Preface

This issue of Florilegium is dedicated to its originator and longtime editor, Dr Douglas J. Wurtele, professor emeritus of Carleton University in Ottawa. The Canadian Society of Medievalists/Societe canadienne des medievistes takes great pleasure in this opportunity to mark the scholarly achievements and professional contributions to medieval studies of one of its best-known and most respected members. With the support of several enthusiastic colleagues, Dr Wurtele began Florilegium more than twenty years ago as an interdisciplinary journal for classical and medieval studies. For a long time, that journal was one of the few venues in which Canadian medievalists might communicate with one another. It is not surprising then that, given his dedication to fostering medieval studies in Canada, Dr Wurtele became one of the earliest active supporters of the new Canadian Society of Medievalists/Societe canadienne des medievistes when it was first organised in 1993. The association of Florilegium with the Society was proposed almost from the beginning, when Dr Wurtele made a very generous offer to the Society that would be of enormous benefit to both the journal and CSM/SCM. It was expected then that he would continue to edit Florilegium and that the Society would be able to rely on his wide experience in running a scholarly journal. His expertise had also been conspicuous during his very successful tenure as editor of English Studies in Canada for the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English (ACCUTE). Unfortunately, Dr Wurtele had to resign as editor because of ill health. Despite this setback, he worked as hard as ever to complete the final issue under his direction and turned over to our new editor, Dr Jane Toswell, a smoothly-functioning journal.