John Trevisa
John Trevisa, also known as John de Trevisa, was a prominent English translator and scholar born in Cornwall between 1322 and 1342, though the exact date remains uncertain due to the lack of formal records. He became a fellow at Exeter College, Cambridge, in 1362 and later at Queen's College, where he faced dismissal due to a violent dispute. Despite this setback, he continued his academic pursuits and rented a chamber at Queen's College years later. Trevisa served as the vicar of Berkeley in Gloucestershire and held a nonresident canonry at the collegiate church of Westbury-on-Trym. His relationship with Thomas, Lord Berkeley, who was a wealthy patron with an interest in literature, significantly influenced Trevisa’s work as a translator.
Among his notable translations are the *Polychronicon*, a historical account by Ranulf Higden, and *De proprietatibus rerum*, an encyclopedia by Bartholomaeus Anglicus that covered various aspects of the spiritual and natural worlds. Both works played a crucial role in establishing the English language for educational purposes during the Middle Ages. While there is speculation regarding his involvement in the early version of the Wyclif Bible, such claims remain inconclusive. Overall, Trevisa is recognized as a prolific translator of his time, contributing significantly to the literary landscape of medieval England, though he did not achieve the same level of fame as contemporaries like Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower.
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John Trevisa
- Born: c. 1322-1342
- Birthplace: Cornwall, England
- Died: c. 1402
Biography
John Trevisa, also known as John de Trevisa, was born in Cornwall, England, sometime between 1322 and 1342. The actual date of his birth is unknown because there is no formal record of the birth. The twenty-year discrepancy between his birth dates is likely the result of a misinterpretation of Trevisa’s conclusion to his writing by fifteenth century translator William Caxton, who assumed that Trevisa was born in 1322. Although the facts surrounding Trevisa’s birth and early education are unknown, he was a fellow at Exeter College in Cambridge in 1362. Between 1372 and 1376, he was a fellow at Queen’s College. He was later dismissed from the college by the archbishop of York, along with the provost and two other fellows, for their involvement in a violent quarrel. Evidently, the ill will felt for the former provost and the three fellows was short-lived because Trevisa rented a chamber at Queen’s College between 1395 and 1399. Later in his life, Trevisa became the vicar of Berkeley in Gloucestershire. As well, he held a nonresident canonry of the collegiate church of Westbury-on-Trym. It appears that he spent the remainder of his life in the West Country near Berkeley.
While he was at Berkeley, Trevisa served as chaplain to Thomas, Lord Berkeley. Trevisa’s relationship with Lord Berkeley likely influenced his career as a translator. Lord Berkeley was extremely wealthy and influential, and he was evidently interested in literature. Trevisa refers to Lord Berkeley as his patron in three of his major works.
The earliest of Trevisa’s translations was the Polychronicon, a universal history written in Latin by Ranulf Higden, an English monk. His second major translation was of Bartholomaeus Anglicus’s De proprietatibus rerum. Anglicus’s book was an encyclopedia of sorts which contained aspects of the spiritual and natural worlds. Both of these books were extremely popular at the time, and they also helped establish the English language as standard for teaching. Both of these translations became standard references during the later Middle Ages, and their popularity extended into the Renaissance.
It was widely believed that Trevisa was involved in the translation of the early version of the Wyclif Bible. Both Trevisa and John Wyclif were students at Queen’s College around the same time and may have known each other. As well, there has been speculation that Trevisa was involved in a biblical translation at the behest of his benefactor, Lord Berkeley. However, Trevisa’s involvement with the Wyclif Bible is tenuous at best. Scholars have argued that the style of the general prologue to the Bible, which has been attributed to Trevisa, is not written in his usual style, and that the prologue’s vigorous defense of Protestantism is uncharacteristic for Trevisa. Although Trevisa never achieved the same fame as his contemporaries, Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower, he was perhaps the most prolific and important translator during the Middle Ages.