Pauline (Romans–Hebrews) and Catholic (James–Jude) epistles in the Later Version of the Wycliffite Bible, with usual prologues, Apocalips of Jesu Crist — 14th century, late or 15th century, early; England

Title

Pauline (Romans–Hebrews) and Catholic (James–Jude) epistles in the Later Version of the Wycliffite Bible, with usual prologues, Apocalips of Jesu Crist — 14th century, late or 15th century, early; England

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Misc. 33

Date

14th century, late or 15th century, early

Language

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

148 leaves, c.

Hands

textura, black and brown ink

Decoration

2- to 3-line plain red initials at the beginnings of books.

2-line similar initials (sometimes with penwork) at the beginnings of prologues and chapters.

Rubrics in red ink; the beginnings of verses highlighted in red ink.

Binding

Contemporary binding, originally red (?) leather over wood boards, fragments of a strap-and-pin fastening (two ties and two pins). Fragments of several paper labels on spine.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: first donation from Laud, 22 May 1635. Former shelfmark ‘C. 9.’ (fols. i verso, 2v, 3r).

Provenance

The inclusion of the Apocalips of Jesu Crist may have been an afterthought: the quire containing the end of the epistles is shorter than normal.

Iesus eterna dulcedo Dum cor non orat in uanum lingua laborat Omne quod est nimium vertitur in vitium followed by T. M., 15th century.

John Amerie, 16th century, late or 17th century, early: This is the booke that doth pertaine To him that doth it owe; And if you doubte vppon his name here shall you see below. John Amerie (fol. 145r).

Andrew Cook, vicar of Mundon, Essex, from 1604 until his death in 1633; also owned Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Laud misc. 513 and Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Laud misc. 658 (Ogilvie-Thomson, S. J., Index of Middle English prose, 18 vols (Cambridge, 1984– ), Handlist XVI, pp. 14–15). A short description of contents on fol. 2v, including Commentarius in Apocalypsin per Joh. Wickliff (fols. 2v); notes in English verse and in Latin explaining that John Amerie bequeathed the book to his wife Dorothy Amerie by whom it was given to Andrew Cooke by the hands of John Wilson, magister; date ‘1615’ (fol. 145r). Drawing of an acorn and oak leaves with initials ‘A C’.

William Laud (1573–1645); see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Liber Guilielmi Laud Archiepiscopi Cantuar’: et Cancellarij Vniuersitatis Oxon. 1633 (fol. 3r).

Title

Epistles of St. Paul and Catholic Epistles (later Wycliffite version) and Apocalypse (English translation, with First Prologue of later Wycliffite version)

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Misc. 33

Date

15th century

Language

English

Physical facet

Contemporary binding

Physical extent

145 Leaves

Custodial history

Manuscript 2030 acquired by the Bodleian Library