Single-text codex of The Prick of Conscience, xiv2.

Title

Single-text codex of The Prick of Conscience, xiv2.

Shelfmark

MS. Ashmole 52

Place of origin

English, north, possibly South Lincolnshire based on dialectal evidence

Date

14th century, second half

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment. Hannah Ryley and Daniel Sawyer note that several leaves in this manuscript are palimpsests (Ryley, 2022, p. 101; Sawyer, 2020, p. 98). Folios 27–30 and 35–38 show evidence of much larger textura script that has been removed, possibly originating from a liturgical manuscript (illegible under UV). Ryley describes this recycling as exceptionally carefully executed (Ryley, 101).

Physical extent

65 leaves

Hands

A neat and compact textura hand, more formal than the writing used for most copies of this poem (Sawyer, 2020, 98).

Decoration

Text opens (fol. 1r) with a ten-line rubricated initial þ. Thereafter moments of textual division are marked with two- or three-line rubricated initials, e.g. fols. 1r, 2v, 3v. The openings of Parts are marked with a rubricated three-line initial. The opening to Part II (fol. 7r) is marked with an un-filled three-line rubricated initial.

The first initial of every line is offset.

On fol. 2r, two Latin lines (which are presented as glosses in some manuscripts) are given in-line and rubricated - these are not attested in Hannah and Wood's edition.

Thereafter these Latin lines are given in-line in the same ink as the main text but delineated by a rubricated frame. Some are also given with a marginal gloss to their source, e.g. fol. 4v to Job, which is always written inside the frame in fols 1r-40r, and both inside and outside the frame after fol. 40v. Exceptions are the gloss to Part VI line 6096, fol. 41r (not attested in Hanna and Wood) which is written wholly outside the frame and mostly cropped, and evidence of a similarly cropped gloss to Part VI line 6595, fol. 44v.

As is typical in the corpus, the section on the fifteen days before Christ's coming (Part V ll.4758-4817) are annotated with rubricated roman numerals 1-15 in the margin of fol. 33r. The seven blisses (Part VII ll.7872-8629) are marked in the margins, this time with only a rubricated frame, on fols. 53v-57v.

Throughout the manuscript, top-line ascenders and occasional bottom-line descenders are extended into minute drawings of human faces and mythical creatures.

Binding

Late seventeenth-century calf binding over pasteboards, typical of Elias Ashmole's style. The edges of both boards are decorated with concentric tool framing, with triple tooling on the margin closest to the spine on both boards. The board edges are tooled with a repeating semi-circle pattern, also typical of Ashmole's bindings.

There are two clasps anchored to the upper board with two pins, on leather fore-edge flaps which are reinforced with parchment. Each clasp contains Ashmole's coat of arms. The facing catch plates are anchored to the lower board with two pins. The sewing supports are laced into the boards using shortened single-hole lacing without channels.

The spine shows no raised sewing supports, but the inner boards reveal four sewing stations. The spine is decorated with six rows of the same semi-circle design as the board edges. The spine shows Ashmole's crest in gold and the shelf mark Ash: 52There are no end bands. The edges of the pages have been stained red - also typical of Ashmole's bindings.

Acquisition

The manuscript was kept in the Ashmolean until 1860, when the collection was transferred to the Bodleian Library .

Provenance

There are no names recorded in the manuscript.

Remnants of parchment tabs on folios 27 and 33, marking Part 5 ll. 4684 and 4988. Recorded in Sawyer, 2016, p. 110.

The front and back flyleaves are recycled from sixteenth century account records from Devon, cut down from much larger pages. It is dated 'quarto die octobre anno xxi regnante but the name of the monarch is trimmed. This could refer to the twenty first year of Elizabeth's reign (1578-9). It mentions the name John Clyfton, who was sheriff of Devon in 1580. The document also mentions the names Bridgewater, Beaford, Bulkeworthy, Bydelcombe, Lancras, and Paynton. Lancras, Beaford, and Bulkeworthy are all parishes in the same part of Devon (see TNA E 117/2/7/fo29). These three parishes are mentioned in earlier documents as the property of Giles Daubney de Daubney, knight, in 1504-5 (see TNA CP 25/1/294/81, number 129).

The manuscript was later owned by Elias Ashmole, who is responsible for the current binding of the manuscript. Ashmole is known to have recycled parchment for his bindings (see for instance MS Ashmole 396), so it is possible he is responsible for bringing together this manuscript with its flyleaves. He does not mention acquiring the manuscript in his diary or correspondence.

It was bequeathed to the Ashmolean Museum by Elias Ashmole in 1692 as part of his donation of 1,100 printed books and 600 manuscripts.