A late fifteenth-century manuscript of the Memoriale Credencium , a sophisticated manual of religious instruction, with shorter theological prose treatises. — 15th century, second half / late; English

Title

A late fifteenth-century manuscript of the Memoriale Credencium , a sophisticated manual of religious instruction, with shorter theological prose treatises. — 15th century, second half / late; English

Shelfmark

MS. Tanner 201

Place of origin

English

Date

15th century, second half / late

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

i + 105 + vii. i and i-vii are flyleaves. F. 113 (vii) is the back pastedown.

Hands

Scribe 1 (ff. 2r-6r) writing in a small cursive hand. Characteristics: double compartment g; 2-shaped r; B-shaped w; double compartment a. Body height: 1 mm.

Scribe 2 (ff. 7r-86r) writing in a cursive hand. Characteristics: B-shaped w; double compartment a; B-shaped s in final position; long s in medial position; 2-shaped r; double compartment g; hooked l, h; frequent use of þ. Body height: 2-3mm.

Scribe 3 (ff. 87r-end) writing in a large Anglicana Formata hand with Textura influences. Characteristics: double compartment a; open B-shaped wwith small feet at the top of the backstrokes; rounded sin initial and final position, in final position alternates with the B-shape variant; long sin medial and initial position; 2-shaped and short rused regularly with the short form also in final position; rounded open and closed 8-shaped gused regularly; rounded dwith oblique upper stroke, with a variant terminating with a looped ascender; frequent use of ȝ and þ; descenders extend in otiose hairlines but not much below the line of writing. Body height: 2mm.

Decoration

Good initial. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 1164). Illuminated initial for Memoriale credencium f. 7r. Four-line capital Min gold on a quartered ground of rose and blue with white line decoration. Sprays of feathering grow from the three corners sporting green tinted oval lobes with pairs of gold balls and terminating in a gold elongated cone with spikes and a green tinted 'feather'. Two-line blue initials with red pen-work flourishing forming a border.

Three-line blue initials with red pen-work flourishing forming a border.

Later drawings: Inside front cover on pastedown - crude drawing of a knight in armour and side view of leg of armour.

Binding

Medieval binding, 1450-1500. Size: 210 x 145 mm. Undecorated white leather, mitred and pasted on 5 mm thick oak boards with 10 mm bevelled edge, cushion bevel. Boards cut flush with quires. Original sewing. Six double thongs across the spine. Remains of two leather straps on fore edge attached by round headed 'proud' nails. Pewter catches remain on the back cover. Inside back board is visible.

Acquisition

Bequeathed by him to the Bodleian in 1735.

Provenance

Fol. 107r: various inscriptions by Richard Horne- 'Thys ys Rycharde ____ ys boke', 'Thys ys Rychard Horne/ Boke ____' in a sixteenth-century hand.

Fol. 107r: John Robinsonwrote 'Iohannes Robinsonus me possidet' in a c. sixteenth/seventeenth-century hand.

Fol. 2r: 'W. Sancroft' written on top fore edge.

Thomas Tanner, 1674–1735

Title

Verses and Memoriale credencium

Shelfmark

MS. Tanner 201

Date

second half of the 15th century

Language

English

Physical extent

1 item