William Langland, John Fortescue — 1532; English
MS. Digby 145
Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Description
From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.
Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries contains descriptions of all known Western medieval manuscripts held in the Bodleian Libraries, and of medieval manuscripts in selected Oxford colleges. Learn more.
Title
William Langland, John Fortescue — 1532; English
Shelfmark
MS. Digby 145
Date
1532
Language
Middle English (1100-1500)
Contents
Form
codex
Support
Paper; four different stocks. (a) fols. i (?), ii-iii, 1-5, 26-33 (b) fols. 6-25, 34-59 (c) fols. 60-137 (d) fols. 138-170. Watermarks, all variants on hand/glove with 5-pointed star/flower with letter or device, none closely paralleled in Piccard or Briquet, but for (a) cf. WZIS DE4620-PO-155789.
Physical extent
182 leaves
Hands
Anglicana with some secretary forms; mostly one hand, Adrian Fortescue.
On fols. 52r and 123v are passages noted by a contemporary as being in the hand of Anne Fortescue (as pointed out by Turville-Petre, p. 33).
Fols. 160v-161v in another hand (pace Watson)
Decoration
None.
Binding
Worm-holes from an earlier binding with wooden boards.
Acquisition
Donated to the Bodleian, 1634.
Provenance
Adrian Fortescue (–1539), on whom see Oxford DNB. Iste liber pertinet Adriano Fortescu militi sua manu propria scriptus Anno domini 15312 et anno regni regis Henrici viijui xxiiij (fol. 1v); his monogram AF and motto (?) at the bottom of fol. 1v. Garde lez portes de ta bouche Pour souyr peryl e reproche; also on fol. 1v his device (as fol. 159(a)r), here damaged); note on fol. ii recto about the birth of his second son Thomas at 'Shirbourne' in Oxfordshire on Wednesday 13 May 1534, with a note of godparents.
Passed after his execution to his widow Anne (née Rede or Reade), who married (about 1540) Thomas Parry (-1560) (on whom see Oxford DNB and History of Parliament): cf. fol. 1v, Omnium rerum vicissitudo Parry, with Anne Fortescu below; A hart of trobles and in dispaire nought Parry, on a paper slip pasted to fol. 170v.
Andrew Watson identified this manuscript as Folio no. 27 in Thomas Allen's catalogue, but the identification is questionable: the catalogue entry makes no mention of the other texts in this volume, and it is perhaps more likely that (as suggested by Lord Clermont) Kenelm Digby (see below) acquired the manuscript from Adrian Fortescue's grandchildren with whom Digby was 'an intimate friend' (A history of the family of Fortescue in all its branches [= The Works of Sir John Fortescue, vol. 2] (1869), 179.
Kenelm Digby, 1603–1665, Vindica te tibi Kenelm Digby, fol. 2r.
View full record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
From Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts.
Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts contains descriptions of the Bodleian Libraries’ archival collections, including post-1500 manuscripts. Some manuscripts with records in other catalogues are also described here as part of a description of a larger archive. Learn more.
Title
The vision of Piers Ploughman; 'The dyfference betwene Dominium Regale'; A collection of proverbial sayings
Shelfmark
MS. Digby 145
Date
16th century, second quarter
Language
English
Physical extent
161 Leaves
Custodial history
Manuscript 1510 acquired by the Bodleian Library (126)
View full record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
Collection contents
The vision of Piers Ploughman; 'The dyfference betwene Dominium Regale'; A collection of proverbial sayings
