The Early English Text Society is an organization to reprint early English texts, especially those only available in manuscript. Most of its volumes are in Middle English and Old English. It was founded in England in 1864 by Frederick James Furnivall; its stated goal in a report of the first year of their existence was "on the one hand, to print all that is most valuable of the yet unprinted MSS. in English, and, on the other, to re-edit and reprint all that is most valuable in printed English books, which from their scarcity or price are not within the reach of the student of moderate means." It is known for being the first to print many English manuscripts, including Cotton Nero A.x, which contains Pearl, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and other poems. By its own count, the Society has published 344 volumes.
External links
- Early English Text Society website
- Of the Orthographie and Congruitie of the Britan Tongue at Project Gutenberg
- Includes the January 1865 report on the first year of the Early English Text Society
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