1st Edition

Late Medieval Englishwomen: Julian of Norwich; Marjorie Kempe and Juliana Berners Printed Writings, 1500–1640: Series I, Part Four, Volume 3

By Barry Collett Copyright 2007

    This volume includes the works of three Englishwomen: Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416) whose Revelations were first printed in 1670; Margery Kempe (c.1373-c.1438) from whose Boke of Marjorie Kempe a few extracts were printed in 1501 and again in 1512; Juliana Berners (possibly c.1388) whose treatise on hawkyng and huntyng was first printed in 1486, with a second edition containing an additional treatise on fishing. The writings of these three women are brought together in this book because they are amongst the earliest female writers in the English language, they each reflected everyday lives, and reveal with passion, insight and compassion spiritualities not separate from the physical world but entwined with it. Julian of Norwich brings contemplative insights of God's love to a sinful and suffering humanity; Margery Kempe actively weeps for her own sin and the sins and suffering of the world and Juliana Berners lives actively with expertise and serenity in the world of nature.

    Contents: Preface by the General Editors; Introductory Note; Julian of Norwich: XVI Revelations of Divine Love Showed to a Devout Servant of our Lord, called Mother Juliana an Achorete of Norwich: Who lived in the days of King Edward the Third (1670); Margery Kempe: [h]ere begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught by our lorde Jhesu criste, or taken out of the boke of Margerie kempe of lyn[n] (c.1501); Margery Kempe: Here begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught by our lorde Jhesu cryst, or taken out of the boke of Margery Kempe, ancresse of Lynne [Title pages and fols D.vi.r-E.iii.v in Here foloweth a veray deuoute treatyse (named Benyamyn) of the myghtes and vertues of mannes soule, & of the way to true contemplaycon, compyled by Rycharde of saynt Vyctor (1521)]; Juliana Berners: This present boke shewyth the manere of hawkynge & huntynge, also of diuysynge of Cote armours & It shewyth also a good matere belongynge to horses: Wyth other com[m]endable treatyses. And federmore of the blasynge of armys: as here after it maye appere (1496).

    Biography

    Barry Collett is Senior Fellow in the History Department at the University of Melbourne, Australia.