Candidates for the Role of Priest-Scribe:

Textual Representations

Master Allen

A White Friar and doctor of divinity.

v A Friar was a member of a religious order, especially the mendicant orders of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinians. Master Allen is referred to as a “White Friar,” which means that he belonged to the Carmelite order. Friars dedicated their lives to Christ like Anchorites, Nuns, and Monks, but “The word friar is to be carefully distinguished in its application from the word monk. For the monk retirement and solitude are undisturbed by the public ministry, unless under exceptional circumstances. His vow of poverty binds him strictly as an individual but in no way affects the right of tenure of his order. In the life of the friar, on the contrary, the exercise of the sacred ministry is an essential feature, for which the life of the cloister is considered as but an immediate preparation. His vow of poverty, too, not only binds him as an individual to the exercise of that virtue, but, originally at least, precluded also the right of tenure in common with his brethren. Thus originally the various orders of friars could possess no fixed revenues and lived upon the voluntary offerings of the faithful. Hence their name of mendicants.” (Catholic Encyclopedia).

v On Master Allen’s first appearance in the Book, the Barry Windeatt edition (see bib) cites: “Maystyr Aleyn, a Whyte Frer: Alan of Lynn (born c.1348), a Carmelite friar and lector in theology at the Lynn convent in 1407; a Cambridge doctor of divinity. From the writings credited to him by Bale (Emden 1963: 381-2) he was evidently learned in the Latin and Greek Fathers and an industrious compiler of 51 indexes, including indexes to St Bridget of Sweden’s revelations and her prophecies (extant in Lincoln College, Oxford, MS 69), and to the Stimulus Amoris, works mentioned together twice by MK (1257-8, 4819-20). A native of Lynn, he proves a good friend to MK (7327-8), supporting her against her critic, the Franciscan friar (5043-57, 5631-40), although for a while banned by his Provincial from communicating with MK (chs. 69-70).

Is Master Allen Margery Kempe’s Scribe?

Master Allen is NOT a likely candidate

For the identity of Margery’s scribe.

Positive:

v Master Allen, like the scribe, has a period of falling out with Margery due to her negative reputation.

Ø “And than sum envyows personys compleynyd to the Provincyal of the White Frerys that the sayd doctowr was to conversawnt wyth the sayd creatur, forasmech as he supportyd hir in hir wepyng and in hir crying and also enformyd hir in qwestyons of Scriptur whan sche wolde any askyn hym. Than was he monischyd be vertu of obediens that he schulde no mor spekyn wyth hir ne enformyn hir in no textys of Scriptur, and that was to hym ful peynful, for, as he seyd to sum personys, he had levar a lost an hundryd pownd, yyf he had an had it, than hir communicacyon, it was so gostly and fruteful.” (Ch. 69).

v Master Allen is credited with indexing St. Bridget of Sweden’s revelations and prophecies, and thus has a general inclination toward female mysticism.

Negative:

v Unlike the priest-scribe, Master Allen’s falling out with Margery seems to have been against his will by order of the Provincial of his friary.

Ø When Master Allen is admonished by the Provincial and ordered “that he schulde no mor spekyn wyth hir ne enformyn hir in no textys of Scriptur,” Master Allen takes these orders as “ful peynful, for, as he seyd to sum personys, he had levar a lost an hundryd pownd, yyf he had an had it, than hir communicacyon, it was so gostly and fruteful.” (Ch. 69).

Ø By contrast, the priest-scribe refuses to communicate with Margery but seldom by his own volition: “Than was ther so evel spekyng of this creatur and of hir wepyng that the prest durst not for cowardyse speke wyth her but seldom, ne not wold wryten as he had behestyd unto the forseyd creatur. And so he voyded and deferryd the wrytyng of this boke wel onto a fourth yer
or ellys mor, notwythstandyng the creatur cryed often on hym therfor. At the last he seyd onto hir that he cowd not redyn it, wherfor he wold not do it. He wold not, he seyd, put hym in perel therof.” (Proem, emphasis added).

v Though Allen does seem to have a general inclination toward female mysticism, his general renown for such work as the indexing of St. Bridget of Sweden’s revelations does not correspond with Margery’s priest-scribe’s anonymity.

v Master Allen is referred to by several descriptors, but never specifically as “priest” as is Margery’s scribe.

Ø “Whyte Frer” – indicating Allen’s status as a Carmelite friar (first usage in Proem).

Ø “Doctowr of dyvynité” - indicates that Alan has been university educated and has received a doctorate in theology. The Barry Windeatt edition of the Book cites that Allen was educated at Cambridge (first usage in Ch. 9).

Ø “Worthy clerk” – meaning “cleric,” a member of a religious order (see cleric Catholic Encyclopedia; first usage in Ch. 69).

v In the Proem, a White Friar – presumably Master Allen – urges Margery to write, but Margery refuses.

Ø “notwythstondyng this creatur had greet cownsel for to don wryten hir tribulacyons and hir felingys, and a Whyte Frer proferyd hir to wryten frely yf sche wold. And sche was warnyd in hyr spyrit that sche schuld not wryte so sone.”

v In order to have served as Margery’s scribe, Allen would have to have been alive in 1438-9 (the re-writing of Book I commenced in 1438, Book II in 1439), during which he would have been 90 and 91 years of age. While this is possible, it is highly unlikely (Bolton, Master Alan the Man)

PASSAGES

Involving Master Allen

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