The Boke of Comforte Agaynste All Trybulacyons

An Introductory Study

Abstract

This paper explores the textual history, readership, and the literary and spiritual context of The Boke of Comforte Agaynste All Trybulacyons, printed in London around 1505. The Boke is the English version of the Livret des consolacions printed some years earlier in Paris. I propose that the Boke and its French antecedent are the direct descendants of a Latin compilation printed on the Continent, including the works of Jacobus Gruytrodius, Petrus Blesensis, and Isidore of Seville. I also aim to point out the Boke's stylistic properties and its place in the tradition of English prose. Both this work and its contemporaries (i.e., early printed material from the 16th century) can contribute greatly to our understanding of early Tudor English literature, spirituality, and book culture.