Foreword

VII Foreword It is with pleasure that the Editorial Committee of Parergon offers to its readers a special issue on the subject of metre and versification in relation to medieval poetry. This is thefirstspecial issue to have been undertaken for a number of years. The significance of the project for future scholarship and the quality of the essays by its contributors ensure that the collection is most worthy of publication. Parergon is honoured to be associated with it. The guest editor for this issue, entitled Medieval English Measures: Studies in Metre and Versification, is Dr Ruth Kennedy. Dr Kennedy, Lecturer in English at Royal Holloway, University of London, is an internationally-regarded figure in herfield.She has been most enterprising in gathering for this collection a broad range ofcontributions from specialists whose work comes together in a uniquely complementary way. W e shall say no more here about the individual contributions since Dr Kennedy's Introduction gives a precise account of them. W e are grateful, as is the guest editor, to the assessors of the manuscript. They are Dr T o m Burton, Reader in English at the University of Adelaide, and Associate Professor Russell Poole, of the School of English and Media Studies at Massey University, in N e w Zealand. Their labour-intensive and expert analyses, overall and in particulars, made the undertaking of this volume possible. One of them said in his report to the Editorial Committee: 'I'm very impressed with this collection. It seems to m e that it's likely to become quickly established as a landmark in metrical studies in Old and Middle English.' The other noted: 'The collection is interestingly diverse as to subject matter and approaches, taking us from Old English through to late Middle English with valuable side excursions into Old French and modern Portuguese.' VIII Finally, w e should take pleasure in this collection as an international venture in scholarship. The contributors work in various institutions across Great Britain, The Netherlands and The United States of America. The readers are domiciled in Australia and N e w Zealand. The Australian and N e w Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies was pleased to notice and celebrate the growing internationality of attendance at its most recent conference in Sydney. This collection, published by the Association's journal, adds to that celebration. Christopher Wortham Editor ...