Middle English Translation from Petrarch's Secretum

This previously unpublished verse translation of Book 1 of Petrarch's Secretum, or 'secret book', is a landmark in the history of English humanism. It is only the third work by Petrarch to be translated into English, and is the most accurate and extensive translation of his work before the 1530's. -- The Secretum is a dialogue between Franciscus and Augustinus (fictionalized versions of Petrarch himself and St. Augustine). It is presided over by Veritas, or Truth personified. The dialogue is a confessional account of Petrarch's personality and its weaknesses, prompted by reflection on old age and death. The work owes much to Augustine's Confessions and also draws upon Cicero and other classical writers. -- The anonymous translator, who may have been associated with Winchester Cathedral Priory, shows his familiarity with Chaucerian verse traditions, and he renders his source with poietic invention and skill. -- This new edition contains an introduction, with full discussion of the translation's manuscript context, and its place in English humanist traditions. The detailed explanatory notes describe the translator's treatment of his source and the inventiveness of his vocabulary.