English Erasto: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:18, 17 February 2026

In the publisher and author Francis Kirkman's (presumably autobiographical, though certainly unreliable) 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). 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.

General Information

Parent Versions

Erasto (Es)

Child Versions

Erastus, or, The Roman Prince, Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus

Author

Francis Kirkman

Title

The History of Prince Erastus

Branch of the tradition

Seven Sages of Rome

Language & Composition

Language of version

English

Place of composition

London, UK

Date of Composition

1674

Literature & Editions

Modern Editions

Early English Books Online, Erastus, or, the Roman Prince (2025)

Recorded Branch of This Secondary Version

I (Versio Italico)

Connected Prints

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Sort Date Of Print
Erastus: 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. London: Printed for Dorman Newman [...] and Benj. Alsop [...], 1684	English		1684

Adaptations

Adapted from (version)

Italian Erasto

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator	Has Name Variation
Canis – The Faithful Dog	1	Euprosigoro	Euprosigorus
Arbor – The Tree	2	Empress
Medicus – The Doctor	3	Dimurgo	Dimurgus
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	4	Empress
Tentamina – The Test	5	Terno	Thernus, Thermus
Sapientes – The Wise Men	6	Empress
Zelus – Zeal	7	Enoscopo	Enoscopus
Puteus – The Well	8
Gaza – The Treasure	9	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	10	Filandro	Philantropus
Roma – Rome Besieged	11	Empress
Corpus Delicti – The Discovered Corpse	12	Agato	Agathus
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	13	Empress
Caepulla	14	Leuco	Lencus
Vidua – The Widow	15
Puer Adoptatus – The Adopted Son	16	Empress

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |Has Author=Francis Kirkman
 |Has Title=The History of Prince Erastus
-|Has Siglum=I (Versio Italico)
 |Has Branch Of Tradition=Seven Sages of Rome
+|Has Language Of Version=English
 |Has Place Of Text Composition=London, UK
 |Has Date Of Text Composition=1674
 |Has Modern Edition=Early English Books Online, Erastus, or, the Roman Prince (2025)
-|Is Adapted From=Erasto (Es)
+|Is Adapted From=Italian Erasto
 |Has Text Language=English
 }}