The Autobiography of Gerald of Wales

Book excerpt: The autobiography of Gerald of Wales, translated from the Latin, offers a compelling picture of medieval life. Gerald of Wales, the son of a Norman Baron and the grandson of a Welsh Princess, is one of the most gifted and entertaining of medieval writers. His autobiography, translated from the Latin, presents the story of an Archdeacon who, despite his passionate efforts, never became a Bishop; it is the self-revelation of a man as able and courageous as he was vain and eccentric, and as devout and serious as he was flamboyant and humorous, a vivid picture of twelfth-century kings and prelates, of politics and travel, full of strange adventures at home and abroad, told with frankness and power, and without a counterpart in the literature of his day. Moreover, the volume presents a vivid picture of medieval life in general. The late H. E. BUTLER was Professor of Latin at University College, London.