LOVE, NICHOLAS

(fl. 1410)

Nicholas Love was a prior in Yorkshire who translated the influentialMeditationes vitae Christiinto his workThe Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ. It was significant not only because of its spiritual value, but also as a rebuttal of LOLLARD attacks on the church.

Little is known about Love’s life, not even the dates of birth and death. His translation ofMeditationes vitae Christiwas done while he was prior of the newly established Carthusian house of Mount Grace in north Yorkshire. AfterThe Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, he produced nothing more, presumably due to time constraints from the responsibilities of running the monastery.

Meditationes vitae Christiwas originally thought to be written by St.BONAVENTURE, but is actually a 14th-century Italian work by the Franciscan Johannes de Caulibus. The intent of the work was to allow the reader to identify with Christ’s humanity and thus feel more empathy for his sacrifice and our redemption. The text is separated into seven days of Christ’s life; this way the material would correspond with the seven days of Holy Week. The text for Friday, the day of the Passion, is also divided into seven parts, representative of the canonical hours, and was often circulated by itself. The entire text became a source of inspiration for numerous mystery plays, songs, and poetry.

Love’s translation,The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, was approved by Archbishop Arundel in 1410. It was in part used to challenge Lollard views. It included numerous incidental attacks on Lollard beliefs as well as an additional chapter that reaffirmed the orthodox view of the Eucharist. Love’s translation was especially successful; his fluency and expressiveness were powerful and allowed people to personalize their relationships with Christ.

■ Oguro, Shoichi, Richard Beadle, and Michael G. Sargent.Nicholas Love at Waseda: Proceedings of the International Conference, 20–22 July 1995. Rochester, N.Y.: D. S. Brewer, 1997.

■ Salter, Elizabeth.Nicholas Love’s“Myrrour of the blessed lyf of Jesu Christ.” Salzburg,Austria: Institut Für Englische Sprache und Literatur, Universität Salzburg, 1974.

■ Sargent, Michael G., ed. and introduction.Nicholas Love’s Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ: A Critical Edition Based on Cambridge University Library Additional mss 6578 and 6686. New York: Garland, 1992.