This collection of essays provide an analysis of medieval romance narrative in Britain. The historical and cultural contexts within which several romances were produced, and their putative patrons and audiences, are the focus of several of the contributions, whilst others discuss romance manuscripts and their scribes, uncovering evidence of careful scribal co-operation and planning. The popular appeal and longevity of the genre emerge in discussions of romance's ability to reinvigorate traditional tales and of the changes it sustains over the centuries in order to satisfy the tastes of its largely bourgeois audience.
Dr Jennifer Fellows studied at London and Cambridge and now works as a freelance editor in academic publishing; she is Assistant Editor at Medium Aevum. Her own published work is mainly on Middle English romances and on the theory and practice of editing medieval texts.
Biographical sketch, James Ogden; a list of the writings of Maldwyn Mills 1962-95, Desmond Slay; introduction, R.P. Field and Judy Weiss; The wars of Alexander - from reality to romance, W.R.J. Barron; the branching tree of medieval narrative - Welsh cainc and French branche, Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan; Madness in Sir Orfeo, Derek Pearsall; cloaking desire - re-reading Emare, Margaret Robson; Malory's Mordred and the Morte Arthure, P.J.C. Field; 'Illuminat with lawte, and with lufe lasit' - Gawain gives Arthur a lesson in magnanimity, Gillian Rogers; No poet has his travesty alone - The Awntyrs off Arthure - jests and jousts, Rosamund Allen; the pattern of Providence in Chevelere Assigne, Diane Speed; 'A damsell by herself alone' - images of magic and femininity from Lanval to Sir Lambewell, Elizabeth Williams; Looking behind the book - MS Cotton Caligula A.ii, part 1, and the experiences of its texts, John J. Thompson; MS Porkington 10 and its scribes, Daniel Huws; Rate revisited - the compilation of the narrative works in MS Ashmole 61, Lynne S. Blanchfield; 'Prenes: engre' - an early sixteenth century presentation copy of The Erle of Tolous, Carol M. Meale; Robert Parry's Moderatus - a study in Elizabeth romance, John Simons; Bevis redivivus - the printed editions of Sir Bevis of Hampton, Jennifer Fellows.