: I really really don't want to get into this but I have to snicker at this sentence. In England for most of the middle ages, this situation didn't exist. The lowest classes were the ones most likely to speak English, the clerics and nobles favored French (after c. 1066) or Latin! There were a number of English kings who probably couldn't speak a word of English. But this points out the problem: very few descriptions of medievality would be accurate! Perhaps Aelmer is just pointing this out.

Yes, I was, along with spotless castles and neat & clean nobles.
Let's face facts. When most people hear the word "medieval", the only references they have are numerous motion pictures and televison programs. These have seldom,if ever, portrayed life as it was in the middle ages, or any other age for that matter. So people are left with the eight common perceptions that I listed, however inaccurate they may be.