Erastus, or, The Roman Prince: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:37, 17 February 2026

Composed ten years after the publication of Francis Kirkman's History of Prince Erastus, the second English version of the Erastus story was printed by Dorman Newman and Benjamin Alsop in London in 1684, titled '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'.

The 'Pleasant Additions' promised by the title are borne our in the inclusion of verses and songs - typically antifeminist, and not always clearly fitted to the plot - at several points in the narrative, including from the priest in Tentamina to the young bride and his would-be-lover (reportedly accompanied by a guitar!). Like other Erasto texts, this narrative also priviledges the frame story and the life of its protagonist, which it extends beyond the usual conclusion of the text. The narrative contains several long additional episodes that follow the main plot, including "The War of the Emperour Erastus with King Siwel, the manner of his Overthrow", and another chapter detailing the fate of the empire after these events.

While some elements are added, however, the main body of the Seven Sages 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's version, the story Puteus is here re-inserted into the embedded story order. In this case, however, there is no voice of a narrator inserting themselves into the text to equivocate about the original version of the story; in this case, the sage Philantropus simply tells both his usual story - Inclusa - and also Puteus. After this double-barrel narrative, the Empress threatens to return to her parents' home rather than tell a story, and the final tale is then related by the sage Lencus. As in Kirkman's version, in which the Erasto story Caepulla was followed by Vidua as its alternative, the replacement of the two tales is fully integrated here, and Vidua takes Caepulla's place and is the final story told. Roma, Corpus Delicti, Virgilius, Puer Adoptatus, and Vaticinium are also absent here.

Medicus - son of an Irish man

General Information
Language within Version
Narrative / Scholarly Group
Parent Versions	English Erasto
Child Versions
Author
Title
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages
Branch of the tradition	Seven Sages of Rome

Language & Composition
Language of version	English
Translated into (languages)
Place of composition	London, UK
Date of composition	1684
Source for date of composition

Literature & Editions
Modern research literature
Modern Editions

Recorded branch of this secondary version
I (Versio Italico) Erasto (Es) English Erasto Erastus, or, The Roman Prince Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus French Erasto Italian Erasto Mario Teluccini, Erasto in verse Spanish Erasto Il Libro dei Sette Savi de Roma (C) L'Amabile di Continentia (Em) Storia d'una Crudele Matrigna (M) Storia di Stefano (R) Versio Italica historiae septem sapientum (L)

Connected prints

Adaptations
Adapted from (version)
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information

Languages in Use
Regional or specific language of version

Notes
Note
Notes on motifs

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
Gaza – The Treasure	8	Empress
Puteus – The Well	9	Filandro	Philantropus
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	10	Filandro	Philantropus

Connected manuscripts

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Date Range Of Production

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Secondary Version
-|Has Description=Philantropus tells Puteus then inclusa
+|Has Description=Composed ten years after the publication of Francis Kirkman's ''History of Prince Erastus'', the second English version of the ''Erastus'' story was printed by Dorman Newman and Benjamin Alsop in London in 1684, titled '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'.
-Medicus - son of an Irish man
+The 'Pleasant Additions' promised by the title are borne our in the inclusion of verses and songs - typically antifeminist, and not always clearly fitted to the plot - at several points in the narrative, including from the priest in [[Tentamina]] to the young bride and his would-be-lover (reportedly accompanied by a guitar!). Like other ''Erasto'' texts, this narrative also priviledges the frame story and the life of its protagonist, which it extends beyond the usual conclusion of the text. The narrative contains several long additional episodes that follow the main plot, including "The War of the Emperour ''Erastus'' with King ''Siwel,'' the manner of his Overthrow", and another chapter detailing the fate of the empire after these events.
+While some elements are added, however, the main body of the ''Seven Sages'' 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 here re-inserted into the embedded story order. In this case, however, there is no voice of a narrator inserting themselves into the text to equivocate about the original version of the story; in this case, the sage Philantropus simply tells ''both'' his usual story - [[Inclusa]] - and also Puteus. After this double-barrel narrative, the Empress threatens to return to her parents' home rather than tell a story, and the final tale is then related by the sage Lencus. As in Kirkman's version, in which the ''Erasto'' story [[Caepulla]] was followed by [[Vidua]] as its alternative, the replacement of the two tales is fully integrated here, and Vidua takes Caepulla's place and is the final story told. [[Roma]], [[Corpus Delicti]], [[Virgilius]], [[Puer Adoptatus]], and [[Vaticinium]] are also absent here.
-"NOw fye upon him: What is Man,
+Medicus - son of an Irish man
-Whose Life at best is but a Span?
-When to an Inch it dwindles down;
-Ice in his Bones, Snow on his Crown;
-That he within his crazy Brain,
-Kind thoughts of Love should entertain:
-That he, when Harvest comes should Plow
-And when 'tis time to Reap, go Sow;
-Who (in Imagination only strong)
-Though twice a Child, can never twice b• young
-<div>
-==== II. ====
-</div>Nature did those ordain for Fools,
-That sue for Work, yet have no Tools:
-What fellow-feeling can there be,
-In such a strange disparitie?
-Old Age mistakes the youthful Breast;
-For Love dwells there, not Interest:
-Alas good Man! take thy repose,
-Get Ribband for thy Thumbs and Toes,
-Provide thee Flan•el, and a sheet of Lead;
-Think on thy Coffin, not thy Bridal Bed.
-(Song from priest in Tentamina)
-Empress threatens to leave between final sage stories
 |Has Parent Version=English Erasto
 |Has Branch Of Tradition=Seven Sages of Rome