John Colet and a Lost Manuscript of 1506

Abstract

John Colet, the humanist, attempted clerical reform early in his tenure as Dean of St Paul's (1505 -19), by reminding certain members of the cathedral personnel of the existing statutes and by seeking to impose some visitation injunctions upon them. A 1506 manuscript, containing details of these efforts, is now lost. This article examines the contents of the manuscript, which are known from a nineteenth-century transcription, and investigates the minor clergy, whom it concerned. It also discusses the possible whereabouts of the original manuscript; Colet's possible motivation for writing the proposals; the reaction to Colet's ideas; and how his clerical colleagues perceived Colet. The article concludes that Colet's inappropriate approach to reform hindered his success.