Glanvill: law, language, and identity

The chapter concentrates on the intellectual and social identity of the author of the late twelfth-century English law book known as Glanvill, by examining his context, formation and outlook. The method is twofold: first, close engagement with the text, not just what it says, but also how it says it, not just content, but also form and language; secondly, comparison, especially with Richard fitzNigel’s Dialogue of the Exchequer, but also with works from the learned law tradition, in particular the procedural manuals known as Ordines. The chapter explores the processes of composition of the treatise; the significance of its form and style as a means of establishing authority; the ways in which the author identifies with particular courts and particular sources of law; the standing given by specialist knowledge and legal authority; and finally the possible audiences, imagined and real.