DIMEV 5966
IMEV 3748
NIMEV 3748
To call Clio my dullness to redress
John Lydgate, Life of St. Alban and St. Amphibal — 4724 lines
generally in rhyme royal
Author(s): John Lydgate
Title(s):
Life of St. Alban and St. Amphibal
Subjects: saints’ lives; Alban, saint, life of; Amphibal, saint, life of
Versification: —
seven-line —
ababbcc
Manuscript Witnesses:
2.Source: London, British Library Lansdowne 699, ff. 96-175
First Lines:To calle Clio my dulnesse to redresse
With alle hir sustren dwellyng
at Elicon…
Last Lines:…Worthi bi vertu & bi Roial lyne
To be registred a mong the
worthi nyne
Attributed Author: written by Iohn Lidgate at the request of Mr Iohn Whetchamsted abbot of St
Albons in the yeare 1439 (f. 96, later hand)
Attributed Title: The legend of Saint Alban written (f. 96, later hand); Heer endith the
livis & passiouns of seynt Albon & seynt Amphibal translatid out of
frenssh & latin bi dan Iohn lidgate at the request of Mastir Iohn
Whetehamstede abbot of seynt Albon the yeer of our lord M CCCC XXIX (f.
176v)
Editions: Westhuizen, J. E. van der, and Siegfried Wenzel, eds.
John Lydgate, The Life of St. Alban and St. Amphibal.
Leiden: Brill, 1974.
4.Source: London, Inner Temple Petyt 511.11 (Part XI), ff. 1-65
First Lines:TO call Clio My dulnesse to Redresse
With all her Sustres dwellyng
at Elicon…
Last Lines:…Like an Ymage voyde of all dyvisoun
O prothomartir of Brutus
Albioun
Attributed Title: Thus endeth the gloryous lyff and Passoun of the / blessid Martyr Seynt
Alboun and seynt Amphiball / Which glorious lyves were translatyd oute of
ffrenssh / and latein by Dan Iohn Lidgate Monke of Bury / att the Request and
prayer of Maister Iohn / Whethamstede the yere of oure lord Ml CCCC
and / xxxix and of the seid Mayster Iohn Whethamstede / of his Abbesye xix yere
(f. 65v)
5.Source: San Marino, CA, Henry Huntington Library HM 140 [olim Phillipps 8299], ff. 1-67
First Lines:TO call Clio my dulnesse to redresse
With all her susters dwelling
at Elicon…
Last Lines:…Like an ymage voide of divisioun
O prothomartir of Brutis
Albioun
Attributed Title: Here endith the glorious lyf and passyon of the blessid martir Seint Albone
and seint Amphiball which glorious livis were translatid oute of ffrenssh and
latyn by dane Iohn Lydgate Monke of Bury at þe request and prayer of Master
Iohn Whethamstede the yere of oure lord Ml CCCC xxxix and of the said Master
Iohn Whethamstede of his Abisse xix (f. 67)
Print Witnesses:
1.Source: STC 256.
Here begynnethe the glorious lyfe and passion of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande, and also the
lyfe and passion of saint Amphabel whiche conuerted saint Albon to the fayth of Christe, [[St.
Albans: J. Herford] the .xxvi. yere of our soueraigne lorde kyng Henry the eyght. and in the yere of
our lorde God. M.D.xxx.iiii.], [1534] , sigs. A2-?
First Lines:TO call Clio my dulnesse to redresse
with all systers dwellyng at Elicon…
Last Lines:…All where nowe reigneth pride and deusion
O prothmartyr of Brutis Albion.
Finis.
Note: Edition from London, British Library Lansdowne 699.
Attributed Title: Here begynnethe the | glorious lyfe and passion of seint Albon prothomar- | tyr of Englande and also the lyfe and pssion of | saint Amphabel whiche conuerted saint Albon | to the fayth of Christe. (sig. A1); Here endeth the glorious lyfe and passyon of | seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande | and also the lyfe & passyon of saynt | Amphibell whiche conuerted | saynt Albon to the faith | of Christe. | whose lyues were translated out of frenche and | laten in to Englisshe by John Lydgate monke | of Bury and now lately put in print at | request of Robert Catton abbot | of thexempte monasterye | of saynt Albon. | The xxvi yere of our soueraigne lorde | kyng Henry the eyght. And in the | yere of our lorde God M. | D.xxx.iiii.
Editions: Horstmann, Carl.
S. Albon und Amphabel, ein Legendenepos in 3 Büchern, nach der
editio von S. Albans 1534.
Berlin, 1882, 1883.