Life in the Middle Ages, Books 3 & 4

First published in 1910, this book was written to appeal to the increasing body of readers who wish to get at the real Middle Ages; who, however impatient of mere dissertations and discussions, are glad to study genuine human documents, and to check the generalizations of historians by reference to first-hand facts. The Author, therefore, attempted to compile a catena of such documents, each more or less complete in itself, but mostly too long for full quotation by historians. The records here printed represent thirty years' study among all kinds of medieval writings, and could scarcely be outdone in this respect but by scholars who have better work to do. They have been chosen as specially characteristic of the period, and as appealing also to that deeper humanity which is common to all minds in all periods.