This Norton Critical Edition brings together representative examples of one of the most important bodies of English poetry written before the Renaissance. These seven romances have been chosen not only for their literary importance but also for the light they shed on other important Middle English texts. They are complete, glossed and annotated. A large ''Sources and Backgrounds'' section enables students to understand the romances in the context of medieval ideas and attitudes, and ''Criticism'' includes four major essays on various aspects of the Middle Ages genre.