|
|
Article: (Of The) Imitation Of Christ: Introductory Note
- Article from:
- Great Works of Literature
- Author:
CopyrightProvided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
00-00-0000
Translation: Benhan, William
Introductory Note
The treatise "Of the Imitation of Christ" appears to have been
originally
written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its exact date and
its
authorship are still a matter of debate. Manuscripts of the Latin
version
survive in considerable numbers all over Western Europe, and they,
with the
vast list of translations and of printed editions, testify to its
almost
unparalleled popularity. One scribe attributes it to St. Bernard of
Clairvaux;
but the fact that it contains a quotation from St. Francis of Assisi,
who was
born thirty years after the death of St. Bernard, disposes of this
theory. In
England ...