Document I

Robert of Avesbury, De Gestis Mirabilibus. c.1356

The plague, which first began in the country of the Saracens, spread to such a degree
that, without sparing any country, it visited with the scourge of sudden death every
place in all the kingdoms stretching from that country northwards, even as far as
Scotland. Now in England it started in the county of Dorsetshire, about the festival of
St. Peter in Chains [August 1], in the year of our Lord, 1348; and immediately
spreading with great rapidity from place to place, it attacked between morning and
noon a very large number of people in perfect health, and rid them of this mortal life.
Not one of these so doomed to death was permitted to live more than three or four
days at the most. With the exception perhaps of a few, rich persons of every degree
were attacked. On the same day, twenty, forty, sixty, and indeed many more bodies
received the rites of burial in the same grave. And about the festival of All Saints
[November 1], the plague came to London, and killed off many people every day; and
it spread to such an extent that, from the feast of the Purification till after Easter, more
than two hundred bodies were buried daily in the new cemetery that had just been
made near Smithfield, to say nothing of those buried in the other cemeteries of the
city. But by the grace of the Holy Spirit it departed from London at Whitsuntide, and
went on its way northwards; and it departed thence about the festival of St. Michael,
in the year of our Lord, 1349.

Document II
Henry Knighton, Chronicle, (1377-96)

The grievous plague penetrated the sea coasts from Southampton and came to Bristol,
and there almost the whole strength of the town died, struck as it were by sudden
death; for there were few who kept their beds more than three days, or two days, or
half a day; and after this the fell death broke forth on every side with the course of the
sun. There died at Leicester in the small parish of St Leonard more than 380; and in
the parish of the Holy Cross more than 400; and so in each parish a great number . . . .
In the same year there was a great plague of sheep everywhere in the realm, so that in
one place there died in one pasturage more than 5,000 sheep, and so rotted that neither
beast nor bird would touch them. And there were small prices for everything on
account of the fear of death. For there were very few who cared about riches or
anything else. For a man could have a horse which before was worth 40s. for 6s. 8d., a
fat ox for 4s., a cow for 12d., a heifer for 6d., a fat wether for 4d., a sheep for 3d., a
lamb for 2d., a big pig for 5d., a stone of wool for 9d. Sheep and cattle went
wandering over fields and through crops and there was no one to go and drive or
father them, so that the number cannot be reckoned which perished in the ditches in
every district for lack of herdsmen; for there was such a lack of servants that no one
knew what he ought to do.

In the following autumn no one could get a reaper for less than 8d. with his food, a
mower for less than 12d. with his food. Wherefore, many crops perished in the fields
for want of some one to gather them; but in the pestilence year, as is above said of
other things, there was such abundance of all kinds of corn that no one much troubled
about it.

. . . Priests were in such poverty that many churches were widowed and lacking the
divine offices, masses, matins, vespers, sacraments, and other rites .. . but within a
short time a very great multitude of those whose wives had died in the pestilence
flocked into orders, of whom many were illiterate and little more than laymen, except
so far as they knew how to read, although they could not understand.

Meanwhile the King [Edward III] sent proclamation into all the counties that reapers
and other labourers should not take more than they had been accustomed to take under
the penalty appointed by statute. But the labourers were so lifted up and obstinate that
they would not listen to the King's command, but if any wished to have them he had
to give them what they wanted, and either lose his fruit and crops or satisfy the lofty
and covetous desires of the work-men . . . after the aforesaid pestilence many
buildings, great and small, fell into ruins in every city, borough and village for lack of
inhabitants, likewise many villages and hamlets became desolate, all having died who
dwelt there.

Document III
The complaint of Chaucer to his purse

[A humorous request to King Henry IV to pay Chaucer his salary promptly]

To yow, my purse, and to noon other wight

Complayne I, for ye be my lady dere!
I am so sory, now that ye been lyght;
For certes, but ye make me hevy chere,
Me were as leef be layd upon my bere;
For which unto your mercy thus I crye:
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!
[To you, my purse, and to none other wight Complain I, for you be my lady dear! I am so sorry,
now that you be light; For certain, but you make me heavy cheer, Me were as lief be laid upon
my bier; For which unto your mercy thus I cry: Be heavy again, or else might I die!]

Now voucheth sauf this day, or yt be nyght,

That I of yow the blisful soun may here,
Or see your colour lyk the sonne bryght,
That of yelownesse hadde never pere.
Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere,
Quene of comfort and of good companye:
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles moote I dye!

[Now voucheth safe this day, or be it night, That I of you the blissful sound may hear, Or see
your colour like the sun bright, That of yellowness had never peer. You be my life, you be mine
heart's steer,[i.e. rudder] Queen of comfort and of good company: Be heavy again, or else might I
die! ]

Now purse, that ben to me my lyves lyght

And saveour, as doun in this world here,
Out of this toune helpe me thurgh your myght,
Syn that ye wole nat ben my tresorere;
For I am shave as nye as any frere.
But yet I pray unto your curtesye:
Beth hevy agen, or elles moote I dye!

[Now, purse, that be to me my life's light And saviour, as down in this world here, Out of this
town help me through your might, Since that you will not be my treasurer; For I am shaved as
nigh as any friar. But yet I pray unto your courtesy: Be heavy again, or else might I die!]

Lenvoy de Chaucer

O conquerour of Brutes Albyon,

Which that by lyne and free eleccion
Been verray kyng, this song to yow I sende;
And ye, that mowen alle oure harmes amende,
Have mynde upon my supplicacion!

[O conqueror of Brute's Albion, Which that by line and free election Be very king, this song to
you I send; And you, that may all our harms amend, Have mind upon my supplication!]

Document IV
The Wycliffite Bible, c. 1400
Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 13

1. Euery soule be suget to heiyere powers. For ther is no power but of God, and
tho thingis that ben of God, ben ordeyned. [Let every person be subject to the governing
authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted
by God.]
2 Therfor he that ayenstondith power, ayenstondith the ordynaunce of God; and
thei that ayenstonden, geten to hem silf dampnacioun. [Therefore he who resists the
authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.]
3 For princes ben not to the drede of good work, but of yuel. But wilt thou, that
thou drede not power? Do thou good thing, and thou schalt haue preisyng of
it; [For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is
in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,]
4 for he is the mynystre of God to thee in to good. But if thou doist yuel, drede
thou; for not with outen cause he berith the swerd, for he is the mynystre of God,
vengere in to wraththe to hym that doith yuel. [for he is God's servant for your good.
But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to
execute his wrath on the wrongdoer.]
5 And therfor bi nede be ye suget, not oneli for wraththe, but also for
conscience. [Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake
of conscience. ]
6 For therfor ye yyuen tributis, thei ben the mynystris of God, and seruen for
this same thing. [For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of
God, attending to this very thing.]
7 Therfor yelde ye to alle men dettis, to whom tribut, tribut, to whom tol, tol, to
whom drede, drede, to whom onour, onour. [Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom
taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom
honor is due.]
8 To no man owe ye ony thing, but that ye loue togidere. For he that loueth his
neiybore, hath fulfillid the lawe. [Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he
who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ]
9 For, Thou schalt do no letcherie, Thou schalt not sle, Thou schalt not stele,
Thou schalt not seie fals witnessyng, Thou schalt not coueyte the thing of thi
neiybore, and if ther be ony othere maundement, it is instorid in this word, Thou
schalt loue thi neiybore as thi silf. [The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery,
You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are
summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ]
10 The loue of neiybore worchith not yuel; therfor loue is the fulfillyng of the
lawe. [ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.]
11 And we knowen this tyme, that the our is now, that we rise fro sleep; for now
oure heelthe is neer, than whanne we bileueden. [Besides this you know what hour it is,
how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when
we first believed; ]
12 The nyyt wente bifore, but the dai hath neiyed. Therfor caste we awei the
werkis of derknessis, and be we clothid in the armeris of liyt. [the night is far gone,
the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; ]
13 As in dai wandre we onestli, not in superflu feestis and drunkenessis, not in
beddis and vnchastitees, not in strijf and in enuye; [let us conduct ourselves
becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness,
not in quarreling and jealousy.]
14 but be ye clothid in the Lord Jhesu Crist, and do ye not the bisynesse of fleisch
in desiris. [But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its
desires. ]

Document V
Jean Froissart on the Battle of Crécy (1346)

The Englishmen, who were in three battles lying on the ground to rest them, as soon
as they saw the Frenchmen approach, they rose upon their feet fair and easily without
any haste and arranged their battles. The first, which was the prince's battle, the
archers there stood in manner of a herse and the men of arms in the bottom of the
battle. The earl of Northampton and the earl of Arundel with the second battle were on
a wing in good order, ready to comfort the prince's battle, if need were.

The lords and knights of France came not to the assembly together in good order, for
some came before and some came after in such haste and evil order, that one of them
did trouble another. When the French king saw the Englishmen, his blood changed,
and [he] said to his marshals: "Make the Genoways go on before and begin the battle
in the name of God and Saint Denis." There were of the Genoways crossbows about a
fifteen thousand, but they were so weary of going afoot that day a six leagues armed
with their crossbows, that they said to their constables: "We be not well ordered to
fight this day, for we be not in the case to do any great deed of arms: we have more
need of rest." These words came to the earl of Alencon, who said: "A man is well at
ease to be charged with such a sort of rascals, to be faint and fail now at most need."
Also the same season there fell a great rain and a clipse with a terrible thunder, and
before the rain there came flying over both battles a great number of crows for fear of
the tempest coming. Then anon the air began to wax clear, and the sun to shine fair
and bright, the which was right in the Frenchmen's eyes and on the Englishmen's
backs. When the Genoways were assembled together and began to approach, they
made a great [shout] and cry to abash the Englishmen, but they stood still and stirred
not for all that: then the Genoways again the second time made another leap and a fell
cry, and stept forward a little, and the Englishmen removed not one foot: thirdly,
again they lept and cried, and went forth till they came within shot; then they shot
fiercely with their crossbows. Then the English archers stept forth one pace and let fly
their arrows so wholly [together] and so thick, that it seemed snow. When the
Genoways felt the arrows piercing through heads arms and breasts, many of them cast
down their crossbows and did cut their strings and returned discomfited. When the
French king saw them fly away, he said: "Slay these rascals, for they shall let and
trouble us without reason." Then ye should have seen the men at arms dash in among
them and killed a great number of them: and ever still the Englishmen shot whereas
they saw thickest press; the sharp arrows ran into the men of arms and into their
horses, an many fell, horse and men, among the Genoways, and when they were
down, they could not relieve again, the press was so thick that on overthrew another.
And also among the Englishmen there were certain rascals that went afoot with great
knives, and they went in among the men of arms, and slew and murdered many as
they lay on the ground, both earls, barons, knights, and squires, whereof the king of
England was after displeased, for he had rather they had been taken prisoners.

The valiant king of Bohemia called Charles of Luxembourg, son to the noble emperor
Henry of Luxembourg, for all that he was nigh blind, when he understood the order of
the battle, he said to the about him: "Where is the lord Charles my son?" His men
said: "Sir we cannot tell; we think he be fighting." Then he said: "Sirs, ye are my men,
my companions and friends in this journey: I require you bring me so far forward, that
I may strike one stroke with my sword." They said they would do his commandment,
and to the intent that they should not lose him in the press, they tied all their reins of
their bridles each to other and set the king before to accomplish his desire, and so they
went on their enemies. The lord Charles of Bohemia his son, who wrote himself king
of Almaine and bare the arms, he came in good order to the battle; but when he saw
that the matter went awry on their party, he departed, I cannot tell you which way.
The king his father was so far forward that he strake a stroke with his sword, yea and
more than four, and fought valiantly and so did his company; and they adventured
themselves so forward, that they were there all slain; and the next day they were found
in the place about the king, and all their horses tied each to other. *** [The contingent
led by the king's son, the Black Prince, was hard pressed in the fighting.] Then the
second battle of the Englishment came to succour the prince's battle, the which was
time, for they had as then much ado and they with the prince sent a messenger to the
king, who was on a little windmill hill. Then the knight said to the king: "Sir, the earl
of Warwick and the earl of Oxford, sir Raynold Cobham and other, such as be about
the prince your son, are fiercely fought withal and are sore handled; wherefore they
desire you that you and your battle will come and aid them; for if the Frenchmen
increase, as they doubt they will, your son and they shall have much ado." Then the
king said: "Is my son dead or hurt or on the earth felled?" "No, sir," quoth the knight,
"but he is hardly matched; wherefore he hath need of your aid." "Well," said the king,
"return to him and to them that sent you hither, and say to them that they send no
more to me for any adventure that falleth, as long as my son is alive: and also say to
them that they suffer him this day to win his spurs; for if God be pleased, I will this
journey be his and the honour thereof, and to them that be about him."