Fruit of the Orchard: Reading Catherine of Siena in Late Medieval and Early Modern England

329 Pages·2018·10.06 MB·English

by  Jennifer N. Brown

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FRUIT OF THE ORCHARD:
READING CATHERINE OF SIENA IN
LATE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN ENGLAND
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Chapter Opener Verso or Recto
JENNIFER N. BROWN
Fruit of the Orchard: 
Reading Catherine of Siena 
in Late Medieval and Early 
Modern England
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto  Buffalo  London
© University of Toronto Press 2019
Toronto Buffalo London
utorontopress.com
Printed in the U.S.A.
ISBN 978-1-4875-0407-6
Printed on acid-free, 100% post-consumer recycled paper
with vegetable-based inks.
________________________________________________________________________
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Brown, Jennifer N. (Jennifer Nancy), author
Fruit of the orchard : reading Catherine of Siena in late medieval and
early modern England / Jennifer N. Brown.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4875-0407-6 (cloth)
1. Catherine of Siena, Saint, 1347–1380 – Manuscripts. 2. Devotional
literature, English (Middle) – History and criticism. 3. Transmission of
texts – England – History. 4. Literacy – England – History. 5. Books
and reading – England – History. 6. Christian women saints – Italy –
Biography. 7. England – Religious life and customs. I. Title.
BX4700.C4B76 2019 282.092 C2018-903123-9
________________________________________________________________________
University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its
publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts
Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
Funded by the Financé par le
Government gouvernement
of Canada du Canada
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Dedicated to my father, Francis Cabell Brown Jr (1936–2014). I miss
you every day.
And to Dante, Best Dog of All Dogs (2004–2017), who sat by my side
for every word.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction – Finding Catherine of Siena in Late Medieval and Early 
Modern England 3
1 Compiling Catherine: The Visionary Woman, Stephen Maconi, and 
the Carthusian Audience 29
2 William Flete, English Spirituality, and Catherine of Siena 58
3 Catherine Excerpted: Reading the Miscellany 82
4 The Orcherd of Syon: How to Read in the Convent 111
5 Catherine in Print: Lay Audiences and Reading Hagiography 140
Conclusion – Reforming Reading: Catherine of Siena in an Age 
of Reform 171
Appendix A: Literary Ancestry Chart 203
Appendix B: Catherine Texts in England 206
Notes 209
Bibliography 275
Index 299
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Acknowledgments
My first notes on this book date to 2008, so I have nearly ten years 
of acknowledgments that have accumulated as I have conceived, re-
searched, written, and revised it. The Saturday Medieval Group has 
seen every portion of this book in every stage, and there is not enough 
gratitude for the help of Valerie Allen, Glenn Burger, Matthew Goldie, 
Steven Kruger, Michael Sargent, Sylvia Tomasch, and, most recently, 
David Lavinsky. Valerie went above the call of duty by reading the 
book in its entirety before I sent it out, as has Matthew who has read, 
reread, and reread the introduction to help me work out the kinks. The 
friendship and conviviality of this group and its members have been at 
the heart of my intellectual life for over a decade, and I do not think I 
would know how to write without them. This book is largely fuelled on 
good coffee, bagels, and lox!
Many colleagues have listened to or read parts of this book, giving 
me needed advice and direction. Nicole Rice has long been a sounding 
board for my work, and the first seeds of this book were edited by her 
for a collection. She really helped me shape the book that was to come 
and has been an invaluable reader and friend. Julie Orlemanski read 
and helped me formulate my book proposal when I needed another set 
of eyes. Kevin Alban drove me all over Devon in search of Catherine’s 
rood screens, and although the drive was harrowing, the company was 
wonderful. Jennifer Borland buoyed me through many a Kalamazoo 
and what seemed like an endless process from proposing the book to 
getting it completed. Roberta Magnani and Sonja Drimmer both tracked 
down manuscripts for me in British libraries and sent me images when 
I could not be there myself, demonstrating yet again the true generos-
ity of time and effort I repeatedly find among medievalists. Sarah Salih