(ca. 1220)
Sawles Warde (Care of the soul, or Custody of the soul), which was most likely composed ca. 1220, is considered a part of the MIDDLE EnglISH text grouping known as the KATHERINE GROUP. An ALLEGORICAL verse homily written in alliterative prose, Sawles Warde is primarily an expansion of De custodia interioris hominis (On the keeping of the inner self), often attributed to St. ANSELM of Canterbury. However, other suggested sources include the Vision of the Monk of Eversham, and three chapters from Hugh of St.Victor’s De anima (On the soul), though this latter source has been somewhat discredited. In turn, Sawles Warde itself possibly had an impact on two later works, loe Holy Boke Gratia Dei (The holy book of the grace of God) and the AYENBITE OF INWIT (The remorse of conscience), though neither influence has been proven conclusively. Sawles Warde demonstrates notable alterations of its source materials: It focuses more on concrete sensual descriptions than on philosophical interpretations; it advocates temperantia (moderation) as the key to survive evil; it adds characters, including Will. Some scholars have also argued that Sawles Warde is a precursor to later medieval allegorical drama such as The CASTLE OF PERSEVERANCE, which features a similar motif.
Allegorically, Sawles Warde represents the body, the dwelling-place of the soul (the treasure), as a castle. As such, it joins a lengthy tradition that was utilized in the Middle Ages by St. Anselm of Canterbury, St. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX, and Hugh of St. Victor, among others. In the text,Wit (Reason) is the lord of the castle, and thus constable of the soul. The castle, populated by various allegorical figures, is being attacked by vices. One of these is Will (Desire),Wit’s wife and lady of the castle.Will is impulsive and often self-absorbed. The Five Senses also dwell within the castle, and are difficult to rule as well. They are partially responsible for guarding the castle, but prove to be incompetent. Another group of servants employed by Will to guard the castle are the “inner servants.” Though not as clearly delineated as other characters, the inner servants correspond to the inward human emotions brought about by the five senses—desires of the flesh (carnality) and emotional entanglement (cupidas). Together these servants are supposed to safeguard the castle, or more specifically, the entrance gate (maidenhead). However, they are losing ground.Wit requires help, and gets it from the four Cardinal Virtues—Justice, Prudence, Strength, and Temperance. Their progress toward good behavior is aided by the appearance of two visitors, Fear, who details the terrors of hell, and Love of Life, who describes the joys of heaven. At the end, Fear is asked to leave, though he can always be recalled, and Love of Life is invited to remain.
Sawles Warde has been popular with modern scholars, and nine editions of the text exist. The earliest of these was produced in 1868, and the most recent was compiled in 1990. As is typical with medieval works, most early scholarship focused on linguistic features, questions of authorship, and source materials. More recent criticism has focused on gender and feminist issues surrounding the text. For instance, by adding the character Will and fleshing out the characters of the Cardinal Virtues, the Sawles Warde author may have been designing a specific appeal to the female audience.
Because of its inclusion in the Katherine Group, as well as its content and manuscript tradition, Sawles Warde is often considered to be an anchoritic text. It survives in London, British Library, MS Cotton Titus D.xviii, appearing immediately after ANCRENE WISSE, and with St. Katherine, HALI MEIDENHAD, and loe Wohunge of Ure Laured. Sawles Warde also survives in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 34, with the rest of the Katherine Group, and London, British Library, MS Royal 17 A.xxvii,with St. Juliana, St. Katherine, St.Margaret, and loe Oreisun of Seinte Marie.
Bibliography
■ Becker,Wolfgang.“The Source Text of Sawles Warde,” Manuscripta 24 (1980): 44–48.
■ Eggebroten, Anne. “Sawles Warde: A Retelling of De Anima for a Female Audience,” Mediaevalia 10 (1984): 27–47.
■ Millett, Bella, and Jocelyn Wogan-Browne. Medieval English Prose for Women. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992.
■ Wilson, R. M. Sawles Warde: An Early Middle English Homily. Leeds School of English Language Texts and Monographs 3. Leeds,U.K.: Printed by T.Wilson for members of the School of English Language in the University of Leeds, 1938.
Michelle M. Sauer
Encyclopedia of medieval literature. 2013.