New Testament (later Wycliffite version), vol. ii.

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. C. 238

Date

15th century, first quarter, before 1415 (?)

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment, paper flyleaves

Physical extent

187 leaves, c.

Hands

informal and irregular textura; changes of ink and scribal style throughout, e.g., in MS. Rawl. C. 238, fols. 17r, 136r, 139r, etc.; calendar in a different 15th-century hand with initials in a different style

Decoration

3- to 4-line gold initials on blue and burgundy background at the beginnings of books.

2- to 4-line blue initials with red penwork at the beginnings of prologues and chapters.

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

Nearly identical bindings on both volumes. Brown leather over pasteboard, late 17th or early 18th century, rebound for Stamford in 1693 (?). The text, originally in a single volume, was probably broken between two volumes at the time of rebinding: Stamford’s signature appears in each volume. Rebacked in the Bodleian; 19th-century spines. Double blind fillet-line border round the outer edge of both covers. Four raised bands on spines. Panels between the bands are framed with double blind and gilt fillet lines. Gilt lettering on spine: ‘PURVEY’S NEW TESTAMENT’, ‘VOL. II.’, ‘RAWL. MS. C. 238.’ Laid paper pastedowns and flyleaves dating from the 17th- or early 18th-century binding.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bequeathed by Rawlinson and accessioned in 1756. Earlier shelfmarks: ‘Rawl. no. 543’, ‘22’ (MS. Rawl. C. 238, upper pastedown).

Provenance

Thomas Grey, second Earl of Stamford (1653/4–1720); see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: ‘Stamford 1693’ (MS. Rawl. C. 237, fol. 1r; MS. Rawl. C. 238, fol. iii recto).

Richard Rawlinson (1690–1755); see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Title

New Testament (later Wycliffite version), vol. ii.

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. C. 238

Date

second half of the 15th century

Language

English

Physical extent

1 item