Richard Rolle

Kevin Gustafson
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We know more about the hermit, contemplative, and spiritual adviser Richard Rolle (c. 1300-1349) than about most writers from later medieval England. Prolific in a variety of forms, and in Latin as well as English, he is now remembered chiefly for the treatise

Incendium amoris

[

Fire of Love

], the Latin epistle

Emendatio vitae

[

Mending of Life

], and a number of vernacular short poems and works of spiritual instruction.

A primary source about Rolle’s earlier and later life are the nine lessons of the Officium et miracula [Office and Miracles], a liturgical work composed in the early 1380s as part of the campaign for his canonization. The first three lessons include a few details about his early life: he was born in Thornton (likely Thornton-le-Dale, near Pickering, in the West Riding of

3047 words

Citation: Gustafson, Kevin. "Richard Rolle". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 November 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3832, accessed 28 March 2024.]

3832 Richard Rolle 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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