Invention of Middle English An Anthology of Sources, 1700-1864

At a time when medieval studies is increasingly concerned to historicise and theorise its own origins and history, the development of the study of Middle English has been relatively neglected. The Invention of Middle English collects for the first time the principal sources through which this history can be traced. The documents presented here highlight the uncertain and haphazard way in which Middle English language and literature was shaped by antiquarians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is a valuable source-book for medieval studies, for study of the reception of the Middle Ages, and, more generally, for the history of the rise of English. It will also enable the setting of courses in this field. Each extract is preceded by a full historical and critical introduction and bibliography; any passages in late Latin and German are translated.Matthews, David is the author of 'Invention of Middle English An Anthology of Sources, 1700-1864' with ISBN 9782503507699 and ISBN 2503507697.