5 - The Form of Living

Summary

Addressed in many of its manuscripts to ‘Margaret’ and in Longleat MS 29 to ‘Margareta de Kyrkby’, The Form of Living almost certainly dates from the last year of Rolle's life (1348–9) and is addressed to a young woman recluse, probably at the beginning of her enclosure as an anchoress. The Officium refers to a disciple of Rolle's called ‘Margareta’ lectio viijta); a ‘Margaret la Boteler nun of Hampole’ is recorded in December 1348 as being enclosed at East Layton (near Richmond, North Yorkshire); and a ‘Margaret de Kirkeby recluse’ is recorded in January 1357 as being allowed to remove her enclosure from East Layton to Ainderby. Such evidence for a date late in Rolle's career accords with The Form's maturity in its spiritual direction to the female solitary. The first six chapters linger over general admonitions which perhaps betray Rolle's anxiety about his young pupil (especially in the warnings against over-abstinence). With chapter 7, beginning Amore langueo (‘I languish for love … ’), Rolle passes on to devote the second half of The Form to a consideration of spiritual love and contemplative life, directed to a reader whose life was to be devoted to contemplation. Here – in a rhapsodic style and rhythm – are: an exposition, expanded from Emendatio Vitae, of the three degrees of love; definitions in reply to questions about love (ch. 10); and a conclusion on contemplative life (ch. 12).