Dan Michel of Northgate facts for kids
Dan Michel of Northgate was an English writer who was active around the year 1340. He is best known for writing a book called Ayenbite of Inwyt.
About Dan Michel
We don't know much about Dan Michel, except what we can learn from his book. He was from Northgate, which is a place in the city of Canterbury in Kent, England. He was also a brother (a type of monk) at the St Augustine's monastery in Canterbury.
His Main Work: Ayenbite of Inwyt
Dan Michel's only known book is Ayenbite of Inwyt. This title means "The Remorse of Conscience" or "The Prick of Conscience." It's a direct translation of a French book called La Somme des Vices et des Vertus (which means 'The Sum of Vices and Virtues').
The original French book was written in 1279 by Laurentius Gallus. He was a Dominican monk and a spiritual advisor to Philip III of France, who was the King of France at the time. This French book was very popular. It was translated into many languages, including Flemish, Catalan, Spanish, and Italian. There were even several other English translations of it.
The Original Manuscript
Dan Michel's own handwritten copy of Ayenbite of Inwyt still exists today! It is kept safe in the British Library and is known as Arundel MS 57. This manuscript tells us that Dan Michel finished his work in 1340.
This old book is very important to people who study language. It's a great example of the old English language spoken in the Kent area during the 1300s. It helps us understand how English was used back then.
