A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

MS. Bodl. 294

Summary Catalogue no.: 2449

Contents

1.
John Gower, Confessio Amantis

This copy exhibits G.C. Macaulay's second or mixed recension (English Works of John Gower, i. clv), having the early preface and the rewritten conclusion.

Language(s): Middle English and Latin
2. (fol. 197)
Epistola super huius opusculi sui complementum
Language(s): Latin
3. (fol. 197)
John Gower, Traitié
Incipit: Puis qil ad dit cy deuant

With three short Latin pieces

Language(s): Anglo-Norman
4. (fol. 199v)
John Gower, Gower's account of three of his works
Incipit: Quia unusquisque
Language(s): Latin
5. (fol. 199v)
John Gower, Carmen super multiplici viciorum pestilencia
Incipit: Non excusatur
Explicit: iura tenenda Deo. Explicit
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ii + 203 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 15 × 11.375 in.

Layout

2 cols

Decoration

Illuminator: Herman Scheerre;cf. Cf. MS. Bodley 902 (Pächt and Alexander iii. 813, pl. LXXIX)

Fine miniatures (fols. 4v and 9r)

Fine borders (prologue to the Confessio Amantis and the six last books)

Fine initials

Binding

Leather on boards, contemporary English work, all eight bosses now lost, and the original binding has been coloured in the 16th century and covered with lines and stamps by an inexperienced hand.

History

Origin: 15th century, beginning ; England, London (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

'Liber. Rad⟨ulphi⟩ ⟨Gol⟩dewall [??]' 15th century

'John Perrye Elissabeth Dere [?]', 16th century

Presented to the Bodleian by 'Edwarde Fletewoode' in 1601

Record Sources

Description adapted (Oct. 2022) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1922). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973).

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (4 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2022-10-14: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1922)