Thomas — 13th century and 14th century

Title

Thomas — 13th century and 14th century

Shelfmark

MS. Douce d. 6

Date

13th century and 14th century

Language

Anglo-Norman

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

46leaves, chiefly in double columns

Acquisition

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1834

Provenance

Francis Douce, 1757–1834

Title

Fragments, verse

Shelfmark

MS. Douce d. 6

Summary

Comprises (fol. 1) two fragments of a French poetical version of the romance of Tristram, copied successively into the present volume in the 13th cent. The first beg. 'Qui pur Tristran es cuer se dobt', after a leaf or more lost, ends, at the middle of the first column of fol. 12v, 'Sun esperit aitant rendit' (1811 lines): the second beg. on the next column 'Tristran suriurne en sun pais', ends 'Mult set ben ke il herbigez' (996 lines), and is succeeded immediately in the same column by the next piece.

A long account and discussion of these pieces by Douce follow, embodying the opinions of others. The first fragment seems to be the close of the romance, the second an episode from an earlier part. The author appears to be 'Thomas.' The greater parts of these fragments are unique, and differ in orthography and perhaps style: they are printed in full, with a facsimile of the first 19 lines of the second fragment by Francisque Michel (Tristan, 3 vols., Lond., 1835-9), who thinks the second piece may be complete in itself.

Also comprises french verse (fol. 19). 'Hic incipit Certamen inter Humilitatem & Superbiam': beg. 'Vus ki creez en damne Deu', ends 'Trestuz pusum alui venir. Amen.'.

Also comprises (fol. 20v) a short legendary account of the True Cross, in French prose: beg. 'Qui voudra oir e sauer de la verraie Croiz': after which is a short Latin piece on the same subject, beg. 'Crux Xpristi conficiebatur.' These two pieces were added early in the 14th cent.

46 leaves, chiefly in double columns.

Date

written in the 13th and 14th cent.

Language

Latin

French

Physical facet

On parchment

Physical extent

46 Leaves

Custodial history

Owned in the 15th cent. by 'John Fawne' (fol. 22v). The absence of this MS. from the printed catalogue of 1840 is explained by Michel's remark (ut supra, i. lvi) 'Ce manuscrit ... par une disposition particulière de son ancien possesseur n'a point été légué à la Bibliothèque Bodléienne': presumably Douce's executors forwarded it later than the other MSS.