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The Golden Legend (Aurea Legenda)
Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, 1275
Englished by William Caxton, 1483

Historians interested in the "real lives" of individual saints value the earliest texts above all others. But for assessing the later cult of saints in Western Europe the Golden Legend  Jacobus de Voragine, writing about 1260, achieved   dominance in later western hagiographical literature - about 900 manuscripts of his Golden Legend survive. From 1470 to 1530 it was also the most often printed book in Europe. 

Thanks to the efforts of Robert Blackmon, the Medieval Sourcebook can now make available the full text of the seven volume edition published by Temple Classics in 1900. That was based on an older English translation by William Caxton, but with a text modernized by F.S. Ellis. Any notes in [square brackets] were added for this etext.

To make the text as useful as possible to readers, the Golden Legend is available here in two forms: a very large files for each of the volumes, and (eventually) by chapter. This page is the overall Index for the online version of the text.

Volume 1 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• Prologue
• The Golden Legend
• The Advent of our Lord, 4
• The Nativity of our Lord, 11
• The Circumcision of our Lord, 13
• The Feast of the Epiphany, 18
• Septuagesma, 23
• Sexagesima, 25
• Quinquagesima, 26
• Quadragesima, 27
• The Ember Days, 28
• The Passion of our Lord, 29
• The Resurrection, 38
• The Litanies More and Lesser, 44
• The Ascension of our Lord, 47
• The Feast of Pentecost, 53
• The Feast of the Holy Sacrament [Feast of Corpus Christi], 61
• The Feast of Dedication of the Temple, 65
• The History of Adam, 74
• The History of Noah, 79
• The History of Abraham, 82
• The History of Isaac and his two sons, Esau and Jacob, 90
• The History of Joseph, 100
• The Story of Moses, 112
• The Ten Commandments, 123
• Glossary, 130

Volume 2 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• The History of Joshua, 3
• The History of Saul, 3
• The History of David, 14
• The History of Solomon, 20
• The History of Rehoboam, 24
• The History of Job, 25
• The Life of S. Tobit, 27
• The Life of S. Judith, 36
• The Life of S. Andrew, 42
• The Life of S. Nicholas, 49
• The Feast of the Conception of our Lady, 55
• The Lives of SS. Gentian, Fulcian, and Victorice, 58
• The Life of S. Lucy, 59
• The Life of S. Nicasius, 61
• The Life of S. Thomas the Apostle, 62
• The Life of S. Anastasia, 67
• The Life of S. Eugenia, 68
• The Life of S. Stephen, 68
• The Life of S. John the Evangelist, 72
• The History of the Holy Innocents, 79
• The Life of S. Thomas of Canterbury [Thomas Becket], 82
• The Life of S. Silvester, 88
• The Life of S. Paul the first Hermit, 91
• The Life of S. Remigius, 93
• The Life of Hilary, 95
• The Life of Firmin, 96
• The Life of Macarius, 97
• The Life of Felix, 99
• The Life of Marcel, 100
• The Life of Anthony [of Egypt], 100
• The Life of Fabian, 103
• The Life of Sebastian, 104
• The Life of Agnes, 109
• The Life of Vincent, 113
• The Life of Basil, 115
• The Life of John the Almoner, 120T
• The Conversion of S. Paul, 125
• Glossary,126

Volume 3 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• The Life of S. Pauline [Paula], 1
• The Life of S. Julian, 4
• The Live of S. Ignatius [of Antioch], 8
• The Purification of our Lady, 9
• The Life of S. Blase [Blaise], 13
• The Life of S. Agatha, 15
• The Life of S. Amande, 18
• The Life of S. Vedaste, 19
• The Life of S. Valentine, 20
• The Life of S. Juliana, 21
• The Chairing of S. Peter, 23
• The Life of S. Matthias, 25
• The Life of S. Gregory, 27
• The Life of S. Longinus 32
• The Life of S. Maur, 33
• The Life of S. Patrick, 35
• The Life of S. Benet [Benedict], 37
• The Life of S. Cuthbert, 43
• The Annunciation of our Lady, 45
• The Life of S. Seconde, 47
• The Life of S. Mary of Egypt, 49
• The Life of S. Ambrose, 51
• The Life of S. Alphage, 56
• The Life of S. George, 58
• The Life of S. Mark, 62
• The Life of S. Marcelin, 66
• The Life of S. Vital, 67
• The Life of S. Peter of Milan, 68
• The Life of S. Philip, 72
• The Life of S. James the Less, 73
• The Invention of the Holy Cross, 78
• The History of S. John, Port Latin, 82
• The Life of S. Gordian, 82
• The Lives of SS. Nereus and Achilleus. 83
• The Life of S. Pancrace [Pancras], 84
• The Life of S. Urban, 85
• The Life of S. Pernelle, 86
• The Life of S. Dunstan, 87
• The Life of S. Aldhelm, 89
• The Life of S. Austin that brought Christianity into England [Augustine], 90
• The Life of S. Germain, 94
• The Life of S. Peter, Deacon, 97
• The Lives of SS. Prime and Felician, 98
• The Life of S. Barnabas the Apostle, 99
• The Lives of SS. Vitus and Modestus, 102
• The Lives of SS. Quirine and Juliet, 104
• The Life of S. Marine [Marina], 104
• The Lives of SS. Gervase and Prothase, 105
• The Life of S. Edward, King and Martyr, 107
• The Lives of SS. Alban and Amphiabel, 109
• The Nativity of S. John Baptist, 116
• The Life of S. Loye, 120
• The Life of S. William, 123
• The Life of S. Eutropius, 124
• The Life of S. Marcial [Martial], 126
• The Life of S. Genevieve, 130
• Glossary, 141 

Volume 4 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• The Life of S. Maturin, 3
• The Life of S. Victor, 4
• The Lives of SS. John and Paul, 5
• The Life of S. Leo the Pope, 7
• The Life of S. Peter the Apostle,. 8
• The Life of S. Paul the Apostle, 15
• The Seven Brethren, 23
• The Life of S. Theodora, 24
• The Life of S. Swithin [Swithun], 26
• The Translation of S. Thomas of Canterbury, 28
• The Life of S. Kenelm, 30
• The Life of S. Margaret, 32
• The Life of S. Praxede, 35
• The Life of S. Mary Magdalen, 36
• The Life of S. Appollinarius,. 43
• The Life of S. Christine,  45
• The Life of S. James the More [James the Greater],  47
• The Life of S. Christopher, 53
• The Seven Sleepers [of Ephesus], 57
• The Lives of SS. Nazarien and Celsus, 60
• The Life of S. Felix, 63
• The Lives of SS. Simplician, Faustin and Beatrix, 64
• The Life of S. Martha, 64
• The Lives of SS. Abdon and Sennen,. 67
• The Life of S. Germain, 68
• The Life of S. Eusebius, 71
• The Seven Maccabees, 73
• S. Peter ad Vincula, 73
• The Life of S. Stephen the Pope, 78
• The Invention of S. Stephen, Protomartyr, 78
• The Life of S. Dominic, 82
• The Life of S. Sixtus, Pope, 94
• The Life of S. Donatus, 96
• The Life of S. Ciriacus, 97
• The Life of S. Laurence, 98
• The Life of S. Hippolytus, 107
• The Assumption of our Lady, 110
• Glossary,  127

Volume 5 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• The Life of S. Rocke [Roch, Rocco], 3
• The Life of S. Bernard [of Clairvaux], 8
• The Life of S. Timothy,16
• The Life of S. Symphorien, 16
• The Life of S. Bartholomew,17
• The Life of S. Austin of Hippo [Augustine], 23
• The Decollation of S. John Baptist [Beheading of John the Bpatist], 33
• The Life of S. Felix, 38
• The Life of S. Savien, 39
• The Life of S. Savina, 39
• The Life of S. Lowe or Lupus [Lupe], 41
• The Life of S. Mammertin, 43
• The Life of S. Giles, 44
• The Nativity of Our Lady, 47
• The Life of S. Adrian, 54
• The Life of S. Gorgone,57
• The Lives of SS. Prothus and Jacinctus, 58
• The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 60
• The Life of S. John Chrysostom, 65
• The Lives of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, 68
• The Life of S. Eufemia [Euphemia], 69
• The Life of S. Lambert, 70
• The Life of S. Matthew,71
• The Life of S. Maurice, 75
• The Life of S. Justina, 79
• The Lives of SS. Cosmo and Damian [Cosmos], 82
• The Life of S. Forsey, 84
• The Feast of S. Michael, 86
• The Life of S. Jerome, 94
• The Translation of S. Remigius, 98
• The Life of S. Logier [Ledger], 100
• The Life of S. Francis [of Asissi],101
• The Life of S. Pelagienne [Pelagia], 111
• The Life of S. Margaret, also called S. Pelagien [Pelagia/us],113
• The Life of S. Thaisis [Thais],114
• The Life of S. Denis, 116
• The Life of S. Calixtus, 120
• Glossary, 122

Volume 6 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• The Life of S. Edward the Confessor, 3
• The Life of S. Luke, 23
• The Lives of SS. Crisaunt and Daria, 29
• The Story of S. Ursula and the Virgins, 30
• The Lives of SS. Crispin and Crispinian, 33
• The Lives of SS. Simon and Jude, 35
• The Life of S. Quintin, 39
• The Life of S. Eustace [Eusthathius], 40
• The Feast of All Hallows [All Saints], 45
• The Commemoration of All Souls, 51
• The Life of S. Winifred,60
• The Life of S. Leonard, 62
• The Four Crowned Martyrs, 65
• The Life of S. Theodore,66
• The Life of S. Martin [of Tours], 66
• The Life of S. Brice, 74
• The Life of S. Clare [of Asissi], 75
• The Life of S. Barbara, 93
• The Life of S. Alexis, 96
• The Life of S. Elizabeth [of Hungary], 100
• The Life of S. Edmund, Bishop,107
• The Life of S. Hugh [of Lincoln], 112
• The Life of S. Edmund, King, 113
• The Life of S. Cecilia, 115
• The Life of S. Clement, 118
• The Life of S. Grysogoue, 125
• Glossary, 127 

Volume 7 (Complete Text in one file)

Chapter files

• The Life of S. Katherine, 4
• The Life of S. Saturnine, 17
• The Life of S. James the Martyr, 19
• The Life of the Venerable Bede, 21
• The Life of S. Dorothy, 22
• The Life of S. Brandon, 25
• The Life of S. Erkenwold, 33
• The Life of S. Pastor, 36
• The Life of the Abbot John, 38
• The Life of S. Moses, 38
• The Life of S. Arsenius, 39
• The Life of the Abbot Agathon, 41
• The Story of Barlaam and Josaphat, 42
• The Life of S. Pelagius, 51 [includes the History of the Lombards]
• The Life of S. Simeon, 67
• The Life of S. Polycarp, 70
• The Life of S. Quiriacus, 72
• The Life of S. Thomas Aquinas, 74
• The Life of S. Gaius, 77
• The Life of S. Arnold, 79
• The Life S. Turien, 82
• The Life S. Fiacre, 83
• The Life of S. Justin, 86
• The Life of S. Demetrius, 87
• The Life of S. Rigobert, 88
• The Life of S. Landry, 89
• The Life of S. Mellonin, 90
• The Life of S. Ives, 91
• The Life of S. Morant, 95
• The Life of S. Louis of France, 97
• The Life of S. Louis, Bishop, 102
• The Life of S. Aldegonde, 104
• The Life of S. Albine, 105
• The History of the Mass, 107
• The Twelve Articles of the Faith, 125
• Appendix, 128
• Life of St. Erasmus, 128
• Glossary, 132
• Index of Saints, etc., 134 (of all 7 volumes)
• General Index, 141 (of all 7 volumes)