Even without the verbal pyrotechnics of Henry’s Latin verses, the seven Lives make for quite rewarding reading. Henry’s goal of making Latin epics of saints’ lives (especially apparent in the Lives of Francis, Oswald, Birinus, and Guthlac) leads to interesting authorial choices, especially apparent when these Lives are read against their sources (and Townsend does a nice job of indicating some of the major points of deviation). These two volumes are sure to delight not simply those who study Latin poetry, but also anyone interested in medieval hagiography in all its various forms.
Laura Ackerman Smoller
The Medieval Review
