By Jacques De Vitry
Edited by Thomas Frederick Crane
Published for The Folk-Lore Society by David Nutt: London 1890 1st Edition
Note: Introduction, analysis and notes are in English whilst the remaining reference content is in Latin.
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The Exempla, or Illustrative Stories from the Sermones Vulgares by Jacques de Vitry, edited by Thomas Frederick Crane and published for The Folk-Lore Society by David Nutt in London in 1890, is a scholarly first edition presenting a remarkable collection of medieval moral tales used by preachers to instruct and inspire their audiences. Drawn from the thirteenth-century sermons of Jacques de Vitry — a French cleric, crusader, and historian — the Exempla comprise vivid anecdotes and parables illustrating virtues, vices, miracles, and the moral struggles of everyday life. These tales, often humorous, poignant, or miraculous, reveal the mindset of medieval Europe, blending Christian theology with popular folklore, superstition, and moral allegory.
Editor Thomas Frederick Crane, a pioneering folklorist, provides an erudite English introduction and extensive notes that situate the collection within both ecclesiastical and literary history. His work highlights the Exempla's significance as a bridge between oral storytelling traditions and written moral instruction, and as a source for later European fables and folk narratives. This edition holds lasting value for students of medieval literature, theology, and folklore, as well as for collectors of early folklore society publications seeking a foundational text in the study of moral storytelling and cultural transmission in the Middle Ages."
General wear and fading to covers and spine with some rubbing to cover corners and light damage to top and bottom of outer spine as shown. Some prior owner evidence on front blank endpaper as shown. Very light spotting to prelims with vast majority of pages clean with a pleasant aged patina to pages. Good condition overall. Please study photos to understand condition. Happy to provide more photos on request.
