derived his text from his immediate source, the Liber
de Natura Rerum (Book of Natural Things) by Thomas
of Cantimpré. The bestiary was commissioned by the
nobleman Nicolaas of Cats (d. 1283).
In 1271 Maerlant fi nished his Scolastica, an abridged
adaptation of Petrus Comestor’s Historia Scolastica.
To this book, of some 27,000 verses, he added an
adaptation of Flavius Josephus’ De Bello Iudaïco (On
the Jewish War). Maerlant considered the total text of
almost 35,000 verses as a single work. Probably com-
missioned by a noble patron, it was intended to serve
an audience of noble laymen (illiterati). Even though it
was not a translation of the Bible, the Scolastica marked
the beginning of the popularization of the Bible in the
Dutch language.
In the early seventies Maerlant wrote Sente Francis-
cus Leven (10,545 verses). This fairly literal translation
of the Legenda Maior of St. Bonaventure is perhaps the
fi rst vita of Saint Francis in the vernacular. Maerlant
wrote it at the request of the fratres minores (Order
of the Lesser Brothers) in Utrecht. During his career
as a poet, Maerlant composed several shorter stanzaic
poems. These lyrical texts with a didactic aim show a
fervent devotion to the Virgin Mary and a strong critical
attitude towards society.
Maerlant’s magnum opus is undoubtedly his Spiegel
Historiael. He worked from 1283 until 1288 on this
world chronicle, dedicated to Count Floris V of Holland.
The major source by this text is Vincent of Beauvais’s
Speculum Historiale but Maerlant consulted and ab-
sorbed many more sources, among them the Vulgate,
the Secreta Secretorum, De Hormesta Mundi of Orosius,
De Origine et Rebus Gestis Getarum of Jordanes, two
works by Martin of Braga (the Liber de Moribus and the
Formulae vitae honestae), Paulus Diaconus’s Historia
Miscella, the Historia Regum Brittanniae by Geoffrey
of Monmouth, as well as the Crusade chronicles by
Albert of Aken and (probably) William of Tyre. As it
has come down to us, the Spiegel Historiael (ca. 91,000
verses), is not solely from the hand of Maerlant. He had
planned a work in four parts (which he called partieën),
and he wrote the fi rst, the third, and three “books” of
the fourth part. He had postponed work on the second
part, containing the years 54–367 c.e., and never was
able to complete it. Apart from the lacuna of the second
part and the remaining “books” of part four, Maerlant
wrote a history from the Creation to the year 1113. The
Spiegel Historiael was completed by two of his younger
contemporaries, Philip Utenbroeke and Lodewijc van
Velthem. The latter added a fi fth part, bringing the his-
tory to the year 1316.
The extent and diversity of his oeuvre, and his ex-
ceptionally erudite and critical style, marks Jacob van
Maerlant as a leading author of his time whose stature
extended beyond his Dutch homeland.
See also Benoît de Sainte-Maure; Pedro Alfonso, or
Petrus Alfonsi; Peter ComesterFurther Readng
Berendrecht, Petra. Proeven van bekwaamheid. Jacob van Mae-
rlant en de omgang met zijn Latijnse bronnen. Amsterdam:
Prometheus, 1996.
Claassens, Geert H. M. “Maerlant on Muhammad and Islam.” In
Medieval Christian Perceptions of Islam. A Book of Essays,
ed. John V. Tolan. New York & London: Garland, 1996, pp.
211–242 and 361–393.
de Pauw, Napoleon, and Edward Gaillard, ed. Die Istory van
Troyen. 4 vols. Ghent: Siffer, 1889–1892.
de Vries, Matthijs, and Eelco Verwijs, ed. Jacob van Maerlant’s
Spiegel Historiael, met de fragmenten der later toegevoegde
gedeelten, bewerkt door Philip Utenbroeke and Lodewijc van
Velthem. 3 vols. Leyden: Brill, 1863–1879.
Franck, Johannes, ed. Alexanders Geesten, van Jacob van Mae-
rlant, Groningen: Wolters, 1882.
Franck, Johannes, and Jakob Verdam, ed. Jacob van Maerlants
Strophische Gedichten. Leyden: Sijthoff, 1898.
Gysseling, Maurits, ed. Corpus van Middelnederlandse teksten.
Reeks II: Literaire handschriften, Vol. 3, Rijmbijbel/tekst,
Leyden: Nijhoff, 1983.
Maximilianus, O. F. M., ed. Sinte Franciscus Leven van Jacob
van Maerlant. 2 vols. Zwolle: Tjeenk-Willink, 1954.
Sodmann, Timothy, ed. Jacob van Maerlant, Historie van den
Grale und Boek van Merline. Cologne/Vienna: Böhlau,
1980.
te Winkel, Jan. Maerlant’s werken beschouwd als spiegel van de
13de eeuw. Ghent 1892; rpt. Utrecht: HES, 1979.
van Oostrom, Frits P. Maerlants werteld. Amsterdam: Pro-
metheus, 1996.
Verdenius, Andries A., ed. Jacob van Maerlant’s Heimelijkheid
der Heimelijkheden. Amsterdam: Kruyt, 1917.
Verwijs, Eelco, ed. Jacob van Maerlant’s Naturen Bloem. 2 vols.
Groningen: Wolters, 1872–1878.
Geert H. M. ClaassensJACOBUS DA VORAGINE
(c. 1228-1298)
Jacobus da Voragine (Jacopo da Varazze) was a Domini-
can writer, administrator, and archbishop; his name sug-
gests that he or his forbears came from Varazze, a town
near Genoa. He entered the Order of Preachers—i.e., the
Dominican order—as a youth, in 1244. After complet-
ing his education, he is reputed to have distinguished
himself both as a public preacher and as a teacher of
preachers in training, and also to have been prior (local
head) of the Dominican community in Genoa. From
1267 on, his career is more clearly documented. His
fellow Dominicans repeatedly elected him prior of the
entire province of Lombardy, a post he held from 1267
to 1277 and again from 1281 to 1286. Both the order
and the papacy entrusted him with sensitive diplomatic
missions. From 1292 until his death, he was archbishop
of Genoa, and he had such an exemplary reputation in
this offi ce that he was eventually beatifi ed (in 1816).JACOB VAN MAERLANT