Pauline epistles, Romans to Hebrews, with usual prologues in the Later Version of the Wycliffite Bible — 15th century, first quarter; England

Title

Pauline epistles, Romans to Hebrews, with usual prologues in the Later Version of the Wycliffite Bible — 15th century, first quarter; England

Shelfmark

MS. Lyell 27

Place of origin

England

Date

15th century, first quarter

Language

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment, paper flyleaves

Physical extent

158 leaves, c.

Hands

two scribes: (1) fols. 1r–100r, (2) fols. 100v–150r; large uneven textura, black ink

Decoration

2- to 5-line ‘puzzle’ initials in red and blue, and red and blue penwork borders (right margin) at the beginnings of epistles.

2- to 3-line blue initials with red penwork at the beginnings of prologues and chapters.

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

Crimson sheepskin treated as morocco, early 18th century. Gilt fillet-line border round the outer edge of both covers. Gilt rectangular figure with floral decoration and corner-pieces on both covers. Rebacked; label on spine ‘M.S.S. PAUL EPIST.’. Paper label on spine with handwritten ‘M.S. Lyell 27’. Gilt edges of textblock. Gilt decoration on turn-ins. Marbled paper pastedowns and flyleaves.

Provenance

Added piece on the duties of a woman by Awstyn Fyschmonger, dated 1457, fol. 150v: The xxj ioʳ(?) Septemb’. It syttyt ffwll wele. a womman to be styll. meke serwyseabyl dredfwl chaste deuoute warre sobre softe benynge glade / but nat nyce. newere idyl. but eyþer worchyng prayyng. redyng. spynnynge. sewyng or wepyng. or mornyng for synne for departyng fro her spowse. þat ys cryste. quod Awstyn ffyschmonger A domini Mˡ CCCC lvij. ‘worche’ is also a usual spelling in the manuscript (e.g., fol. 13r).

Added nota and short notes in the margins, probably in the same hand as the piece on the duties of a woman, drawing attention to passages on lechery (e.g., it is good to a man to touche not a woman, fol. 38r, 1 Corinthians 7; and fols. 37r, 1 Corinthians 6; 88v, Ephesians 5; 101v, Colossians 3), drunkenness (fol. 36v, 1 Corinthians 5), temptation (fol. 44r, 1 Corinthians 10), flesh and spirit (fol. 81r–v, Galatians 5); women and marriage (fols. 3r, Romans 1; 40v, 1 Corinthians 7; 90r, Ephesians 5; 114r, 1 Timothy 2), including nota wymmen at for he is þe ymage & þe glorie of god but a woman is þe glorie of man for a man is not of þe woman but þe woman of þe man & þe man is not maad for þe woman but þe woman for þe man (fol. 46r, 1 Corinthians 11) and men loue ȝe ȝoure wyues as christ loued þe chirch (fol. 89v, Ephesians 5). Notes also mark passages of possibly Lollard interest on persecutions (fols. 35r, 1 Corinthians 4; 71r, 1 Corinthians 11), Eucharist (fol. 44v, 1 Corinthians 10) and ministry (þe more schulde serue þe lasse, fol. 16v, Romans 9; I schal distrie þe wisdom of wise men, fol. 31r, 1 Corinthians 1; but in alle þinges ȝeue we vs silf as þe mynystris of god in mych pacience, fol. 63v, 2 Corinthians 6), and Christ as the head of the church (marked nota þe chyrch, fol. 84r, Ephesians 1). The owner may have been interested in the debate about the translation of the Bible, e.g., 1 Corinthians 14, dealing with teaching faith in different languages, has two notes: voycys at verse 7 and nota at verse 16 (fols. 50v–51r); and there is nota at 2 Corinthians 3:6 (…god which also maad vs able mynistris of þe new testament not bi lettre but be spirit, fol. 60r).

Bookplate with the crest of Thomas Falconer of Chester (1736/7–1792); classical scholar, see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, on the upper pastedown.

Armorial bookplate of Charles W. G. Howard with the motto Volo non valeo on the flyleaf conjoint with the upper pastedown: The Gift of the Rᵗ. Hon. Sir David Dundas Kⁿᵗ of Ochtertyre M.D.CCC.LXXVII..

Lot 754 in Sotheby’s catalogue 13 April 1927; bought by Maggs.

James P. R. Lyell (1871–1948), book collector; see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: bought in August 1940 from Maggs, see their Catalogue 542 (1930) no. 100A, and 687 (1940) no. 166. Lyell’s bookplate on the flyleaf conjoint with the upper pastedown.