Description
"The Gilte Legende was translated into English in 1438 from Jean de Vignay's Legende doree (composed ca. 1333-40), itself a close translation of Jacobus de Voragine's Legende aurea, completed about 1267 and one of the central texts of the Middle Ages." "The Gilte Legende survives in eight manuscripts, three of which contain additional material, mostly consisting of Lives of saints, from, or related to, Britain. Many of these derive from the South English Legendary (with some use of other sources), but have been converted into prose from verse." "The twenty-six supplementary Lives include Thomas Becket, Edmund of Abingdon, Frideswide, Edward the Confessor, Erkenwald, Augustine of Canterbury, Brendan and Winifred, and, from further afield, Faith, Barbara and Jerome. Almost all of the texts have not previously been published." "Also edited are a tract on 'What the Church betokeneth', explaining some of the Church's symbolism and its services, together with a treatise setting out the indulgences available to pilgrims in each of the churches in Rome."--BOOK JACKET.