Books may have a single author, but they are made with the help of many others; the present one is no exception. First among those to whom thanks is due is Sylvain Piron, who read multiple drafts of this work over multiple years while it was still very much in development. My personal gratitude likewise extends to Olivier Boulnois, Elsa Marmursztejn, Roberto Lambertini, and William Short who also offered valuable comments and priceless encouragement on an earlier version of the text. Indeed, much of the research was done with the material resources provided by the Collegium Sancti Bonaventurae, and I am both grateful and humbled to be a part of so rich a tradition. Additionally, I am indebted to Steven McMichael, the series editor, and Marcella Mulder, the associate editor at Brill, for their support in bringing this project to completion. Above all, I want to thank my family, who invested so much in my education; it is that same education which made this book possible, and so it is only right that it be dedicated to them.