Mirror of the World Links

The Mirror of the World

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Description

Originally penned in Latin in the early 1200s as "Imago Mundi" and then translated into Anglo-Norman French in 1245 as "L'Image du Monde", The Mirror Of The World was translated into Middle English in 1481 by William Caxton. The work is a tri-part encyclopedia of the seven liberal sciences (grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy), as well as an accounting of the regions and populations of the known world at the time, the passage of the sun, moon, stars, and planets, the nature of heaven and hell, and the arrangement of the known universe.

This work has been transcribed from the 1481 Caxton manuscript and translated into modern English to make it accessible to modern audiences and to help shed a light on the scientific understanding of the world that western Europe had during this period.

Note From The Author

Many thanks to the Library of Congress (the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection) for scanning their printing of the Mirror of the World and making those scans available in the public domain. Their generosity has made this project possible. This work was printed by William Caxton in 1481 as a translation from French (L’Image du Monde by Gautheir de Metz written in 1245 for Duke John of Berry and Auverne), which itself was a translation from Latin (Imago Mundi by Honorius of Autun written in the 12th century).

I would also like to thank Project Gutenberg and its volunteer arm, Distributed Proofreaders, for introducing me to the enjoyment of transcribing and translating Middle English.

On The Material

Due to the manner of printing at the time, shorthand methods were used to keep passages properly formatted within the page. There is also an ambiguity between the letters v and u, and often u will serve as both within words, whereas v is reserved almost primarily for Roman numerals. Similarly, the letter “i” serves for both i and j. In my transcription, which I call “Functional Transcription”, I have endeavored to completely write out all shorthand, as well as implement the letters u, v, i, and j where appropriate, taken in context of the word. Words in Latin and French have been left untranslated, and all typos in the manuscript have been left uncorrected in the transcription.

Punctuation in the original text was meant to suggest pauses or denote where words have been split at the end of one line and the beginning of the next. My transcription maintains this original punctuation, but my translation has endeavored to interpret it as faithfully as possible using punctuation in the fashion it is understood today.

An attempt has been made to marry current terminology with the terminology mentioned in the text. There are points where this is not possible, and the original term is maintained and left in italics within the translated text. Due to this work itself being a translation out of Anglo Norman (Old French), at times the French word was left within the text, either because the translator felt it was commonly understandable or couldn’t find an adequate translation. In such instances I have returned to the French version of L’Image du Monde to source such words and translate them from Anglo Norman to Modern English. In instances where a translation was impossible to find, the original middle English word was left in italics. For the sake of legibility, the endings of sentences that occur on the next page are included in italics at the end of paragraphs.

Sample

The Mirror of the World, page 5

Middle English Transcription

After this foloweth the Recapitulacion of the thinges

aforsaid capitulo xxiiii

Hier endeth the table of the Rubrices of this

present book.

Prologue declaryng to whom this book apperteyneth

Consideryng

that wordes ben

perisshyng / vayne / &

forgeteful / And wri

tynges duelle & abi

de permanent / as I rede

Vox audito perit / lit

tera scripta manet /

Thiss thinges have

caused that the faites

and dedes of Anncyent menn / ben sette by declaracion in

fair and Aourned volumes / to thende that science and

Artes lerned and founden of thinges passed myght be

had in perpetuel memorye and remembraunce / ffor the

hertes of nobles in eschewyng of ydlenes at suche tyme

as they have none other vertuouse ocupaconn on hande ought

texcersise them in redyng / studyng / & visytyng the noble

faytes and dedes of the sage and wysemen somtyme tra:

vaillyng in prouffytable vertues / of whom it happeth ofte

that sommen ben enclyned to visyte the bookes treatyng

of sciences particuler / And other to rede & visyte bookes

spekyng of faytes of armes / of love / or of other mervail:

Modern English Translation

After this follows the recapitulation of what was
said before ------------------------------------- Chapter 24

Here ends the table of the rubrics of this present book.

Prologue declaring to whom this book pertains.

Considering that words are mortal, vain, and forgetful and that writings dwell and abide in permanence, as I read “Vox audito perit, littera scripta manet1”. These things have caused the fates and deeds of ancient men to be set by declaration in fair and adorned volumes so that science and arts discovered in the past might be kept in perpetual memory and remembrance. For the hearts of nobles, in exchewing idleness when they have no other virtuous thing to do, ought to busy themselves with reading, studying, and visiting the noble fates and deeds of the sages and wise men, sometimes travailing in profitable virtues. This happens so often that some are inclined to visit the books dealing with the sciences in particular. And others read and visit books speaking of fates of arms, of love, or of other marvelous

The Mirror of the World, page 6

Modern English Translation

lous histories / And emonge alle other this present booke
whiche is called the ymage or myrrour of the world /
ought to be visyted / redde / & knowen / by cause it treateth
of the world and of the wondreful dyvision therof / in
whiche book a man resonable / may see and undrrstande
more clerer by the visytyng and seeyng of it and the
figures therin / the situaconn and moevyng of the firma
ment / and how the unyversal erthe hangeth in the myd
dle of the same / As the chapitres here folowyng shal more
clerly shewe and declare to yon / whiche said book was
translated out of latyn in to ffrensshe by the ordynaunce
of the noble duc / Johan of Berry and Auvergne the
yere of our lorde. M.CC.xlv. And now at this tyme
rudely translated out of ffrensshe in to Englissh by me
symple persone William Caxton / at the request. desire. coste
and dispense of the honourable & worshipful man Hugh
Bryce Alderman & Cytezeyn of london / entendyng to
present the same unto the vertuous noble and puissaunt
lord / Wylliam lord hastynges lord Chamberlayn unto
the most Crysten kynge / kynge Edward the fourthe
kynge of England & of ffraunce 2cዖ and lieutenant
for the same of the toun of Calais and marches there
whom he humbly besecheth to resseyve in gree & thanks /
whiche book conteyneth in alle lxx vii chapitres / & xx vii
figures / without whiche it may not lightly be understande /
And for to declare more openly / it is ordeyned in thre
parties / Of whiche the firste conteyneth xx chapitres and
viii figures / The seconde partie xxxiii chapitres and ix
figures / And the therde conteyneth xxiiii chapitres and

Modern English Translation

marvelous histories. And among all others, this present book, which is called “The Image or Mirror of the World”, ought to be visited, read, and known because it is a treaty of the world and of the wonderful divisions within it. In this book a reasonable man may see and understand more clearly, by the visiting and seeing of the images therein, the situation and moving of the firmament and how the universal Earth hangs in the middle of the same. As the chapters following shall show and declare to you more clearly, this very book was translated from Latin to French by the ordinance of the noble duke John of Berry and Auvergne in the year of our lord 1245. And now at this time it has been rudely translated out of French into English by me, the simple William Caxton, at the request, desire, cost, and dispense of the honorable and worshipful man Hugh Bryce, alderman and citizen of London, intending to present the same work unto the virtuous, noble, and puissant lord William Hastings, lord Chamberlain unto the most Christian king, king Edward the fourth, king of England and of France etc, and lieutenant for the same of the town of Calais and the marches there, whom he humbly beseeches to receive in good will and thanks. This book contains all 77 chapters and 27 figures, without which it may not be easily understood. And to declare more clearly, it is arranged into three parts, of which the first part contains 20 chapters and 8 figures, the second part contains 33 chapters and 9 figures, and the third contains 24 chapters and