This critical edition of the rhymed Anglo-Norman translation of the Vitas Patrum is based on the two extant MSS., Bibliotheque Nationale, ff. 24862, copied c. 1250, and British Museum, Harley 2253, copied c. 1300. The Introduction starts with a description of the MSS., a study of the poet's verse technique and an examination of his language, concentrating on the phonological and morphological features attested in rhyme but also mentioning syntactic traits revealed by comparison of the passages common to both I»1SS. Lin¬ guistic considerations are followed by a discussion of the authorship of the work, with reference to Henri d'Arci, the Templar to whom it was dedicated and who was formerly considered to have composed it, and to Temple Bruer, where it was written, and of the probable date of composition, deduced from historical and linguistic evidence. The literary background includes a de¬ scription of the Latin Vitae Patrum and of the other Old French texts derived from it. The Anglo-Norman translation is shown to be the only surviving work exclusively devoted to the Sayings of the Fathers and the relationship of the verba preserved in the two MSS. to the contents of the Latin Verba Seniorum is presented in tabular form. The Introduction ends with a statement of the reasons governing the choice of base MS. and the principles adopted in transcribing the text. The text is accompanied by footnoted details of scribal corrections, rejected, readings and editorial emendations, as well as by all variants from the base MS. whore these exist. It is followed by Critical Notes providing information about the people and places named in it, explaining editorial decisions and commenting on unusual or dubious lexical, morphological and syntactic features. The Glossary includes all the orthographical forms and meanings of all words occurring in the text, with the exception of those that have survived unchanged and are in com¬ mon use in Modern French, and the edition terminates with an Index of the proper names encountered in the text.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:660712 |
| Date | January 1977 |
| Creators | Poureshagh, Pamela Susan |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/17795 |
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