Stowe MS 952

THE PILGRIMAGE Of the Life of Man: a translation into English octosyllabic verse of the second recension [1355] of Guillaume de Deguileville's Pèlerinage de la vie humaine. The French poem forms the first book of the author's Trois Pèlerinages, the second being the Pèlerinage de l'ame, and the third the Pèlerinage de Jésus Christ. Books i. and ii. were written originally in 1330-1332, book iii. in 1358. See Ward, Catalogue of Romances, vol. ii. p. 558. The translation is commonly ascribed to John Lydgate. The translator's prologue (in decasyllabic verse) states that the work was executed at the request of the Earl of Salisbury [Thomas de Montacute, 4th earl, killed at the siege of Orleans in 1428].

"the noble manly knyght, Which in Fraunce for the kynges right In the werre hath many day contunyd, Whom God and grace han full wen fortunyd." It was begun, as the same passage proceeds to state, in 1426. The work is headed with the Latin couplet:-

"Qui peregrinaris, hunc per librum docearis Que bona vel dubia sit fugienda via."

It includes a translator's prologue, an author's prologue, and then the main work, describing the progress of the pilgrim under the guidance of Grace Dieu, and his instruction with reference to various temptations and dangers, something in the manner of Bunyan. As far as f. 303 b, 1. 25, the MS. is in a late 15th cent. hand; the rest was written by John Stow (ob. 1605). Stow has also added a few marginal notes, including two (ff. 1, 3) in which he ascribes the translation to Lydgate; and this copy of the poem is probably the one referred to as being in Stow's possession in Speght's edition of Chaucer, 1598, f. 394. Chaucer's acrostic poem A.B.C. or La Prière de Nostre Dame, which he translated from Deguilevile, was adopted by Lydgate instead of a version of his own. It is, however, not transcribed here, but a blank space is left for it (f. 329 b), as is the case also in Cotton MS. Vitellius C. xiii., f. 256 b. It is introduced in the following terms:-

"And towchynge the translation Of this noble orison, Whilom, yf I shall not fayne, The noble poete of breteyne My mastar Chawcer in his tyme Aftar the frenche he dyd it ryme, Word by word as in substaunce Ryght as it is made in fraunce . . . And for memory of that poete With all his rethorykis swete, That was the first in any age That amendyd owr langage, Therfore, as I am bound of dett, In this boke I will hym sett, And ympen thys oryson Aftar his translation."

For descriptions of other copies (Cotton MSS. Vitell. C. xiii., and Tib. A. vii.), with extracts and references to passages in print, see the Cat. of Romances, vol. ii. p. 571. Paper; ff. 379. XVth and XVIth centt. With the name "W. Browne" inscribed on f. 1, probably that of William Browne, the poet (ob. 1643 ?). Quarto.

John Lydgate: The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man: 15th-16th centt.

Guillaume de Deguileville: Translation of his " Pèlerinage de la vie humaine," by T. Lydgate: 15th and 16th centt.

includes:

• ff. 303-379 John Stow: Wrote.