Searching for Middle AND Old English learning resources.

As a highschool student it has fallen to me to begin the reading of Beowulf. In my lovely Norton Anthology book, it gives many tantilizing footnotes explaining the translated text using snipets of the original Old English in which the piece was written. I have quite simply become fed up with this. It stands to no reason that I should be taunted by the original rhyme in the footnotes while I read a dry translation which - for all its literal accuracy - fails to retain the aestetic pleasure and beauty of rhyme and pun.

Thus I have set myself to the task of retrogressively learning Middle and then Old English so that I can enjoy Beowulf and a considerable number of other Old and Middle English poems and works in their original state rather than a secondary translated one.

So, can anyone point me in the direction of an adequate learning resource for Middle English? (It only stands to reason that I ought begin there and act retrogressively since Modern English is my first language. By the time I get to Old English, hopefully I can draw from my four years of highschool German and my conquering of Middle English enough to tackle it relatively easily.)

If possible, I would like to find a point from before the 1400's and the introduction of Chancery Standard to begin learning since my ultimate goal will be Old English (in fact, Middle English is merely a quasi-comprehendable jumping-off point), and prior to Chancery Standard it seems that more of the case and inflexion endings and other idiosyncrasies still exist in the words.

Much thanks in advance,
~Q

P.S. I realize there is a thread for Old English and anotehr for Middle English, but neither are what I am looking for and I thought it more prudent to start my own thread.