Laurent de Premierfait

incl. ref.

His name no longer figures among the great translators of history, yet, in his time and in the century that followed his death, Laurent de Premierfait`s work was widely disseminated and appreciated by the nobility of several European countries. The impressive number of manuscripts still remaining attests to his popularity and his widespread appeal. Although scholars disagree on the exact figures, it seems that there are at least one hundred and thirty copies of his translations still to be found in various libraries of Europe and United States. For the historian, his translations reveal a great deal about the attitudes and methods of translators at the end of the Middle Ages. Better yet, he wrote copious prefaces and prologues about the art of translating in which he expounded at length about his views and intentions. Thanks to these introductions and to the translations themselves, we can trace his development and draw a clearer pictures of the prevailing views of translation al the time.