English Erasto - Revision history

Bonsall at 11:25, 26 February 2026

2026-02-26T11:25:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:25, 26 February 2026
Line 14:		Line 14:

	[Added by Jane Bonsall]		[Added by Jane Bonsall]
			\|Has Motif=Empress kills herself; Empress threatens to return to her family; Empress has a lover; Empress's lover disguised as a woman
			\|Has Note On Motif=In this iteration of the narrative, the empress kills herself before her lover can be revealed. They are instead mentioned after the fact, in typically confusing language:

			"One of [the Empress's] Ladies, that used to Lye with the Queen, the Prince would needs have uncloathed in the Royal Presence, who appearing to be a Man, gave a sufficient Testimony of his Mistresses Morals."
	\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)		\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)
	\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman		\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman
Line 21:		Line 25:
	\|Has Place Of Text Composition=London, UK		\|Has Place Of Text Composition=London, UK
	\|Has Date Of Text Composition=1674		\|Has Date Of Text Composition=1674
			\|Is Date Uncertain=No
	\|Has Modern Edition=Early English Books Online, Erastus, or, the Roman Prince (2025)		\|Has Modern Edition=Early English Books Online, Erastus, or, the Roman Prince (2025)
	\|Is Adapted From=Italian Erasto; French Erasto		\|Is Adapted From=Italian Erasto; French Erasto

Bonsall at 10:49, 22 February 2026

2026-02-22T10:49:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:49, 22 February 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Secondary Version		{{Secondary Version
	\|Has Description=The English translations of the ''Erasto'' narrative survive in two (possibly related) 17th-century prints. The first was composed by Francis Kirkman in 1674, the second an anonymous revision of the narrative in 1684.		\|Has Description=The English translations of the ''Erasto'' narrative survive in two (possibly related) 17th-century prints. The first was composed by [[Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus\|Francis Kirkman in 1674,]] the second an [[Erastus, or, The Roman Prince\|anonymous revision of the narrative in 1684]].

	In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) [https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-unlucky-citizen-_kirkman-francis_1673/page/n33/mode/1up ''An Unlucky Citizen'' (1673]), he describes a boyhood appetite for literature:		In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) [https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-unlucky-citizen-_kirkman-francis_1673/page/n33/mode/1up ''An Unlucky Citizen'' (1673]), he describes a boyhood appetite for literature:
Line 6:		Line 6:
	"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).		"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).

	Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded stories ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related are 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', he additionally notes that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes. These stories - [[Puteus]] and [[Vidua]] - are some of the tales usually omitted by the ''Erasto'' tradition, buth always found in [[H (Historia Septem Sapientum)\|Version H]], [[A (Seven Sages)\|Version A]], and [[I (Versio Italico)\|Version I]] texts. Kirkman's Erasto therefore contains not fifteen but seventeen stories - two of them offered by the narrator himself. This is the story order that appears below.		Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular [[Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus\|''Erasto'' narrative in 1674]]. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded stories ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related are 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', he additionally notes that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes. These stories - [[Puteus]] and [[Vidua]] - are some of the tales usually omitted by the ''Erasto'' tradition, buth always found in [[H (Historia Septem Sapientum)\|Version H]], [[A (Seven Sages)\|Version A]], and [[I (Versio Italico)\|Version I]] texts. Kirkman's Erasto therefore contains not fifteen but seventeen stories - two of them offered by the narrator himself. This is the story order that appears below.

	This story order is disctint from that found in the other English ''Erasto'' text, ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince'' (1684). Composed ten years after the publication of Francis Kirkman's ''History of Prince Erastus'', the second English ''Erastus'' story promised promised "Many Pleasant Additions of Excellent, and Divertive Discourses, and Songs, not unsuitable to the Design of the Story". These included verses and songs at several points in the narrative, and also several long additional episodes that follow the main plot, detailing Erastus' life as emperor. However, the main body of the traditional ''Erasto'' narrative is abbreviated, and the stories of several sages are omitted. The first nine stories nearly follow the usual pattern for ''Erasto'' texts, with the sole exception that, as in [[Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus\|Francis Kirkman's version]], the story [[Puteus]] is re-inserted into the embedded story order. The Empress threatens to return to her parents' home rather than tell a fifth story, and the final tale is then related by the sage Lencus, again taking Kirkman's cue and replacing [[Caepulla]] with [[Vidua]]. [[Roma]], [[Corpus Delicti]], [[Virgilius]], [[Puer Adoptatus]], and [[Vaticinium]] are absent in this text. ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince'' thus begins with a version of the ''Erasto'' text - presumably Kirkman's, given the parallel story replacements - but radically departs from the form in the second half of the text.		This story order is disctint from that found in the other English ''Erasto'' text, ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince'' (1684). Composed ten years after the publication of Francis Kirkman's ''History of Prince Erastus'', the second English ''Erastus'' story promised promised "Many Pleasant Additions of Excellent, and Divertive Discourses, and Songs, not unsuitable to the Design of the Story". These included verses and songs at several points in the narrative, and also several long additional episodes that follow the main plot, detailing Erastus' life as emperor. However, the main body of the traditional ''Erasto'' narrative is abbreviated, and the stories of several sages are omitted. The first nine stories nearly follow the usual pattern for ''Erasto'' texts, with the sole exception that, as in [[Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus\|Francis Kirkman's version]], the story [[Puteus]] is re-inserted into the embedded story order. The Empress threatens to return to her parents' home rather than tell a fifth story, and the final tale is then related by the sage Lencus, again taking Kirkman's cue and replacing [[Caepulla]] with [[Vidua]]. [[Roma]], [[Corpus Delicti]], [[Virgilius]], [[Puer Adoptatus]], and [[Vaticinium]] are absent in this text. ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince'' thus begins with a version of the ''Erasto'' text - presumably Kirkman's, given the parallel story replacements - but radically departs from the form in the second half of the text.

Noeth at 13:26, 18 February 2026

2026-02-18T13:26:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:26, 18 February 2026
Line 23:		Line 23:
	\|Has Modern Edition=Early English Books Online, Erastus, or, the Roman Prince (2025)		\|Has Modern Edition=Early English Books Online, Erastus, or, the Roman Prince (2025)
	\|Is Adapted From=Italian Erasto; French Erasto		\|Is Adapted From=Italian Erasto; French Erasto
	~~\|Has Text Language=English~~
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory

Bonsall at 17:31, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T17:31:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 17 February 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Secondary Version		{{Secondary Version
	\|Has Description=The English ~~trnalstions~~ of the ''Erasto'' narrative survive in two (possibly related) 17th-century prints. The first was composed by Francis Kirkman in 1674, the second an anonymous revision of the narrative in 1684.		\|Has Description=The English translations of the ''Erasto'' narrative survive in two (possibly related) 17th-century prints. The first was composed by Francis Kirkman in 1674, the second an anonymous revision of the narrative in 1684.

	In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) [https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-unlucky-citizen-_kirkman-francis_1673/page/n33/mode/1up ''An Unlucky Citizen'' (1673]), he describes a boyhood appetite for literature:		In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) [https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-unlucky-citizen-_kirkman-francis_1673/page/n33/mode/1up ''An Unlucky Citizen'' (1673]), he describes a boyhood appetite for literature:

Bonsall at 17:30, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T17:30:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 17 February 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Secondary Version		{{Secondary Version
	\|Has Description=In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) [https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-unlucky-citizen-_kirkman-francis_1673/page/n33/mode/1up ''An Unlucky Citizen'' (1673]), he describes a boyhood appetite for literature:		\|Has Description=The English trnalstions of the ''Erasto'' narrative survive in two (possibly related) 17th-century prints. The first was composed by Francis Kirkman in 1674, the second an anonymous revision of the narrative in 1684.

			In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) [https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-unlucky-citizen-_kirkman-francis_1673/page/n33/mode/1up ''An Unlucky Citizen'' (1673]), he describes a boyhood appetite for literature:

	"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).		"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).

	Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded stories ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related are 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes. These stories - [[Puteus]] and [[Vidua]] - are some of the tales usually omitted by the ''Erasto'' tradition, buth always found in [[H (Historia Septem Sapientum)\|Version H]], [[A (Seven Sages)\|Version A]], and [[I (Versio Italico)\|Version I]] texts.		Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded stories ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related are 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', he additionally notes that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes. These stories - [[Puteus]] and [[Vidua]] - are some of the tales usually omitted by the ''Erasto'' tradition, buth always found in [[H (Historia Septem Sapientum)\|Version H]], [[A (Seven Sages)\|Version A]], and [[I (Versio Italico)\|Version I]] texts. Kirkman's Erasto therefore contains not fifteen but seventeen stories - two of them offered by the narrator himself. This is the story order that appears below.

			This story order is disctint from that found in the other English ''Erasto'' text, ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince'' (1684). Composed ten years after the publication of Francis Kirkman's ''History of Prince Erastus'', the second English ''Erastus'' story promised promised "Many Pleasant Additions of Excellent, and Divertive Discourses, and Songs, not unsuitable to the Design of the Story". These included verses and songs at several points in the narrative, and also several long additional episodes that follow the main plot, detailing Erastus' life as emperor. However, the main body of the traditional ''Erasto'' narrative is abbreviated, and the stories of several sages are omitted. The first nine stories nearly follow the usual pattern for ''Erasto'' texts, with the sole exception that, as in [[Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus\|Francis Kirkman's version]], the story [[Puteus]] is re-inserted into the embedded story order. The Empress threatens to return to her parents' home rather than tell a fifth story, and the final tale is then related by the sage Lencus, again taking Kirkman's cue and replacing [[Caepulla]] with [[Vidua]]. [[Roma]], [[Corpus Delicti]], [[Virgilius]], [[Puer Adoptatus]], and [[Vaticinium]] are absent in this text. ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince'' thus begins with a version of the ''Erasto'' text - presumably Kirkman's, given the parallel story replacements - but radically departs from the form in the second half of the text.

	As in the Italian and French iterations of the ''Erasto'' narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.		As in the Italian and French iterations of the ''Erasto'' narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia in the English redactions, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, in Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed. In ''Erastus, or, The Roman Prince,'' the narrative follows the life of the protagonist after the core tale has ended.


	''Eastus:'' Or, The ''Roman Prince; Being A'' more full Account of that Famous History of the Seven Wise Masters, With Many Pleasant Additions of Excellent, and Divertive Discourses, and Songs, not unsuitable to the Design of the Story (1684)		[Added by Jane Bonsall]
	\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)		\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)
	\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman		\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman

Bonsall at 11:40, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T11:40:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:40, 17 February 2026
Line 7:		Line 7:

	As in the Italian and French iterations of the ''Erasto'' narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.		As in the Italian and French iterations of the ''Erasto'' narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.


			''Eastus:'' Or, The ''Roman Prince; Being A'' more full Account of that Famous History of the Seven Wise Masters, With Many Pleasant Additions of Excellent, and Divertive Discourses, and Songs, not unsuitable to the Design of the Story (1684)
	\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)		\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)
	\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman		\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman
Line 44:		Line 47:
	\|Has Sequence Number=5		\|Has Sequence Number=5
	\|Has Narrator=Terno		\|Has Narrator=Terno
	\|Has Name Variation=Thernus		\|Has Name Variation=Thernus, Thermus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory

Bonsall at 11:28, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T11:28:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:28, 17 February 2026
Line 4:		Line 4:
	"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).		"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).

	Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded ~~story~~ ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related is 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes.		Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded stories ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related are 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes. These stories - [[Puteus]] and [[Vidua]] - are some of the tales usually omitted by the ''Erasto'' tradition, buth always found in [[H (Historia Septem Sapientum)\|Version H]], [[A (Seven Sages)\|Version A]], and [[I (Versio Italico)\|Version I]] texts.

	As in the Italian and French iterations of the narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.		As in the Italian and French iterations of the ''Erasto'' narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.
	\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)		\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)
	\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman		\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman

Bonsall at 11:19, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T11:19:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:19, 17 February 2026
Line 4:		Line 4:
	"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).		"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).

	Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text.		Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account of his childhood reading), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text. In fact, Kirkman's ''Erastus'' blends the two versions: twice the narrator claims that while the ''Erasto''-specific embedded story ([[Zelus]], [[Caepulla]]) related is 'as I find it in the Originals Italian and French', that 'others say it was another Story' instead, which the narrator then also includes.

	As in the Italian and French iterations of the narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.		As in the Italian and French iterations of the narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.
Line 56:		Line 56:
	\|Has Narrator=Enoscopo		\|Has Narrator=Enoscopo
	\|Has Name Variation=Enoscopus		\|Has Name Variation=Enoscopus
			}}
			{{EmbeddedStory
			\|Has Short Title=Puteus
			\|Has Sequence Number=8
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Gaza		\|Has Short Title=Gaza
	\|Has Sequence Number=8		\|Has Sequence Number=9
	\|Has Narrator=Empress		\|Has Narrator=Empress
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Inclusa		\|Has Short Title=Inclusa
	\|Has Sequence Number=9		\|Has Sequence Number=10
	\|Has Narrator=Filandro		\|Has Narrator=Filandro
	\|Has Name Variation=Philantropus		\|Has Name Variation=Philantropus
Line 70:		Line 74:
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Roma		\|Has Short Title=Roma
	\|Has Sequence Number=10		\|Has Sequence Number=11
	\|Has Narrator=Empress		\|Has Narrator=Empress
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Corpus Delicti		\|Has Short Title=Corpus Delicti
	\|Has Sequence Number=11		\|Has Sequence Number=12
	\|Has Narrator=Agato		\|Has Narrator=Agato
	\|Has Name Variation=Agathus		\|Has Name Variation=Agathus
Line 81:		Line 85:
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Virgilius		\|Has Short Title=Virgilius
	\|Has Sequence Number=12		\|Has Sequence Number=13
	\|Has Narrator=Empress		\|Has Narrator=Empress
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Caepulla		\|Has Short Title=Caepulla
	\|Has Sequence Number=13		\|Has Sequence Number=14
	\|Has Narrator=Leuco		\|Has Narrator=Leuco
	\|Has Name Variation=Lencus		\|Has Name Variation=Lencus
			}}
			{{EmbeddedStory
			\|Has Short Title=Vidua
			\|Has Sequence Number=15
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Puer Adoptatus		\|Has Short Title=Puer Adoptatus
	\|Has Sequence Number=14		\|Has Sequence Number=16
	\|Has Narrator=Empress		\|Has Narrator=Empress
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
	\|Has Short Title=Vaticinium		\|Has Short Title=Vaticinium
	\|Has Sequence Number=15		\|Has Sequence Number=17
	\|Has Narrator=Prince		\|Has Narrator=Prince
	\|Has Name Variation=Erasto		\|Has Name Variation=Erasto
	}}		}}

Bonsall at 10:50, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T10:50:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:50, 17 February 2026
Line 6:		Line 6:
	Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text.		Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text.

	As in the Italian and French iterations of the narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition.		As in the Italian and French iterations of the narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition. At the end of the narrative, despairing and defeated, Aphrodisia kills herself in prison before she can be executed.
	\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)		\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)
	\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman		\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman

Bonsall at 10:49, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T10:49:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:49, 17 February 2026
Line 4:		Line 4:
	"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).		"Once I happened upon a Six Pence, and having lately read that famous Book, of the ''Fryar and the Boy'', and being hugely pleased with that, as also the excellent History of the ''Seven Wise Masters of Rome'', and having heard great Commendation of ''Fortunatus'', I laid out all my mony for that, and thought I had a great bargain..." (p. 10).

	Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text.		Kirkman went on publish new versions of many of the books his character reported enjoying, including the ''Seven Wise Masters -'' specifically, an English translation of the popular ''Erasto'' narrative in 1674. This print was given the typically lengthy title "The history of Prince Erastus, son to the Emperour Dioclesian and these famous philosophers called the seven wife masters of Rome being a full account of all that was ever written of that antient, famous, pleasant, and excellent history / written originally in Italian, then translated into French, and now rendred English by F.K." This suggests that in London literary circles in the second half of the 17th century, readers were exposed to the ''Seven Sages'' in at least two different forms: the [[English Version H\|English version of Version H]] (referenced as the ''Seven Wise Masters'' in Kirkman's account), as well as the [[French Erasto\|French ''Histoire pitoyable du Prince Erasto'']], his source for the ''Prince Erastus'' text.

			As in the Italian and French iterations of the narrative, the Empress is named Aphrodisia, and the expanded focus on the frame also remains. For example, Kirkman's text, the Empress becomes enamoured of Erastus before the two meet, and courts him from afar with gifts and love letters before he returns to Rome; his rejection of these preempts his rejection of her proposition.
	\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)		\|Has Parent Version=Erasto (Es)
	\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman		\|Has Author=Francis Kirkman
Line 20:		Line 22:
	\|Has Sequence Number=1		\|Has Sequence Number=1
	\|Has Narrator=Euprosigoro		\|Has Narrator=Euprosigoro
			\|Has Name Variation=Euprosigorus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
Line 30:		Line 33:
	\|Has Sequence Number=3		\|Has Sequence Number=3
	\|Has Narrator=Dimurgo		\|Has Narrator=Dimurgo
			\|Has Name Variation=Dimurgus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
Line 40:		Line 44:
	\|Has Sequence Number=5		\|Has Sequence Number=5
	\|Has Narrator=Terno		\|Has Narrator=Terno
			\|Has Name Variation=Thernus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
Line 50:		Line 55:
	\|Has Sequence Number=7		\|Has Sequence Number=7
	\|Has Narrator=Enoscopo		\|Has Narrator=Enoscopo
			\|Has Name Variation=Enoscopus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
Line 60:		Line 66:
	\|Has Sequence Number=9		\|Has Sequence Number=9
	\|Has Narrator=Filandro		\|Has Narrator=Filandro
			\|Has Name Variation=Philantropus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
Line 70:		Line 77:
	\|Has Sequence Number=11		\|Has Sequence Number=11
	\|Has Narrator=Agato		\|Has Narrator=Agato
			\|Has Name Variation=Agathus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory
Line 80:		Line 88:
	\|Has Sequence Number=13		\|Has Sequence Number=13
	\|Has Narrator=Leuco		\|Has Narrator=Leuco
			\|Has Name Variation=Lencus
	}}		}}
	{{EmbeddedStory		{{EmbeddedStory