Pore Caitif
The Pore Caitif is a didactic Christian religious treatise written in Middle English in the 1390s.[1][2] The goal of the author, the 'poor wretch' of the title, is to impart to his readers the truths necessary for salvation. The text is associated with the rise of the Lollards in England, although it does not necessarily espouse Lollard theology.[3]
Fifty-seven manuscripts of the Pore Caitif have been identified, of which 54 are extant. Only 30 of these copies are full texts.[4] The earliest manuscripts are three that are nearly contemporary with the work: New York, Public library, MS De Ricci 68; Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS Anglais 41; and Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Douce 13.[5][6] Several manuscripts contain alterations and interpolations to bring the text into line with the theology of John Wycliffe.[7] These seven "heterodox" manuscripts are known as the Lollard group and include Anglais 41.[8]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Penkett 2024, p. 35.
- ^ Moreau-Guibert 2019, p. 20.
- ^ Penkett 2024, p. 13.
- ^ Moreau-Guibert 2019, pp. 13–18.
- ^ Moreau-Guibert 2019, p. 18.
- ^ Penkett 2024, p. 36.
- ^ Moreau-Guibert 2019, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Penkett 2024, p. 24.
Bibliography
[edit]- Brady, Mary Teresa (1954). "The Pore Caitif: An Introductory Study". Traditio. 10: 529–548.
- Moreau-Guibert, Karine, ed. (2019). Pore Caitif: A Middle English Manual of Religion and Devotion. Brepols.
- Penkett, Luke (2024). The Poor Caitif: A Modern English Translation with Introductory Essays and Notes. Brepols.