The Canterbury Tales; England, 1430s

Title

The Canterbury Tales; England, 1430s

Shelfmark

MS. Bodl. 686

Associated place

London

Place of origin

English

Date

1430s

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

ii + 217 + ii leaves

Hands

Gothic cursiva antiquior: Late Medieval English Scribes understands it as the work of a single scribe working over a period of time, but Manly/Rickert, The Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940), 1:64–70 suggest it should be understood as the work of three scribes, at fols. 1–96, 96–167, and 167–end.

Decoration

Historiated initial depicting Chaucer or another pilgrim, fol. 1r, with acanthus scrolls displaying gilded inscriptions, Pencer de may pencer de may, Ihesu Marri ladi help, In God is al mi trust in God, As fortune fausit as fortune fausit (Cf. Pächt and Alexander iii. 890, pl. LXXXV.)

Tales, prologues, and links open with filigree borders.

Rubrics, paraphs, and running heads in red, using blue as an alternating colour. Versals shaded with a yellow wash.

Binding

Brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard.

Acquisition

Likely acquired in 1618–20; first appears in the 1620 catalogue, C.7.11. Former shelfmark Bod. 660 (fol. 1r).

Provenance

Possibly made for the Beauchamp family, earls of Warwick. Kathleen Scott, Later Gothic Manuscripts (London, 1996), 2:250, suggests that the historiated initial on fol. 1r and borders is by an illuminator that also contributed to New York, Morgan Library and Museum, MS M.893, which she believes to have been made in London in the 1430s or early 1440s. Manly-Rickert, 1:69-70 further note a fifteenth-century drypoint inscription, Belyham, Belchiam, or Belthiam (head of fol. 139r), which they suggest is a form of the Beauchamp name.

Inscribed in red crayon, Iho (fol. 21r), fifteenth century; Memorandum that Ihon (fol. 217v).

Inscribed in drypoint, gryfyn (fol. 6r), fifteenth century.

Inscribed, Thomas Smythe the hathe and his lovyng ffrend no Willm s (fol. 173r), sixteenth century. Manly-Rickert, 1:69 note marriages between the families of Sir John Smythe (d. 1547) and Edward Griffin (d. 1569). Not the same hand as My well beloyed frynd (fol. 152r), sixteenth century.

George Upton (d. 1608/9), MP for Wells: inscribed, This is George Vpton His book (fol. 55r, written vertically along the fore-edge). His wife, Frances Upton, inscribed Frauncis Vpton (fol. 106r). A George Upton is listed as a Bodleian benefactor, having donated four pounds to library before 1601.