Ars Memorativa - The Art of Memory 1490

Translator’s Note

Torn between the desire for a polished translation and the desire to convey the atmosphere of the original (with its many faults), the latter urge has usually triumphed in this attempt at translating the ars memorativa. The original text has a number of features which do not look attractive when carried across in translation; it is often repetitive and rambling in places. Despite this I have not tried to embellish the translation to make it more attractive in English, but have tended to preserve the somewhat disjointed nature of the original. As a result the English appears unpolished in places.

Despite my best efforts the exact meaning of a number of phrases remains unclear to me. Readers with a knowledge of Early New High German are invited to offer suggestions for improvement, which I will be happy to receive.

Geoff See
The University of Newcastle
August 2003

Geoffrey.See@newcastle.edu.au