Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Humanities DOCTORAL DISSERTATION PÉRI-NAGY ZSUZSANNA VOX, IMAGO, LITTERA: NICHOLAS LOVE’S “MIRROUR OF THE BLESSED LIFE OF JESU CRISTE” PhD School of Literature and Literary Theory Dr. Kállay Géza CSc Medieval and Early Modern Literature Programme Dr. Kállay Géza CSc Members of the defence committee: Dr. Kállay Géza CSc, chair Dr.Karáth Tamás, PhD, opponent Dr.Velich Andrea, PhD, opponent Dr. Pődör Dóra PhD Dr. Kiricsi Ágnes PhD Dr. Pikli Natália PhD Consultant: Dr. Halácsy Katalin PhD i Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. IV LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................ V LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................................ VI INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 7 I. THE MIRROUR AND THE ORTHODOX REFORM: AIMS ................................................................ 7 II. SOURCES: THE TEXT OF THE MIRROUR AND THE TWO ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS ........... 16 CHAPTER I. BACKGROUNDS: LAY DEVOTION, LOLLARDY AND THE RESPONSE TO IT 20 I. 1. LAY DEVOTION AND THE MEDITATIONES VITAE CHRISTI .................................................... 20 I. 2. LOLLARDY ......................................................................................................................... 21 I. 3. “KNEES NOT BENT BEFORE BAAL”: LOLLARD IMAGE THEORY .......................................... 26 I. 4.THE REACTION OF THE OFFICIAL CHURCH ......................................................................... 29 I. 5. THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO THE LOLLARD THEORY OF IMAGES ....................................... 31 CHAPTER II. ANOTHER ANSWER: THE MIRROUR OF THE BLESSED LIFE OF JESU CRISTE ................................................................................................................................................................ 35 II. 1. THE TRANSLATION: THEORETICAL QUESTIONS ................................................................ 35 II. 2. THE COMPILATIO .............................................................................................................. 38 II. 3. THE PASSAGES OF THE MAIN TEXT .................................................................................. 41 II. 4. THE TREATISE ON THE SACRAMENT .................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER III. THE TEXT AND THE IMAGES............................................................................. 56 III. 1. THE MIRROUR AND ITS ILLUMINATIONS .......................................................................... 56 III. 2. CONCLUDING DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES ............................................................... 75 CHAPTER IV. THE QUESTION OF READERSHIP AND THE RECEPTION OF THE MIRROUR MANUSCRIPTS ................................................................................................................................... 80 IV. 1. DISSEMINATION AND OWNERSHIP ................................................................................... 80 IV. 2. HOW BOOKS WERE USED ............................................................................................... 83 IV. 3. LOVE IN PRINT ................................................................................................................ 85 IV. 4. ANOTHER AUDIENCE: THE “HARD TO DEFINE” AND “LOLLARDS” ................................. 87 CHAPTER V. THE MIRROUR: SOME DIRECTIONS TOWARDS CONTEMPLATION ....... 98 V. 1. THE CONTEXT OF MEDITATION VERSUS CONTEMPLATION ............................................... 98 V. 1. 1. Richard Rolle ....................................................................................................... 106 V. 1. 2. The Cloud of Unknowing ..................................................................................... 111 V. 1. 3. Walter Hilton ....................................................................................................... 114 V. 2. THE MAIN TEXT OF THE MIRROUR .................................................................................. 123 ii V. 2. 1. The Question of Distancing ................................................................................ 124 V. 2. 2. The Relation of the Mirrour to Scripture and Exegesis ....................................... 129 V. 2. 4. Audience .............................................................................................................. 138 V. 2. 5. Access to Contemplation ..................................................................................... 141 V. 2. 6. Restrictions: The Incarnation-Trinity Issue......................................................... 148 V. 2. 7. Sacramental Exposition, Mystical Experience and Christ’s Presence in the Soul 154 CHAPTER VI. VARIATIONS OF ANTI-LOLLARD STRATEGIES FOR A MIXED AUDIENCE: THE MIRROUR IN THE CONTEXT OF SOME LATE-MEDIEVAL POLEMIC SERMONS 170 VI. 1. THE ORTHODOX RESPONSE IN HOMILIES AND SERMONS .............................................. 170 VI. 2. THE SERMONS AND THE MIRROUR: DIFFERENT RESPONSES .......................................... 175 CONCLUSIONS: ĐAT TREULY BYLEUEN, & TO CONFUSION OF ALLE FALSE LOLLARDES & HERETYKES ...................................................................................................................................... 186 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................. 191 PRIMARY SOURCES ................................................................................................................. 191 Manuscripts .................................................................................................................... 191 Early Printed Copies of the Mirrour .............................................................................. 192 EDITED SOURCES .................................................................................................................... 192 SECONDARY LITERATURE ....................................................................................................... 198 ONLINE RESOURCES ................................................................................................................ 210 APPENDIX A. THE APPROBATION OF ARCHBISHOP ARUNDEL: THE MEMORANDUM212 APPENDIX B. THE TWO TABLES OF CONTENTS OF THE MEDITATIONES AND OF THE MIRROUR ........................................................................................................................................... 213 APPENDIX C. THE ILLUMINATED CHAPTER HEADINGS .......................................... 214 APPENDIX D. THE IMAGES ....................................................................................... 218 iii Acknowledgements I owe sincere thanks first of all to my supervisor, Halácsy Katalin, who helped me through the long years of studies and research, to my opponents, Karáth Tamás, and Velich Andrea, to Gerhard Jaritz, Klaniczay Gábor, Sajó Tamás, Szakács Béla Zsolt, Sylvain Piron for their professional help at an earlier stage of my research, to Matthew Suff, Tarcsay Tibor, Simonkay Zsuzsanna, Nagy Andrea for their work of lectoring and advice, finally to my family: my husband, mother and sister for their assistance with my children which enabled me to write, and to my children, for the joy and motivation. iv List of Abbreviations CPL … Clavis Patrum Latinorum. ed. Eligius Dekkers, Steenbrugge, 1951. CSEL … Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum. New York: Johnson Reprint 1966-. EETS … Early English Text Society EETS e.s. ... Early English Text Society. Extra Series. EETS o.s. … Early English Text Society. Original Series. EETS s.s. … Early English Text Society. Supplementary Series. Mansi ... Johannes Dominicus Mansi. Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio. Paris: H.Welter, 1901-1927. PG … Patrologia Graeca Cursus Completus. Ed. J.P. Migne, Paris, 1857-66. PL … Patrologia Latina Cursus Completus. Ed. J. P. Migne, Paris, 1841-64. RS … Rolls Series. STC … A Short Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland & Ireland, And of English Books Printed Abroad 1475-1640. v List of Illustrations Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland MS Advocates 18. 1. 7. Fig. 1. f. 5v Coat of Arms Fig.2. f. 9r. Bonaventura Fig.3. f. 12v, Coronation of the Virgin Fig.4. f. 27v Nativity Fig.5. f. 36v. Flight into Egypt Fig. 6 f. 46v Baptism of Christ Fig.7. f. 49v Temptation Fig. 8. f. 57v Sermon on the Mount Fig.9. f. 66v Plucking of the Wheat Fig.10. f. 69v Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes Fig. 11.f. 94r. Agony in the Garden Fig.12. f. 118v Crucifixion Fig. 13. f.126v. Holy Saturday Fig.14. f. 129v Resurrection Fig.15. f. 140v Ascension Fig.16. f. 146v Pentecost Fig. 17. f. 149v Corpus Christi New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 648 Fig.18. f. 2v St. Bonaventura Fig. 19. f. 5v Crucifix-Trinity Fig. 20. f.10r. Annunciation Fig.21.f. 19r. Nativity Fig. 22. f. 25r. Presentation in the Temple Fig. 23. f.27r. Flight into Egypt Fig. 24. f. 38r. The Temptation Fig. 25. f. 46r. Sermon on the Mount Fig. 26. f.54v Plucking of the Wheat Fig. 27. f.57r Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes Fig. 28. f. 92v Agony in the Garden Fig. 29. f.102r. Crucifixion Fig. 30. f. 119r. Resurrection