Thomas Wright’s Political Songs of England: From the Reign of John to that of Edward II

This book contains a collection of political verses, venality satires and songs of social protest from medieval England. First edited by Thomas Wright in 1839, these so-called ‘political songs’ are reissued here on behalf of the Royal Historical Society. The collection provides a fascinating insight into medieval responses to contemporary events. A new and wide-ranging introduction from Peter Coss offers observations on authorship, audience, the means of dissemination and the use of the languages involved. The reader is brought up to date on the critical study of the poems and on their significance and potentiality for the modern historian and literary scholar. Professor Coss corrects Wright’s dating where necessary and puts each item into its full contemporary context, making these fascinating verses accessible to the modern reader.