Legrand’s major work, the Sophilogium, his "collection on wisdom," was completed in 1400. It was proposed as an encyclopaedic guide to the virtuous life of wisdom for all levels in society. There still remain 105 manuscripts of Sophilogium, and copies of twenty different printed editions.
For the next two hundred years it was one of the most widely distributed ascetical tracts in the Christian world, and undoubtedly exerted a great influence on the minds of many people.
The Sophilogium was a storehouse of quotations by both ancient Classical authors and Christian writers. As already stated, he copied many of the quotes from previous books of this type. Given the nature and the contents of the Sophilogium, Legrand was definitely an editor rather than an author.
What he had compiled were obviously the quotations that appealed to him personally, and he would have used them in his preaching.
Indeed, one purpose of such a book was to provide preachers with a ready reference source to quotations they could include in their sermons.
It was research work he did while studying, hence it is not completely surprising that he produced no known writing after his studies had ended.
The Sophilogium is divided into ten books ("chapters"). The first two give a short introduction to classical knowledge. Books 3-6 develop the Christian teaching on virtue and vice, and contain a treatise on the seven deadly sins.
Book 7 is a contemplation of death and judgment. Books 8-10 develop the special duties of each state in life - the clergy, the temporal rulers, and the "common people."
The number of manuscript copies is very large, and it was printed as a book at least twenty times before the year 1500.
By way of summary, it can be said that Legrand’s writings, especially his principal work, Sophilogium, demonstrated his ability to harmonize an appreciation of the values of cultural antiquity with the postulates of the Christian faith. His rapport with antiquity was far from merely utilitarian.
He did not propose the simple subordination of classical culture to the service of the Church. Instead, persuaded that the aspirations of humanism extended to all sectors of contemporary life, he integrated what was truly great and beautiful in classical antiquity with traditional Christian thought.
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