John Gower — 15th century, middle or third quarter; England

Title

John Gower — 15th century, middle or third quarter; England

Shelfmark

MS. Ashmole 35

Associated place

London

Place of origin

England

Date

15th century, middle or third quarter

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

paper, folded in quarto, watermarks often indistinct. (1) fols. 1–91, watermark Greek (Maltese) cross, c. 33 46 , on a chainline, c. 48–50 mm. between chainlines. (2) fols. 91–182, lion rampant without mane (clearest on fol. 168), c. 70 42 , on a chainline, c. 65 mm. between chainlines. Neither in Piccard or Briquet.

Physical extent

182 + 1 (early parchment endleaf) with 17th-century paper padding before and after

Hands

One scribe; secretary with some anglicana forms.

Decoration

Spaces for 5–6 line initials at the beginning of books, not filled in; spaces for two-line initials, not filled in; one-line coloured initials (but added later?).

Speech-labels, rubrics and summaries in red; beginning of each line touched in red. Rubrication partly lacking in quire 14 (fols. 151–160) and fully lacking in quires 15–16 (fols. 161–182).

Binding

Bound for Ashmole in 1676 (see Bodleian Quarterly Review 6 (1929–31), 194–5).

Acquisition

Bequeathed by him to the Ashmolean Museum; transferred to the Bodleian Library in 1860.

Provenance

Aunsell, fol. 139r, late fifteenth or early sixteenth century.

Mention of London, c. 1500, fol. 183r (see additions, above)

John Bewaters in Wylthsey, fol. 3r, 16th century: perhaps John Bewaters of Whittlesey St Mary, Cambridgeshire (for whom see Calendars of the Proceedings in Chancery, in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1827), p. 79)

Memorandum that John garton off norviche, fol. 35r, 16th century

Robert Hall, c. 1600, fol. 183v (twice)

Elias Ashmole (signed, fol. 2r)