John Bale (d. 1563) — c. 1540–1550; English

Title

John Bale (d. 1563) — c. 1540–1550; English

Shelfmark

MS. Selden Supra 41

Place of origin

English

Date

c. 1540–1550

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

paper

Binding

Stamped brown leather re-backed, clasps lost, Cambridge 16th cent. work (worn and repaired) by Nicholas Spierinck in 1540 (?).

Acquisition

Acquired by the Bodleian in 1659

Provenance

Norwich, Norfolk, Carmelite convent: (MLGB3: inferred evidence).

Written between 1524 and 1530, see fol. 190r–v: on fol. 190v the date 1530 has been added. Throughout in the hand of John Bale. Binding with Nicholas Spierink's rolls I and II: these are not found on any binding later than 1529, so far as is known. (MLGB3)

John Selden, 1584–1654

Title

Collections by bp. John Bale

Shelfmark

MS. Selden Supra 41

Summary

Collections by bp. John Bale (d. 1563) relating to the Carmelite order, see nos. MS. Bodl. 73, no. 27636 (which is now lost), MS. Selden Supra 72:

Fol. 18. 'Oracio fratris Martini persone Ytali Carmelite in laudem sue religionis habita apud Agrigentum in Cecilia in capitulo prouinciali'.

Fols. 23, 39. Speeches, verses, letters, etc., of Baptista Mantuanus (d. 1516), with (fols. 59, 63) epitaphs and verses on him, all in Latin. At fols. 36v, 38, 38v are short poems of Fortunatus, Sedulius, and Aldhelm; fols. 59v-62, 65 contain short poems by Jodocus Badius Ascensius (cf. fol. 222v) and others, chiefly epitaphs.

Fol. 75. 'Johannis Paleonydori Bactaui (sic) Carmelitani Manuale de inicio titulo et confirmacione ordinis Carmelitici', with prefaces and index of saints.

Fol. 86v. 'Tractatulus fratris Iohannis Currificis conuentus Spirensis ... de quibusdam sanctis viris et feminis ordinis Carmelitarum', composed about A.D. 1510.

Fol. 92. 'Dyalogus inter Directorem et Detractorem de ordine Carmelitarum fratris Iohannis de Hildeshem . ..': followed at fol. 105v by verses of the same 'contra Detractorem ...'.

Fol. 107. 'Cronica seu Fasciculus temporum ordinis Carmelitarum ex variis ... [auctoribus] collectus' per Johannem Baleum, signed at end' Johannes Baleus': pref. beg. 'Sacra religio fratrum', text beg. 'Helias Thesbites vatum sui temporis prepositus': the latest date mentioned is 1539. Bale's autobiography, with a list of his works, is at fol. 195.

Fol. 197. 'Legende quedam abbreviate sanctorum patrum ordinis Deifere Virginis Marie de Monte Carmeli': beg. 'Andreas Corsinus ex priore'.

Fol. 221. 'Liber de patronatu beate ... Virginis Marie de Monte Carmelo ... fratris Arnoldi Bostii... conuentus Gandensis', with preface, verses, list of chapters, and (fol. 11) index.

Fol. 316. Short treatises:

Fol. 316 'De illustribus viris ordinis Carmeli per Arnoldum Bostium', with preface and list of chapters

Fol. 327 'Epistole aliquot ... Arnoldi Bostii'

Fol. 331 'Collectarius quidam paruus quarundam notabilium sentenciarum ordinem Carmeli respiciencium a ... Arnoldo Bostio ... varie collectus', sive 'cronice breues'

Fol. 338 'Tractatus reprobacionum quinque mendaciorum in Cronica Anthonini archiepiscopi contra ordinem Carmelitarum positorum, fratris Iohannis Leydis Harlemensis ...', with prologue

Fol. 341v Legenda Sanctorum ordinis Carmeli

Fol. 366v 'Cathalogus Parhisiensium doctorum quorundam ordinis Carmeli, per Johannem Trissam Nemausensem ... a Johanne Bareto Anglo reuisus limatus et tersus', with a supplement

Fol. 376 'Sequentem de illustribus Carmeli patribus cathalogum [metricum] Laurencius Burellus Diuionensis ... edidit': beg. 'Si cupis illustres'.

Fol. 386. 'Cathalogus priorum generalium ordinis Carmelitarum collectus per Iohannem Baleum Sudouolgum': beg. 'Bertoldus Lemouicarum Aquitanie': ends with Johannes Balistarius: see MS. Selden Supra 72, item 2.

On fols. 17, 315v are light reversed impressions of prints from woodengravings of Albertus, patriarch of Jerusalem (d. 1214), and Baptista Mantuanus. Fols. 2, 400 are fly-leaves from a 13th cent. Latin medical treatise.

This volume was probably written in 1540. The date 1539 occurs on fol. 194v, where dr. John Byrd's election in that year to the bishopric of Bangor is mentioned, but not his promotion to Chester in 1541. And Bale left England in 1540, and no binding of Spierinck's is known later than c. 1540, while there is no sign that Bale wrote in a volume ready bound.

Date

Written by John Bale about A.D. 1540-1550

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On paper, binding, stamped brown leather re-backed, clasps lost, Cambridge 16th century work (worn and repaired) by Nicholas Spierinck in 1540 (?)

Physical extent

402 Leaves

Custodial history

Manuscript 3444 acquired by the Bodleian Library