Nonsense verse in England is generally thought to have its origins in Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll. This work shows the extent of its flourishing a full 250 years earlier, with the work of such now nearly forgotten nonsense poets as Sir John Hoskyns and John Taylor. It presents an anthology of their work, much of it published here for the first time since the 17th century. The introduction discusses the origins and development of the genre in England and the history of medieval and Renaissance nonsense poetry in Europe.