Two Wycliffite Texts: The Sermon of William Taylor, 1406; The Testimony of William Thorpe, 1407.

Edwards, A.S.G.

This volume is the latest of Professor Hudson's fundamental contributions to the study of Wycliffite thought. She provides critical editions of two shorter Middle English texts, William Taylor's sermon (1406) and the testimony of William Thorpe (1407). Both texts are particularly vivid examples of Lollard polemic. Taylor's sermon (ostensibly on John v.5--14) is an attack of the contemporary abuses of the Church, particularly its financial corruption. Thorpe's is the longer and better-known work. Cast in the form of a dialogue between Thorpe and Archbishop Arundel, it is probably the most succinct and dramatic articulation of fundamental, post-Wyclif Lollard tenets on imageworship, pilgrimages, tithing and unlicensed preaching, accompanied by vitriolic attacks on prominent Lollard recanters including Purvey, Hereford and Repington. Both works buttress their arguments with a wide range of authorities.

The Introduction contextualizes these works and their authors with admirable clarity, as well as giving full information on textual matters. Among the most interesting of Hudson's arguments is the hypothesis that Thorpe's work may have originally been composed in English and translated into Latin for Bohemian transmission (pp. xliii--xv). In addition to notes, glossary and indexes, there are three appendices providing supplementary material in Middle English and Latin. The texts themselves seem very accurate. All in all this is a notable editorial achievement.

A couple of small points: 'lerid and of lewde' (T151) antedates the earliest recorded use of this proverbial phrase (Whiting L157); the form 'Irael' (T320) should have been noted in the Index of Proper Names. Like Hudson (p. lii), I would be disposed to question the authenticity of lines 160--4 of Thorpe's Testimony, which seem clearly a scribal addition. This portion of the text might have been rejected and/or discussed in the notes. The phrase 'ony peef pat is in Kent' (2074) seems to merit a note: on the possibly proverbial opprobrious associations of Kent, see N. F. Blake, 'Born in Kent', Lore and Language, 2 (1976), 5--9.