SOURCE: An introduction to The Romance of William of Palerne, N. Trübner and Co., 1867, pp. i-v.

In the following essay, Skeat praises Frederick Madden's edition of William of Palerne for its “strict and literal accuracy,” and offers a brief outline of the story.

1. The “Extra Series” of the publications of the Early English Text Society, of which this is the first volume, is intended to be supplementary to the ordinary series in such a way as to expedite the printing of the whole quantity of work to be printed. It has been proposed that it shall be reserved entirely for reprints and re-editions, and this rule will in general be adhered to. At the same time, a little laxity of definition must be allowed as to what constitutes a reprint. Thus, the editions of “Piers Plowman” (Text A) and of “Pierce the Ploughmans Crede,” being entirely new...