Dear Readers,

We are excited to present the Spring/Summer 2018 issue of Hortulus!

This issue features four articles on a wide variety of topics. In “Caterpillars of the Commonwealth”: The Material and the Political in Ricardian Nature Allegories,” Allen Fulghum examines the use of natural imagery and allegory in political writing critical of Richard II. Tyler Jones presents a thoughtful analysis of different perspectives of the future in “Troilus’s Future: Perspectives on What-Is-Yet-To-Be in the Book of Troilus”. The following article, “Reform and the Welsh Cistercian Houses: Colonialism and Postcolonialism” by Frank Lacopo explores the potential for using colonialism and postcolonialism as a framework for interpreting the actions of the Cistercians houses in Wales in the high Middle Ages. Finally, Kayla Shea’s article, “‘Fully His Entente’: Chaucer’s Pandarus as an Allegory for Desire” explores the multiplicity of ways in which Pandarus functions as an allegory for lust and sexual desire, both of the readers of and the other characters within Troilus and Criseyde.

In addition, we have one book review in this issue: Thomas Sawyer reviews Walter Map and the Matter of Britian (2017).

We are currently hard at work on our 2018/19 Fall/Winter issue, “Senses”: the deadline for submissions is 15 December! As ever, we encourage readers who would like to review books published in Medieval Studies within the last three years to contact our (new!) Book Reviews Editor. Keep an eye on our website for upcoming announcements regarding positions with Hortulus!

I would like to express my sincere thanks to our team for this issue: Ryan Lawrence has been a very capable co-editor, and I am excited to pass the reins over to him, as well as to welcome our new junior co-editor, Natalie Whitaker. Over the summer we bid adieu to our Book Reviews Editor, Heidi Djuve, and this issue we are pleased to welcome Susanna Niskanen to the post. Our Assistant Editors were Jacob Doss and Miguel, and they have performed their tasks with great skill and attention to detail. They have been an excellent part of the team for this issue. As always, I wish to thank the anonymous peer reviewers of all our submissions for their effort and their time: it is not too much to say that without them, none of this would be possible. If you are interested in being a peer-reviewer for Hortulus, please do let us know; we would be happy to add you to our list!

As this is my final issue as co-editor of Hortulus, I wish to say one final thank you to all of our readers and team members; I hope you have enjoyed the past two years as much as I have!

Gwendolyne Knight, Hortulus Senior Co-Editor