Richard Rolle, Henricus Suso — 15th century, third quarter; English

Title

Richard Rolle, Henricus Suso — 15th century, third quarter; English

Shelfmark

MS. Douce 322

Place of origin

English

Date

15th century, third quarter

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Decoration

Good miniature.

Good border.

Good historiated initials.

Good other initials.

Binding

Purple velvet.

Acquisition

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1834

Provenance

Dartford, Kent, Priory of St Mary the Virgin and St Margaret, of Dominican nuns: "These booke ... ys of the gifte of Wylliam Baron esquyer to remayne for euyr to the place and nonrye of Detforde and specially to the use of dame Pernelle Wrattisley Sister of the same place by licence of her abbas ...". (MLGB3: evidence from an ex-libris inscription or note of gift to an institution).

"From Ebenezer Mussel's Library" (note by Francis Douce). Ebenezer Mussel sale May 30 to June 1 1766, lot 276. (MLGB3)

Francis Douce, 1757–1834

Title

Short English religious pieces, in verse and prose

Shelfmark

MS. Douce 322

Summary

The chief are poems by John Lydgate, with:

(fol. 2) a metrical calendar, assigned to him in a rubric

(fol. 8) 'Canticus Amoris', beg. 'Ihesu thy swetnesse' (by him?)

(fol. 8v) 'Canticus Amoris', beg. 'In a tabernacle', often called 'Quia amore langueo' (by him?)

(fol. 9v) 'Prayers', beg. 'Now now, Ihesu.' This article and the list of contents on fol. 1v are written in a different hand to that of the rest of the volume; and are in fact separate.

Also comprises pieces by Richard Rolle of Hampole:

(fol. 10)... The nyne lessons of the Dirige whych Job made ... declared ... by ... Rychard Hampole. and ys cleped Pety Job ...', in verse

(fol. 15) '... A tretyse of Parce michi Domine', in verse, beg. 'By a forest' (by him ?)

(fol. 17) '... The seuyn dedely synnes', in prose (by him ?)

(fol. 18) 'Hec sex observanda sunt omni Christiano in extremis' in Latin prose and English verse (by him ?).

(fol. 20) '... Balades ... owte of the book of John̄ Lucas [Luck ?] ...', a short poem.

(fol. 20) '... A tretyse called Orilogium Sapiencie ...', by Richard Rolle.

(fol. 26v) ' ... The booke of crafte of Dying': (fol. 39) '... A tretyse of gostly batayle': (fol. 52v) '... a Laddre of foure Rongys ... to heuen', the first two by R. Rolle, the third by Adam Carthusianus, with the colophon 'Explicit Ars Mortis cum Spirituali bello & Scala celi.'.

Also comprises:

(fol. 62v) '... A lytell shorte tretyse ... of tribulacion̄', a story of 'syx masteres assembled', in prose: by Adam Carthusianus.

(fol. 64) '... The xij Profetes and Euangelistes of Tribulacion̄', with prologue, in prose: by Adam Carthusianus, whose name is attached to a small piece on the same leaf.

(fol. 78) '... The xij chapitres whyche Richard Hampole the eremyte made, howe that a man shulde lyue in contemplacion̄ ... Libellus Ricardi heremite de Hampole de emendacione peccatoris, qui obijt anno Domini millesimo [ccc°] xlix°. apud Sanctimoniales de Hampole ...', in English.

(fol. 94) ' Meditatio Sancti Augustini', in English: by Richard Rolle. A leaf is wanting after fol. 97, which bore among other things 'a prayer made by seynt Brandon.'.

(fol. 100) 'De carta celestis hereditatis', in English: part of the 'Poor Caitiff', with similar small pieces, imperfect at end.

On fol. 10 are the arms of Baron (gules a chevron embowed azure between three garbs or): and on fol. 78 are the cross-moline arms of Knollys quartering the above coat. Thomas Knollys of North Mimms, co. Herts, who died in 1445, is stated to have had a daughter Beatrice, who was a nun at Dartford, and a daughter Joan who married William Baron.

'These booke ... ys of the gifte of Wylliam Baron esquyer to remayne for euyr to the place and nonrye of Detforde [Derteford, now Dartford in Kent] and specially to the vse of dame Pernelle Wrattisley sister of the same place by licence of her abbas, the whiche Pernelle is nece to the for seyde gentylman William Baron' (15th cent.). Dame Petronilla or Parnel Wrottesley was a daughter of sir Walter Wrottesley, who married Joan Baron, presumably a sister of Will. Baron. But if 'nece' is here used loosely, as Shakespeare used it, for 'granddaughter', then the 'William Baron' will be the person known to have been father of Joan, and the unknown brother of Joan will disappear.

Date

written in the 15th cent. in two hands

Language

English

Physical facet

On parchment, with some small miniatures, illuminated borders, capitals, etc., binding: purple velvet

Physical extent

102 leaves, in double columns

Custodial history

'From Ebenezer Mussel's library', Douce's note. on MS. Douce 322.