A Ryght Profytable Treatyse Compendiously Drawen Out Of Many and Dyvers

Betson, ThomasProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.9
Word count
48K words
Chapters
5

Tags

English Originals Traditional MedicineSocial ConductMoral CultivationDocument CompilationMedieval TextsAncient StyleReligious ExhortationReligious Text

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Ryght Profytable Treatyse Compendiously Drawen Out Of Many and DyversAuthor: Betson, Thomas,Language: English, Class: BV: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Practical theology, Worship, Release Date: Oct 2, 2005

Editor's review

This book is an Old English religious admonitory text by Thomas Betson. Its title means "a very profitable treatise compendiously drawn out of many and diverse [sources]," and it was released as a public-domain e-book by Project Gutenberg. In classification terms, it belongs to literature on Christian practical theology and worship, and its content bears the typical features of late medieval to early modern English religious writing: it consists mainly of exhortation, admonition, and devotional guidance, and its language is archaic, with spelling not modernized. For ordinary readers, the main barrier to reading this book comes from Old English vocabulary and syntax rather than from its length. Its value lies in offering a sample for observing the evolution of English religious prose, and it is also suitable as primary material for readers studying admonitory literature, the history of religious publishing, and the reception history of Old English. Because it lacks modern annotation and an introduction, the book is better suited to readers with experience in reading Old English or those willing to read slowly with the aid of reference works. If used as devotional reading, attention should be paid to the differences between its historical context and contemporary practice.

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Reading tips

  1. First read the title page and table of contents to confirm the text's structure and themes, then decide which chapters to read closely.
  2. Prepare an Old English dictionary or online glossary, and work through the text sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, without striving for speed.
  3. Secondary research on English admonitory texts before and after the Reformation may be consulted to understand its historical position.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

FAQ

Is this book in modern English or Old English? Judging from the title and the background of its composition, the book retains Old English spelling and syntax and is not a modern English retelling. Readers need some preparation in reading Old English or the aid of dictionaries and annotation tools. If only the general idea is sought, secondary research can be read first to understand its content framework.
Is it suitable for use as daily devotional reading? It is not very suitable to be used directly as modern devotional reading. This book is a historical text; its context and theological expression are distant from contemporary practice, and it lacks a modern introduction. If reading for devotional purposes, it is advisable also to consult contemporary annotated editions or related research to avoid understanding it apart from its historical context.
Does the e-book have modern annotation? According to the materials, this book is a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg, with no modern annotation or introduction observed. Readers need to prepare their own reference works or combine them with materials on religious history and Old English studies to assist their reading.

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About the author

Betson, Thomas Author

Thomas Betson is an author about whom very little public information is available. Almost nothing can be confirmed about his life: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are all absent from reliable records. Only one work by him is held in the collection, A Ryght Profytable Treatyse Compendiously Drawen Out Of Many and Dyvers. Judging from the early modern English spelling in the title, the book was probably written in the early modern period and is a practical compilation, its title promising useful material drawn concisely from many and various sources. Works of this kind were typically written in a plain, practical style for ordinary readers, emphasizing the excerpting and transmission of knowledge rather than the construction of an original system. Given the limited material, it is difficult to assess Betson's standing or influence in his own time, and the circulation of his writings awaits further research; this entry therefore offers only a brief record of the surviving work.