710 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts, and Letters. 
wrote Ms Pelei'inojge de la vie Jiumaine which he revised in 
1335. 1 This was translated into English verse in 1426 by 
John Lydgate. 2 The book is a kind of Pilgrim’s progress giv¬ 
ing an account of the journey of Man from this world to the ce¬ 
lestial city. In the course of this journey the pilgrim is met by 
Charity who tells him of Christ’s sufferings and of how he made 
before his death his testament, which Charity says she wrote 
down and named “The trewe testament off pes.” This testa¬ 
ment she proceeds to recite for the instruction of the pilgrim. 
Jesus explains who he is and proceeds to make bequests. His 
soul he bequeaths to his Eather. His body he bequeaths to tlie 
sepulchre for three days and to true pilgrims as their chief re¬ 
past. His heart he gives to all that keep his statutes. His 
mother he leaves to St. John, and to the same disciple, his per¬ 
severance. His blood, his wounds, and his laws he leaves to 
those who have compassion of his death. Finally, his peace 
he bequeaths to all the w T orld. The testament then closes with 
a discussion of the value of peace, and urges that all testaments 
should be signed in peace and unity. This is the earliest tes¬ 
tament I know which is anything like complete. It contains 
several elements of the Will treated with considerable literary 
elaboration. One of its chief characteristics is its metaphori¬ 
cal turn. From this time forward we shall see more and more 
made of this feature. 
A passage in Gower’s Mirrour de VHomme (c. 1378) shows 
the influence of the idea that the Hew Testament was Christ’s 
Will in w 7 hich he left metaphorical gifts: 
Le fis de dieu, qant il fesoit 
Son testament, sa peas lessoit 
Au bon Saint Pierre, qu’il ama, 
Si qu’il ne se contourberoit 
Du sieole; et 1’autre en tiel endroit 
La rescut et molt bien garda, 
Qe puis apres long temps dura: 
Mais ore est change tout cela. 3 * 
i Edited by J. J. Sturzinger and Petit. 
* The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man, ed. Locock, (E. E. T. S.), Lon¬ 
don, 1904, lines 4752 ff. 
3 Macaulay, The Complete Works of John Gower, Oxford, 1899, lines 
18649 ft. 
