Robert Reynys of Acle, Norfolk — 16th century; English, Norfolk

Title

Robert Reynys of Acle, Norfolk — 16th century; English, Norfolk

Shelfmark

MS. Tanner 407

Associated place

Acle

Date

16th century

Language

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

English

Contents

Form

codex

Support

paper

Acquisition

Bequeathed by him to the Bodleian in 1735.

Provenance

Thomas Tanner, 1674–1735

Title

The common-place book of [Robert] Reynys of Acle co. Norfolk

Shelfmark

MS. Tanner 407

Summary

The common-place book of [Robert] Reynys of Acle co. Norfolk, containing, among other things:

(fol. 1) Statuta de assisa panis et cerevisiæ;

(fol. 8, passim.) Various notices relative to Acle and to the Reynys family;

(fol. 11b) Rules for blood-letting;

(fol. 14b) Charms for the cure of fever, falling sickness, etc.;

(fol. 18) Four lines beginning, "There beth iii thyngs that be moche of prys";

(fol. 18 b) A poem of fifty lines. Begins, "There ben iii poyntis of myscheff that arn confusion to many man / Weche that werkyn the soule gret gryff, I schall hem telle you as I can";

(fol. 20) A short poem on the genealogy of Christ. Begins, "In the olde lawe in that lyff, a man hyght ysakar / Nasabath was his wyff, namyd so Ʒar";

(fol. 21) The history of the Virgin Mary, in verse. Begins, "Souereynys and serys Ʒyf it be Ʒour wylle / To here and to lore of thyng that is good";

(fol. 29 b) A poem on the miracles of the Virgin. Begins, "Serys a merakyl or to I schal Ʒou telle / That for our ladyis loue somtyme be felle";

(fol. 32) Stanzas on king Arthur, Charlemagne and other worthies;

(fol. 34) Dispositions of persons born under the several signs of the zodiac;

(fol. 35) The ten commandments; the seven deadly sins; the seven works of mercy; the seven cardinal virtues; the seven sacraments;

(fol. 35b) Four lines beginning, "Whan the hed quakyth, memento; whan the lyppys blakyth, confessio";

(fol. 35b) Four lines beginning, "For loue of God and drede of peyne";

(fol. 36) Charm for preservation from all danger and from sudden death;

(fol. 36b) Five lines beginning, "Drede god and alle thyng schal drede Ʒow";

(fol. 36b) Eight lines beginning, "He that hath thougthe / Ful in wardly and ofte";

(fol. 37) Geographical and statistical notes relative to England, etc.;

(fol. 38b) Eight lines beginning, "O Jhū mercy what world is thys";

(fol. 42) Story of a "woman solatarie and recluse coueytinge to knowe the nombre of the woundes of oure lord Jhū crist";

(fol. 43b) A poem on delight. Begins, "Lo here is a ladde lyght / Al fresch I Ʒou plyght";

(fol. 44b) Epilogue to a miracle play. Begins, "Now wursheppful soueryns that syttyn here in syth / Lordys and ladyes and frankelens in fay";

(fol. 45) A poem on the fifteen days of the last judgment; [imperfect; begins with the eleventh day.] Ends, "Whan body and soule schal parte a too / Crist us graunt that it be soo. Amen. / Expliciunt quinquedecim signa";

(fol. 48b) Verses on a rosary left in church for the use of those who have none. Begins, "Man in the chirche not idyll thow stande, / But take thy bedys in thy hande";

(fol. 51b) Chronological table of remarkable events;

(fol. 52) List of battles fought in England, with the names of the chief persons slain;

(fol. 53) Prognostications of weather from the dominical letter, as also from thunder in various months;

(fol. 54b) Sums assessed upon the cities and counties of England for the support of archers in the year 1473;

(fols. 57b, 64) Ecclesiæ parochiales in civitate Romana, et tabula episcoporum sub Romano pontifice "qui non sunt in alterius provincia constituti";

(fol. 60) Weights and measures by the discretion and ordinance of the lords spiritual and temporal in the year 1475.

Date

c. 1500

Language

Latin

English

Physical facet

On paper, in quarto

Physical extent

64 Leaves