Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus

"Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus" by Anglicus Bartholomaeus is a compilation that explores the knowledge of science, medicine, and society during the Middle Ages, gathered from the writings of Bartholomew, an English Franciscan from the 1200s. Presenting itself as an encyclopedia, the book explains the characteristics of elements and the different parts of life during that time, and also reveals the goals and thinking of people of the era. An introduction by William Morris gives background on the medieval way of learning. The translator's prologue then explains the reason behind Bartholomew’s work, which is to clarify hidden symbols in religious texts through looking at objects. These beginning sections are full of thoughts on how medieval life connected with science, medicine, and social standards, taking readers to a world that saw nature in symbolic ways.