Marriage, Family and Law in Medieval Europe: Collected Studies (review)

Reviews 255 have aimed to popularise it with this volume. They provide a lively and readable translation of Hugh's chronicle, based on the recent edition by Huygens (Monumenta Vizetiacensia, in Corpus Christianorum, Continuatio Medievatis), quite sparingly annotated but with all 'contentious or interesting or significant' phrases given in Latin as well as English. The annals and charters are partly translated and partly calendared, while other relevant sources are included as appendices. The introductory sections are thorough and detailed, and there are supplementary thematic essays by E. L. Cox. A m o n g the other pedagogical materials are maps, an extensive bibliography, topical and terminological indexes, and a series of 'questions for analysis' or discussion topics for students. This translation is probably not for the beginning student; the introduction and thematic essays presuppose a fair degree of knowledge and the text itseti is lengthy and detailed. But it wtil be an excellent source for more advanced students, w h o wtil find it a rewarding dossier on the tensions and reaUties of medieval urban life. Toby Burrows Scholars' Centre The University of Western Australia Library Sheehan, Michael M., Marriage, Family and Law in Medieval Europe: Collected Studies, ed. James K. Farge, with an Introduction by Joel T. Rosenthal, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1996; cloth; pp. xxxi, 330; R.R.P. US$45.00, £29.00. This collection of essays by the late Fr Michael Sheehan represents a cross-section of his historical research and preoccupations spanning a career of more than thirty years. For scholars, the volume's interest is twofold. In terms of its content, Sheehan's original work on the theoretical development and practical implementation of canon law affecting marital and familial relationships retains its value and relevance for researchers. In addition, the studies gathered here and arranged chronologicaUy to document the shifting emphases in Sheehan's research and gradual articulation of his conclusions (p. xiii) iUuminate the shape of a varied and productive scholarly career. A 256 Reviews lucid introduction by Joel Rosenthal and the inclusion of a bibliography of Sheehan's work serve to locate these sixteen essays within the whole of Sheehan's writings and indicate the breadth and depth of his literary output. The studies in Marriage, Family and Law in Medieval Europe range widely through time, with essays treating subjects from the sixth to the fifteenth centuries, and broaden out from England to continental Europe in their geographical focus. A glance at the table of contents reveals a list of topics of seemingly similar diversity: medieval wiUs; w o m e n and their property rights; marriage theory, practice and rituals; family in England and Europe. Yet, as the title conveys, the collection is framed by Sheehan's preoccupation with the elaboration of canon laws which impinged on the family (and particularly marriage) and its diffusion throughout secular society. Rosenthal's observation that an investigation of 'the Church's contribution to the structure and function of secular society' characterised much of Sheehan's work (p. xvi) suggests a thematic constant to unite the shifting concerns evident in this collection. The essays in this collection might be regarded as 'staging posts' in the process of Sheehan's research and reflection throughout his career. Certain articles among the collection appear as preliminary forays into an area of research or suggest a framework and directions for future researchers. The latter approach is iUustrated by the 1978 article 'Choice of Marriage Partner in the Middle Ages' (pp. 87-117), which compared ideas concerning marriage in canonical and theological writings to those in pastoral manuals, suggesting that studies of sermons and drama would offer further iUumination between theory and practice. Similarly, in his 1991 essay 'Maritalis affectio Revisited' (pp. 262-77), Sheehan drew on a variety of materials to elucidate the emotional relationship between spouses and concluded that there was m u c h more work to be done toward a fuUer understanding of this aspect of marriage. Possibly the most enduringly relevant items in this collection are those which foreground Sheehan's meticulous and detailed research. One of the highlights of this collection is the 1971 study, "The Formation and Stability of Marriage in Fourteenth...