of the middle ages Handlists provide essential bibliographical tools and shed light on a wide range of subjects.