Speculum Inclusorum

The solitary life of the recluse or enclosed anchorite was one of the most extreme, and remains one of the most fascinating, forms of religious life of the Middle Ages. Leaving the world behind, anchorites submitted themselves to a life of perpetual enclosure, locked - or even walled - into a small cell, usually attached to a church. They were enclosed to the accompaniment of the Office of the Dead, and they expected to die and be buried in their cells. Why did people choose to become anchorites? What did they do all day? What rewards did they hope for, in return for the sacrifice they had made? These are the questions addressed and answered in the 'Speculum Inclusorum', a 'rule' for male anchorites dating from the early years of the fifteenth century, and its English translation, designed for an audience of women anchorites, 'A mirror for recluses.' This edition prints the Latin 'Speculum Inclusorum' in parallel with the 'English mirror', and supplies a modern English translation for those parts of the 'Speculum' that are - whether by accident or design - absent from the Middle English. It offers the first edition of the Latin since the 1930s, and the only available translation of the entire text. -- Publisher's description.