Abstract

The popularity of the letter-collection of Peter of Blois for three centuries after his death contrasts markedly with its neglect by modern scholars. The only recent article is by R. W. Southern, who explained that he abandoned work on a critical edition because “behind the attractive exterior there appeared to be a deep emptiness, a lack of thought, of originality, of anything but conventional feelings.…” Yet there was something about these letters which spoke to the men of the late Middle Ages. Insofar as a work's appeal can be gauged by the quantity of surviving copies, Peter of Blois's letters, with their 250 manuscripts, clearly rank among the most popular of the Middle Ages. Not so clear are the reasons for this appeal, but they will emerge from a study of Peter's collection for its form and contents