Nicholas Love (monk)

Nicholas Love (died 1424) was an English Carthusian monk and mystical writer. He served as the prior of Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire, the first Carthusian house established in England.

Love is best known for his work, The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ. This devotional treatise, written in Middle English, was commissioned by Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, around 1410. Arundel sought a work that would counteract the influence of the Lollards, followers of John Wycliffe, who were promoting their own English translations of the Bible and interpretations of scripture.

The Mirror is a paraphrase and adaptation of the Meditationes Vitae Christi (Meditations on the Life of Christ), a Latin work traditionally attributed to St. Bonaventure, although its authorship is now debated. Love's Mirror was explicitly intended for a lay audience, particularly those who could not read Latin. It focuses on the life of Jesus Christ, emphasizing his humanity and offering practical guidance for Christian living.

Arundel approved The Mirror and required that it be disseminated widely throughout England. It became one of the most popular devotional works in late medieval England, serving as an orthodox counterpoint to Lollard teachings. Love's work aimed to provide a reliable and accessible understanding of Christian doctrine, grounded in traditional religious authority.

Love's Mirror survives in numerous manuscript copies, indicating its widespread use. It was also printed by William Caxton in 1484, further solidifying its importance in English religious culture. His work demonstrates a commitment to orthodox Christianity and a desire to make religious knowledge available to a wider audience. While little is known about Love's personal life beyond his monastic career and authorship of The Mirror, his contribution to English religious literature is significant.