"Many of Aelred's writings have autobiographical elements, including all those presented here. Spiritual Friendship, A Certain Marvelous Miracle, and Teachings for Recluses were completed in the last years of Aelred's life. A Pastoral Prayer, too, has usually been dated to this late period, but it could well be a much earlier work, written on the occasion of his election as abbot of Revesby in 1143 or as abbot of Rievaulx in 1147. It is an excellent introduction to Aelred as a person, an abbot, and a thinker, so it appears first. Pastoral Prayer is packed with biblical citations and allusions and draws inspiration from writings on the similar themes by Abbot John of Fe̹camp (d. 1070), Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury (1033/4-1109), and Aelred's fellow Cistercian abbot William of Saint-Thierry (ca. 1080-1148), behind all of which stands Augustine in his Confessions. It is nonetheless highly personal, its presentation elegant and powerful. Aelred's most popular work in the Middle Ages, Spiritual Friendship, was completed sometime between 1164 and Aelred's death in early 1167. The foundation is Cicero's On Friendship, frequently quoted and alluded to throughout. The second and third books of Spiritual Friendship are rich in positive and negative examples of friendship drawn from scripture, especially the historical books of the Hebrew Bible. Aelred frequently quotes or cites Ambrose of Milan's On Duties and Augustine's Confessions as well as other pagan and Christian authors. But Aelred does more than pile up quotations, references, and examples. Instead he creates a work of synthesis on the power of any friendship that has its origins and purpose in Christ. A Certain Marvelous Miracle is a brief narrative that is closer to Aelred's historical writings than to the other three texts in this book, which recounts events that took place around 1160 and were recorded two or three years later. It is a shocking story of sex and violence; however, Aelred saw this as a miracle story, not a tawdry tale but a manifestation of God's power and grace. Aelred's guide for women leading a solitary religious life, Teachings for Recluses, also dates to the abbot's last years. The work is addressed to the abbot's sister, who has had long experience as a recluse, and she is urged to share its contents with young women aspiring to this way of life. At the end, Aelred notes that the text is divided into three parts: one about the outer self, one about the inner self, and finally a guide to meditation designed to increase devotion to God. Teachings for Recluses is a highly inventive work, combining several elements into a harmonious whole. Some of the first section reads like a monastic rule, and the remarks on the inner life and youthful transgressions are in keeping with both traditional and more novel themes in Christian spirituality. At the same time, the description of the failings of some recluses is excellent satire"--