Courtesy books were especially popular in England in the fifteenth-century, but though they were numerous in number, this particular example, "A General Rule", is unique in that no other treatise corresponds to it closely. Translated from "MS. Addl. 37969", it is a guide to manners and duties, including instructions on conduct and demeanour, plus many practical hints on how to serve a "lorde or mayster". Also included are "The Thirde Order of Seynt Fraceys" and "The Rewle of Sustris Menouresses" - two medieval religious Rules, or handbooks. Presented here, un-modernised, in their original form, these guides make fascinating reading and give true insight into the aspects of medieval life and manners.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1912 Edition.

The main texts are written in Old English, but are still quite inspiring to the average reader with a little work. It contains, besides this part detailing the duties of officials, various memoranda about wood carried partly at Talatun (1 Talaton in Devon), some medical recipes in English and Latin, and a vellum fragment which was formerly in the binding, and contains some fifteenth-century accounts. But the only thing of much interest is the general Rule to teche euery man that is willynge for to lerne to serve a lorde or mayster in euery thyng to his plesure '. So far as I can gather, Dr. Furnivall was right in describing this tract as unique; no other treatise seems to correspond to it closely in detail. But it is one of a very numerous class of which, in the opening years of the Early English Text Society, Dr. Furnivall made a special study. During the sixties he edited for the Society three volumes of Books of Courtesy, Books of Nurture, Books of Carving, Babies' Books, and other treatises illustrating English manners. It was during the fifteenth century that this type of book flourished peculiarly in England: in other countries-in Italy and Provence-it is found much earlier. It has been stated that the early Italian courtesy books' are few and of little mark ' But probably there was a considerable body of Italian courtesy books which has been lost: 2 and, in any case, some early and important Italian books of manners have been preserved. Thomasin von Zirklaria, the author of the South German treatise Der Walsche Gast, 'WaS an Italian. Der Walsche Gast though not essentially a courtesy book, contains the elements which go to make one. And Thomasin tells .us that he had written in welhschen a book of, courtesy, buoch von der hufscheit. Then there is Ser Brunetto Latini, who wrote much concerning courtesy in his Tesoreteo, the little book in which he treated of all things appertaining to the human race. Above all, long before any courtesy book appeared in English, whilst Dante was still a young man, 'Fra Bonvexino da Riva' wrote his Zinquanta Cortexie da Tavola, 'Fifty rules of courtesy for the table.' In many ways these rules remind us of the English courtesy books of two centuries later. Cats and dogs are not to be fondled at meals: 'The third rule after the thirtieth: not to stroke with the hands, so long as thou eatest at the table, either cat, or dog. It is not allowed unto the courteous to stroke animals with the hands with which he touches the dishes.'

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This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Chamber's introduction to Beowulf is the most comprehensive study of the whole problem of this remarkable Anglo-Saxon manuscript. The original edition, published in 1921, began with a summary of the views held by previous writers on historical and non-historical elements in the poem, its date, origin and structure; this was followed by a collection of the Latin and Scandinavian documents furnishing parallels for various episodes and a detailed discussion of the Fight at Finnsberg and the relation of the Finn-episode in Beowulf and the relevance of archaeological finds. The second edition provided a supplement on work up to 1930 and an additional bibliography. This third edition, similarly, accounts for scholarship and publications since 1930. The Sutton Hoo discoveries of 1939, in particular, have made additions necessary. The original text remains unaltered since no major change of emphasis or interpretation is needed; but Professor Wrenn's new supplement and bibliography brings the book up to date.

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.