Numbers 20:2–Baruch 3:20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible with usual prologues, Numbers 20:2 (4?), Deuteronomy (5), Prologue to Joshua, Joshua (6), Judges (7), Ruth (8), Prologue to 1 Kings, 1 Kings (9), 2 Kings (10), 3 Kings (11), 4 Kings (12 and ezechie), Prologue to 1 Chronicles, 1 Chronicles (13), Prologue to 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles (14), Prayer of Manasseh, Prologue to 1 Ezra, Commendation of Ezra, 1 Ezra (15), 2 Ezra (16), 3 Ezra (17), Prologue to Tobit, Tobit (18), Prologue to Judith, Judith (19), Prologue to Esther, Esther (20), Prologue to Job, Job (21), Prologue to psalms, Psalms (22), Prologue to Proverbs, Proverbs (23), Prologue to Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes (24?), Song of Songs (25), Prologue to Wisdom, Wisdom (26), Prologue to Ecclesiasticus, Ecclesiasticus (27), Prologue to Isaiah, Isaiah (28), Prologue to Jeremiah, Jeremiah (29), Lamentations of Jeremiah (30?), Prayer of Jeremiah, Prologue to Baruch, Baruch (31?) — 1390s (?); England

Title

Numbers 20:2–Baruch 3:20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible with usual prologues, Numbers 20:2 (4?), Deuteronomy (5), Prologue to Joshua, Joshua (6), Judges (7), Ruth (8), Prologue to 1 Kings, 1 Kings (9), 2 Kings (10), 3 Kings (11), 4 Kings (12 and ezechie), Prologue to 1 Chronicles, 1 Chronicles (13), Prologue to 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles (14), Prayer of Manasseh, Prologue to 1 Ezra, Commendation of Ezra, 1 Ezra (15), 2 Ezra (16), 3 Ezra (17), Prologue to Tobit, Tobit (18), Prologue to Judith, Judith (19), Prologue to Esther, Esther (20), Prologue to Job, Job (21), Prologue to psalms, Psalms (22), Prologue to Proverbs, Proverbs (23), Prologue to Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes (24?), Song of Songs (25), Prologue to Wisdom, Wisdom (26), Prologue to Ecclesiasticus, Ecclesiasticus (27), Prologue to Isaiah, Isaiah (28), Prologue to Jeremiah, Jeremiah (29), Lamentations of Jeremiah (30?), Prayer of Jeremiah, Prologue to Baruch, Baruch (31?) — 1390s (?); England

Isaiah–Acts 28:15 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible, Prologue to Isaiah, Isaiah (28), Prologue to Jeremiah, Jeremiah (29), Lamentations of Jeremiah (30), Prayer of Jeremiah, Prologue to Baruch, Baruch (31), Epistle of Jeremiah, Ezekiel (32), Daniel (33), Hosea (34), Joel (35), Amos (36?), Obidiah (37), Jonah (38?), Micah (39), Nahum (40?), Habakkuk (41?), Zephaniah (42?), Haggai (43?), Zechariah (44?), Malachi (45?), 1 Maccabees (46), 2 Maccabees (47?), Prologue to Matthew, Matthew (48), Prologue to Mark, Mark (49), Prologue to Luke, Luke (50), Prologue to John, John (51), Prologue to Romans, Romans (52), Prologue to 1 Corinthinas, 1 Corinthinas (53), Prologue to 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians (54), Prologue to Galatians, Galatians (55), Prologue to Ephesians, Ephesians (56?), Prologue to Philippians, Philippians (57?), Prologue to Colossians, Colossians (58?), Prologue to 1 Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians (59?), Prologue to 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians (60?), Prologue to 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy (61), Prologue to 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy (62?), Prologue to Titus, Titus (63?), Prologue to Philemon, Philemon (64), Prologue to Hebrews, Hebrews (65), Prologue to Acts, Acts (66) — 14th century, last quarter (?); England

Shelfmark

MS. Douce 369

Date

14th century, last quarter (?)

1390s (?)

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Latin

Contents

Binding

Nineteenth-century binding made for Douce (Gillam (1984)), red velvet over boards. Six raised bands on spine. Gilt (flaking) decorations (vases) and lettering on spine ‘ANTIENT ENGLISH BIBLE’ and ‘MSS 14 CENT’. Pastedowns and flyleaves made from blue paper with white floral designs; further flyleaves of laid paper with watermarks. Edges of textblock speckled red.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: received in 1834 with the bequest of Douce.

Provenance

Biblical books in both parts are numbered in the upper right corner in medieval hands; see fols. 100r, 101r, 109r, 146r, 357r, 463r. The first clearly visible number is ‘5’ on fol. 16r, which shows that the books were numbered before the beginning was lost. The prologues are not numbered separately, but have the same number as the preceding or following book (e.g., the prologue to psalms has number 21 (fol. 150r), the same as preceding Job). On fol. 78v (4 Kings) number 12 is accompanied by the word ezechie, referring to the beginning of chapter 21 And ezechie…. On fol. 146r the number is outlined in red. The first clearly visible number in the second part is ‘29’ (fol. 275r) for Jeremiah.

Notes in a 16th-century hand, recording the loss of leaves at the beginning and end: Thar be thes many leves conteyned in this book in all [space] s(?) xxv cor lacking j lefe (fol. 1r); Better it is to trus(?) (fol. 147r); Thar be so many lefese contained in this book in all s(?) xxv cor laking j lefe (fol. 486v). Pious note in the margin on fol. 203v in a different 16th-century hand: Helth is þe gefte of god….

Francis Douce (1757–1834); see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: recorded in his accession notebook (MS. Douce e. 67, fol. 32r) under November 1818: ‘Wicliffe’s Testament MS… Triphook’ (Rogers (1975)). Initials ‘FD’ in a red circular frame (fol. 1r–v). Notes by Douce throughout (fols. i verso, ii recto, 170v, 250r, etc.).

Title

Wycliffite bibles

Shelfmark

MS. Douce 369

Summary

Made up of two MSS., comprising:

(fol. 1) Part of the Old Testament in English, in the earlier version of Wycliff, in three hands, from Numb. xx. 2 ('whan the puple nedede water') to Baruch iii. 20 'in the place of hem risen the Ʒunge', with prologues. Here the translation breaks off abruptly, the next line containing only a nearly contemporary addition 'Explicit translacionem [-lacōm] Nicholay de herford', and the rest of the leaf being blank. The first hand goes to fol. 131v, the second to the end of fol. 134, the third to fol. 251. Judges i. 21-iv. 4 ('of Beniamin'--'wife of Lapidoth' or its equivalent) are wanting, a leaf being lost. The break in Baruch shows that the writing is probably not before 1382.

(fol. 251) Part of the Bible in English, in the earlier version of Wycliff, in two hands, from the prologue of Isaiah to Acts xxviii. 15 ('Thre Tauernes who whanne'), with prologues, the end being lost. The first hand extends to the end of fol. 391v, the second from that point onward. Ezech. i. 26-xxxii. 23 (after 'lickenesse of'--before 'titude of hym is maid') are wanting.

See no. 3093, and Forshall and Madden's edition (1850), pp. xvii, 1.

Date

written in about A.D. 1390

Language

English

Physical facet

On parchment, imperfect, binding: red velvet

Physical extent

492 leaves, in double columns