This challenging study explores the nature and meaning of violence in fifteenth-century England. Maddern examines violence on each side of the law, offering a subtle and intelligent analysis of its role in a society with a strong concern for order. She investigates the way their moral code was reflected in the procedures and punishments of the courts, and assesses the success of the legal system in maintaining authority and order. Based on extensive archival research, her scholarly and original study makes an important contribution to our understanding of the medieval world view.