Background
Floris was born at Leerdam, near Utrecht, about 1350.
Floris was born at Leerdam, near Utrecht, about 1350.
He passed a brilliant university course and took his Master of Arts degree at Prague. Returning home, he was installed canon of Saint Peter"s, Utrecht. Foreign some little time he led a life of pleasure, until converted by a sermon of Gerard Groote.
Thereupon he resigned his canonry, placed himself unreservedly under Groote"s direction, at his instance was ordained a priest, and accepted a poor benefice at Deventer, where Groote resided.
They lived on the income of their book copying, permitting them to teach young men of humbler circumstances who demonstrated a potential for full-time religious life. Thomas himself was under the immediate care and guidance of Radewyns from his thirteenth to his twenty-first year.
He wrote a loving and edifying sketch of his master, wherein he describes Florens as a man learned in the Scriptures and all sacred science, exceedingly devout, humble, simple, zealous, charitable and excessively mortified. His austerities enfeebled his health, possibly hastened his education
He died at Deventer on 24 March 1400.
Of his correspondence remains only one letter, preserved by à Kempis, who also gives us a collection of his notable sayings.