John Audelay — 15th century, second quarter; English
MS. Douce 302
Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Description
From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.
Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries contains descriptions of all known Western medieval manuscripts held in the Bodleian Libraries, and of medieval manuscripts in selected Oxford colleges. Learn more.
Title
John Audelay — 15th century, second quarter; English
Shelfmark
MS. Douce 302
Place of origin
English
Date
15th century, second quarter
Language
Middle English (1100-1500)
Contents
Form
codex
Support
parchment
Physical extent
ii + 36leaves, in double columns
Acquisition
Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1834
Provenance
Launde, Leicestershire, Augustinian priory of St John the Baptist: On fol. 35r, erased: "The owner of thys boke who ...". (MLGB3: evidence from an inscription of ownership by an individual member of a religious house (which may not, however, be evidence for institutional ownership)).
Rich. Farmer. (MLGB3)
First 3 quires missing. A second erased inscr. on fol. 35r records ownership by William Vyott 'a mynstrall yn Coventr''. The last 14 lines of verse on fol. 35r: 'No man þis book he take away ... cuius anime propicietur deus', are added in a hand diff. from that of the text. (MLGB3)
Francis Douce, 1757–1834
View full record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
From Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts.
Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts contains descriptions of the Bodleian Libraries’ archival collections, including post-1500 manuscripts. Some manuscripts with records in other catalogues are also described here as part of a description of a larger archive. Learn more.
Title
Religious poems and legends by 'Jon Awdelay', a blind and deaf canon of Haughmond abbey, of Austin Canons, in Shropshire
Shelfmark
MS. Douce 302
Summary
They are very fully described in the 1840 Catalogue, and some have been printed by the Percy Society (1844), vol. 14. At least eleven leaves are lost at the beginning (see note on fol. 2), but the following colophon on fol. 22v may cover all that is written up to that point, ' Finito libro sit laus & gloria Christo | Liber vocatur. Concilium Conciencie sic nominatur | Aut Scala Celi & Vita [Via?] Salutis eterni | Iste liber fuit compositus per Johannem Awdelay capellanum, qui fuit secus & surdus in sua visitacione ... in monasterio de Haghmon. Anno Domini millesimo ccccmo vicesimo vjto cuius anime propicietur Deus.' Some prose is on fols. 32-3, and a colophon in verse on fol. 35, beg. 'Thus conseles Jon the blynde Awdelay | ... | The furst prest to the lord Strange he was | Of thys chauntre here in thys place | ...': i.e. Richard Lestrange, lord Strange of Knockin, d. abt. 1449. One poem is 'de Epistola ... Ihesu Christi de Die Dominica' (fol. 16). An old engraving of hawking is pasted on the inside of the last cover.
'Iste liber pertinet haue thys in mynde | To William Vyott bothe kurteous and kynde | A mynstrall yn Coventr there yow schall hym fynde' (15th cent.): 'The owner of thys boke who lyst to demawnd | Jhon Barkre hyt ys a chanon of Lawnd | Gyvyn to hym hyt was with a gud mynd | By on Wyatt a mynstral bothe curtess' & [kynd] | Hyt ys fre for all ... hyt to rede [?] I But he that steyls hyt may the Devyl ...' (15th cent.). There is also a late 15th cent. epitaph and rhyme on a licentious friar named Andrew.
Date
written in about the second quarter of the 15th cent.
Language
English
Physical facet
On parchment, imperfect
Physical extent
36 leaves, in double columns
Custodial history
Owned by dr. Rich. Farmer, who has written a note on fol. ii.
View full record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
Collection contents
Religious poems and legends by 'Jon Awdelay', a blind and deaf canon of Haughmond abbey, of Austin Canons, in Shropshire
