Speculum Inclusorum/The Mirror of Recluses: A Parallel-Text Edition

Interest in anchoritic life in Europe, especially during medieval England, has never been greater, but almost all recent scholarship centers on two texts—De Institutione inclusarum and Ancrene Wisse—which have focused an anchoritism as an almost exclusively female pursuit. In this first complete English translation of the Speculum Inclusorum, E. A. Jones offers an important contribution to the study of anchoritism among men. Written in the fifteenth century in Latin—which has been preserved alongside the English translation—the Speculum Inclusorum engages a range of topics central to the anchoritic life, including a careful discernment of a prospective anchorite’s vocation, frank discussions of the temptations and dangers of a reclusive life, and the joys of intense contemplation. An invaluable resource for medieval scholars, this translation will also be of value to anyone interested in the radical devotion of this fascinating group of people.