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Composite miscellany of literary, historical and devotional texts, mostly in Middle English

MS. Rawl. C. 86

Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

Details

This item is described in 2 online catalogues.?

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Other descriptions: Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts

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

Composite miscellany of literary, historical and devotional texts, mostly in Middle English

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. C. 86

Place of origin

England, Norfolk (?)

England

Date

15th century, middle

16th century, first half

15th century, last third (at least in part after 1483), or early 16th century

15th century, late (after 1484) or 16th century, first half

Language

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

MS. Rawl. C. 86 - Part I (fols. 1-30)
(fol. 1v) Miniature: see decoration. Fol. 1r blank except for later notes and names, see Provenance (above, for the whole volume).
1. (fols. 2r–30v) The Northern Passion
MS. Rawl. C. 86 - Part II (fols. 31-89, 141-177)
2. (fol. 31r) Originally blank (?); verses added by the main scribe (all printed Early English Meals and Manners, ed. F. J. Furnivall (1868), 219-220):
Incipit: Utter thy langage wyth good a visement Reule the by Reason in thy termeӡ all
Incipit: What man þu seruyst all wey him drede
Incipit: Folus lade polys wisemen ete þe fysshe
Incipit: Who so in youthe no vertu vsith
Incipit: Deame þe best in euery dowte
Incipit: It is þe properte of A gentilman
Incipit: Si vis dolere[sic] tua crimina dic miserere
3. (fols. 31v–50r) Ranulf Higden Polychronicon
4. (fols. 50r–50v) Incipit: Adam had a sonne called seeth seeth had a sonne called enoch
5. (fol. 51r) Incipit: I sarvyd oure lady bothe nyghte and day
6. (fols. 52r–59r) The Tale of Jack and his Stepdame
7. (fol. 59r) Verses, added by the main scribe
Incipit: Who so in welth takyth non hede
Incipit: Synge I wold but alas discedunt prospera grata
8. (fols. 59v–60v) Who carps of birds of great gentries (Of hawks)
9. (fol. 60v) Veterinary recipe for a horse
10. (fols. 61r–62r) John Lydgate Dietary
11. (fols. 62v–64v) John Lydgate Testament
12. (fols. 65r–66v) Appeal of Christ to Man
13. (fols. 67r–69r) The Complaint of God
14. (fols. 69v–71r) A lament of the Virgin Mary ('Quia amore langueo')
15. (fols. 71r–72v) ‘I wiyte my silf myn own woo’
16. (fols. 72v–74r) A lament of the Virgin Mary
17. (fols. 74v–76v) A lament of the Virgin Mary ('Filius regis mortuus est')
18. (fols. 77r–79r) John Lydgate (?) On the Mutability of Man’s Nature due to the Seasons the Elements, the Complexions, and the Planets (Pageant of Knowledge)
19. (fol. 79r) Recipes (added, in the original hand) 'for the farcion', 'for the mygrym'.
20. (fols. 79v–81r) John Lydgate Song of Vertu
21. (fol. 81r) Recipes 'For the ache and yche', 'for the stone', 'for the hete in a mannys vysage', added by the main hand.
22. (fols. 81r–83v) John Lydgate Look in thy mirror
23. (fols. 84r–86r) John Lydgate Verses against haste
24. (fols. 86v–88r) John Lydgate (?) Stans Puer ad Mensam
25. (fol. 88r) Recipes 'For the mygrym', 'For the paulsey', added in the main hand.
26. (fols. 88v–89r) John Lydgate Horns Away
27. (fol. 89v) John Gower (?) Balade moral
For fols. 90-140 see below, part III.
28. (fols. 141r–142r) John Lydgate (?) That now is hay þat sumtyme was grasse
29. (fol. 142r) Incipit: Dum viuis et bene stas et sursum cornua gestas
30. (fol. 142v) The Treachery of Fortune
31. (fols. 143r–155r) Gilbert Banester The Tale of Guiscardo and Ghismonda
Incipit: (prologue) ||Eche to othir þay suffir most payne
(fol. 143r) Added recipe (main hand) 'For the ache in fete or arme of a man'.
Incipit: (text) Whylome was þer an hygh & myghty prynce
(fol. 155r) Added recipe (main hand) 'For the ache of the goute'.
32. (fols. 155v–156r) Love Poem
33. (fols. 156) Computatio de feodis militum
34. (fols. 156v–173v) Geoffrey Chaucer The Clerk’s Tale
35. (fols. 173v–177v) The quire is filled out by a number of shorter texts all in the original hand:
(fol. 173v) Incipit: Clara dies Pauli bona tempora denotat anni
(fol. 173v) Medical recipe
(fol. 173v) Rubric: Fortuna
(fol. 173v) Medical recipe
(fol. 174r) On the death of Edward IV
36. (fols. 174v–175r) Geoffrey Chaucer The Prioress’s Prologue
37. (fols. 175r–177v) Geoffrey Chaucer The Prioress’s Tale
MS. Rawl. C. 86 - Part III (fols. 90-140)
Fol. 90r originally blank, for later pen-trials and additions see Provenance; fol. 90v blank.
38. (fols. 91r–100r) John Lydgate Hors, Goose and Shepe
39. (fols. 100r–106r) Piers of Fulham's Conceits in Love
40. (fols. 106v – 113r) Colyn Blowbols Testament
41. (fols. 113r–119v) Geoffrey Chaucer Legend of Good Women (Dido)
42. (fols. 119v–128r) Sir Landeval
43. (fols. 128v–140r) The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle
(fol. 140v) See Provenance.
MS. Rawl. C. 86 - Part IV (fols. 178-189)
44. (fols. 178r–186r) The Expedition of Henry V into France
45. (fols. 187r–189r) Verses on the kings of England
46. (fol. 189r) Note on the claim of Edward III to the throne of France

Form

codex

Physical extent

ii (later paper) + 189 + i (later paper); one unfoliated later paper sheet inserted after fol. 1

Binding

18th-century (?) red leather (probably goatskin) binding with gilt fillets around the edge of the covers; title on the spine 'Old English Poems'; fol. 1r, Bind this in vellum Turkey Leather.

Acquisition

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1755

Provenance

16th(?)-century title 'Lidgate', fol. 1r; occasional 16th/17th century annotations providing titles and authors, e.g fols. 52r, 91r; 17th- or 18th-century table of contents, front pastedown; fragment of an earlier label (?) pasted to fol. i recto, 90

Randal Drewe, late 16th or 17th century, effaced, fol. 1r; so read by Manly and Rickert.

William Howarde, late 16th or early 17th century, effaced, fol. 1r, but nevertheless identifiable (for example by comparison with British Library Arundel MS. 74 fol. 1r) as the ex libris of Lord William Howard (1563-1640)

M.S. Knox Ward Clarencieux (fol. 1r): Knox Ward, Clarenceux King of Arms 1726-41; his sale, 1749.

Richard Rawlinson, 1690–1755; his bookplate, upper pastedown.

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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

Old English Poems

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. C. 86

Summary

The following description of items is partly taken from Sir F. Madden's account of the MS. in his edition of Syr Gawane.

Date

16th century

Language

English

Latin

Physical facet

On paper, in folio

Physical extent

189 Leaves

Custodial history

Olim possedit quidam Randal D.....; postea "William Howarde" de Naworth; denique, Knox Ward, Clarencieux rex armorum.

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Collection contents

Rawlinson Manuscripts

Rawlinson C: History, Theology

Old English Poems

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