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3 oeuvres 32 utilisateurs 1 Critiques

Œuvres de Jeanne Krochalis

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This is a book that aims to present background reading for people that are reading or have read Langland's Piers Plowman The introduction surmises that the original readers of Piers Plowman in the 14th century may well have been familiar with some or all of the texts represented in this book. Some of the texts come from the same manuscript/book that contained Piers plowman.

For the most part we get extracts from longer texts, which are enough to give a flavour of the works as a whole, the majority of the extracts are between 1 to 4 pages in length some are in middle english with glosses and others are modern translations from original Latin texts. All are introduced with a brief summary and history and information as to where they can be found. The authors wherever possible link the extracts to relevant sections in Piers Plowman.

There is a good selection. Of course there are extracts from sermons and the lives of saints along with criticisms of the priesthood and extracts from Papal Bulls. There is information on the model of the universe and the heavens as well as England and the city of London (some of the extracts date from the 12th and 13th centuries). There are instructions for those considering a devotional life and criticisms and condemnations of Wycliffe and the Lollards. There are extracts from Guild and fraternity documents and moral treatise.

I thought I might just dip into this book, but found it interesting enough to read through. There are some gems:

The revelation of Golias the bisshoppe, which is a dream vision in verse form detailing the corruption of the clergy from the Pope downwards.

Instructions for the purchasing of indulgences and the protections you would gain and how much you should pay

William Fittzstephen's Description of London 1180, "the mild sky doth soften hearts of man"

"If deth go faste on a man speke to him thus" are instructions to assist a person in Holy dying.

This is not an essential book but to anyone interested in reading the sort of literature that was in evidence in the late middle ages, then this is a good introduction.
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baswood | Mar 5, 2011 |

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Œuvres
3
Membres
32
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½ 3.7
Critiques
1
ISBN
4