A single copy was preserved in the cambridge university library, and its contents were. Margery kempes work continues to intrigue and fascinate readers in the modern day just as it must have shortly after. Margery kempe nee brunham, a visionary and author of the earliest surviving autobiography in english, was born at bishops lynn kings lynn, the daughter of john brunham, merchant, five times mayor and six times mp for lynn. Margery kempe 73 post 1438 lectures in medieval history. The history of the book of margery kempe from its first production in 1934 is also part of the history of english literary studies. Design and authorship in the book of margery kempe. This lady isnt your standardissue christian mystic. The book of margery kempe introduction an unexpected life. The book of margery kempe faculty of divinity 50 treasures.
Apr 30, 2019 the book is a remarkable document all the more so from the fact that it was lost for many centuries. The manuscript of the book of margery kempe was discovered in 1934 in the library of a private house. The original manuscript was written by a local priest, who may have. Marea mitchell traces some of the fascinating stories behind the proliferation of productions since then, including the involvement of hope emily allen and other independent women scholars, popular receptions of the book in world war ii, and current productions.
As a title, the book of margery kempe gives us the basics of what we need to know, but no more. Kempes book is written in the third person, employing the phrase this creature to refer to kempe in order to display humility before god. The book of margery kempe project gutenberg selfpublishing. Shes not a nobly born, educated young woman who brings a large dowry to the convent she enters as a nun.
The book of margery kempe is a medieval text attributed to margery kempe, an english christian mystic and pilgrim who lived at the turn of the fifteenth century. Kempes book is an account of her life from her first pregnancy, when she was around 20, until she was in her midsixties. Go to the first folio clicking or tapping this control takes the user to folio i r of the book of margery kempe. Richard rolle 129049 was an english religious writer, bible translator, and hermit.
Margery kempe, english religious mystic whose autobiography is one of the earliest in english literature. This work, apparently the first autobiography in english and a remarkable documentary source for its place and time, now stands second only to chaucer as a late medieval text taught regularly in classrooms throughout the united states and the united kingdom. Then in 1910, almost four centuries later, professor edmund carter published the cell of selfknowledge, a collection that contained some of margerys reflections. It was first published modernized in 1936 and in middle english in 1940. What you can see here is the 1521 reprint of this edition, made by henry pepwell. Apparently illiterate, she dictated her book of margery kempe to two clerks from about 1432 to about 1436. The book of margery kempe ramblings on my bookshelves. Page from the book of margery kempe by british library, public. Margery kempe the british library the british library. Monastic matrix is an ongoing collaborative effort by an international group of scholars of medieval history, religion, history of art, archaeology, religion, and other disciplines, as well as librarians and experts in computer technology.
Here begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught by our lorde jhesu cryste, or taken out of the boke of margerie kempe of lynn margery kempe. Later influence the book of margery kempe margery kempe later influence. What does the book of margery kempe reveal about kempes life. A scholarly resource for the study of womens religious communities from 400 to 1600 ce. The manuscript was copied, probably slightly before 1450, by someone who signed himself salthows on the bottom portion of the final page, and contains annotations by four hands. Margery of kempe wrote the first englishlanguage autobiography, commonly known as the book of margery kempe 14361438, which relates the spiritual aspirations of a bourgeois laywoman through her mystical experiences, pilgrimages, and travels to the holy land, italy, spain, and germany. Early printed extracts of margery kempes book the british library. Here begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught. He was also the first printer in england to use italic type 1524. Read download the book of margery kempe pdf pdf download.
When she was about 20 years of age, she married john kempe, the younger son of a lynn. The book of margery kempe has emerged in the past twenty years as the most important literary text by a woman in medieval england. She doesnt live in an isolated cell attached to a church, as an anchoress. Richard rolle, walter hilton, and margery kempe satucket. Here begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught by.
Later influence the book of margery kempe wikipedia. Margery kempe, the first english autobiographer, goes online. The book of margery kempe english southeastern louisiana. All it really tells us is that this book has something to do with someone called margery kempe. It details kempes life, her travels, her alleged experiences of divine revelation, and her presence at key biblical events such as the nativity and the crucifixion. Marion glasscoe, exeter symposium cambridge, uk, and wolfeboro, nh. Kempe s book is an account of her life from her first pregnancy, when she was around 20, until she was in her midsixties. Margery kempe was born margery burnham in the prosperous east anglian town of king. The original manuscript was written by a local priest, who may have been her confessor, robert springold, using the words of margery kempe.
Garner exaggerated kempes reputation for mysticism and assumed that she was an unmarried woman living in the 1290s, a certain margeria filia johannis kempe margery. Nov 23, 2019 richard rolle, walter hilton, and margery kempe mystics, 49, 96, c. Here begynneth a shorte treatyse of contemplacyon taught by our lorde jhesu cryste, or taken out of the boke of margerie kempe of lynn. Margery kempe, called the first english autobiographer, wrote in the earlier fifteenth century an account of her lifeexperience as immensely significant to god and to herself. Design and authorship in the book of margery kempe by. In a sense, though her subject is herself, she may be seen as writing hagiography. It details kempe s life, her travels, her alleged experiences of divine revelation including her visions of interacting with jesus as well as other biblical figures, and her presence at key biblical events such as the nativity and. As with most things, kempes account of her life survives by pure luckand perhaps by sheer perseverance. All but one copy, in university college, cambridge, perished, and scholars placed margery among the english mystics of the period, of whom there. Both facsimiles and transcriptions are fully available.
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