The Birgittines of Syon Abbey: Preaching and Print by Susan Powell (review)

This volume is the eleventh in the Texts and Transitions series, which is inspired by the ideals and aims of the Early Book Society. In this respect, The Birgittines of Syon Abbey focuses on the transition from manuscript to print, largely through examining extant sermons and the (at times limited) evidence of the libraries at Syon Abbey to explore the important role of print in the Syon Birgittine Community, from its founding until its dissolution in the sixteenth century.

During the ten years of the book's genesis, scholarly interest in and publication on Syon Abbey and its books has increased dramatically; it is disappointing, then, that this book draws so heavily on Powell's previously published works from 1998 onwards, as explained in the Foreword. Chapter 1, the only entirely original chapter, describes the background to the community at Syon including details on its founding, the important role of the monarchy, and the centrality of texts to the Order. Chapter 2 focuses on what can be gleaned about sermons given by the well-educated brothers at Syon, both to the sisters and to the public, as part of the community's emphasis on outreach. The chapter remains 'substantially as published' (and freely available online) in Powell's article of 2000, 'Preaching at Syon Abbey' (Leeds Studies in English, n.s. 31, 229–67), with two paragraphs removed.

Chapters 3 and 4 consider specific sermons in more depth, examining the likelihood of their gestation at Syon. These chapters consist largely of Powell's article on Cox Manuscript 39, with some reformatting (Medieval Sermon Studies, 52 (2008), 42–62). Also republished from this article is a fascinating appendix of the sermons in the manuscript described, which further serves to illuminate discussions of the elusive practicality of the writing of Syon sermons. Chapter 5 considers the role of manuscript and print at Syon, with particular emphasis on the potential republishing in print of works to defend the orthodoxy in view of reformist attacks of the 1520s and 1530s.

Chapter 6 is a conflation of various different published articles which discuss the role of Lady Margaret Beaufort as a patron of print, of Syon, as well as of the Carthusian Abbey of Sheen. Powell emphasizes the importance of this work to scholars, whose interest may not have been piqued by their former titles which made no mention of Syon Abbey. The final chapter considers Syon in the reign of Henry VIII and the immediate aftermath of the Dissolution, with particular interest in the survival and dispersal of Syon books as surviving members of the community went into exile. This is followed by a significant reference section, including two appendices, a bibliography, index of sources, and a general index. Unfortunately, the final chapter offers little in the way of a conclusion to the book as a whole.

The substantial reuse of previously published material is managed by including a short headword and afterword to each chapter, the former providing details of the original article, the latter of further research since. While helpful to the reader, occasionally the headwords read more as notes to the printer (for example when explaining how the original Cox MS 39 article has been divided for inclusion). Equally, the afterwords are uneven, depending on whether any further research has been undertaken. In one case (chapter 4) some of this information would have been more relevant included within the main text. In another (chapter 2), Powell asserts that her initial approach to the task as published in the original 2000 article now 'seems rather jejune' (p. 75); the reader is left to wonder what further insights the scholar has now gained as a result of her experience and reflection.

Square brackets are used to mark additions to the previously published text (footnotes are rarely updated). The additions are limited; a full quotation is added, some arguments are briefly expanded and in...