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MS. Bodl. 959

Summary Catalogue no.: 3093

Contents

Language(s): Middle English with Latin

Fol. i is a paper flyleaf.

1. (fols. 1r–332r)
Genesis–Baruch 3:20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible with usual prologues, including Jerome’s prefatory epistles
Explicit: …þe place of hem risen þe ȝunge

Lacks the beginning of Judith (1:1–4:16) and the prologue to Judith because of the loss of a leaf after fol. 210. Commendation of Ezra is inserted in the lower margin of fol. 191r. Most books start on a new leaf; psalms start on the verso of a new quire, though the prologues to psalms are in the preceding quire. Two pages (fols. 232v–233r) are left blank before the start of psalms. Approximately a third of a column is left blank on fol. 4r at the end of Jerome’s prefatory epistles and before the beginning of Genesis. Rubrics in red or black in English or Latin. Running titles in red or black, some only on the versos, others on both sides of an opening, consisting of abbreviated titles of books without chapter numbers. Chapter numbers are usually in the margins in black or brown ink, written by the scribe rather than rubricator. Psalms are written as prose with verses starting with 1-line plain red initials. English psalm titles in red. Psalm numbers in the margins in the original hand as Roman numerals. Larger initials with penwork at psalms 26, 38, 52. 68, 80, 97, 109. Latin incipits of psalms are added in the margins in a different later hand on fols. 233v–235r. Fol. 232v is blank.

Heavily corrected in several contemporary hands, both in the margins and within the text. Corrections in the stint of the first scribe are particularly frequent and are often over erasures. Parts of the text on fols. 1–26 have been retraced in a later hand. Many corrections throughout are linguistic or stylistic, including the additions of the forms of the verbs ‘have’ and ‘shall’, the definite article, demonstrative and personal pronouns and other function words. Many corrections in the stint of the first scribe are orthographic, including the additions of final -e and -n, or insertions of punctuation.

2. (fol. 233r)
A list of words added on the last flyleaf
" |preuarians |e lawbreakers |angle / corner |[…]ers (?) exasterent |wrathede |laur / brede |ees / bees |ie foelai (?) |I errede |de gaustᵉurs |wastynge |vnai |alas |cultiueresse |comelyng "

See Fristedt, S. L., The Wycliffe Bible, 3 vols (Stockholm: Almquvist & Wiksells, 1953–73), vol. 1, pp. 70–1.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment, paper flyleaves. The quality of parchment is very variable, some is thin and white, whereas other is rough; some leaves have several holes (e.g., fol. 119)
Extent: 335 leaves, c.
Dimensions (leaf): 330 × 230 mm.
; cropped in rebinding, occasionally causing the loss of marginal text, such as the running titles
Foliation: modern in pencil: i + 1–334

Collation

(fol. i) paper flyleaf | (fols. 1–204) I–XVII (12) | (fols. 205–215) XVIII (12–1) missing 7 | (fols. 216–323) XIX–XXVII (12) | (fols. 324–333) XXVIII (12–2 (?)) missing 10 and 12 (?) | (fol. 334) paper flyleaf. Catchwords survive, quire signatures occasionally survive.
Secundo Folio: ‘my self’ (fol. 2r)

Layout

ruled for two columns with single vertical and horizontal bounding lines extending the full height and width of page; 52–62 lines per page; written space: c. 210–230 × 150–160 mm.

Hand(s)

Four or more scribes:

first scribe: Prefatory epistles–Exodus, fols. 1r–44v, Anglicana.

second scribe: Leviticus–Judges 7:13, fols. 45r–93v, Anglicana.

third scribe (this section may be the work of two or more scribes): Judges 7:13–Ecclesiasticus 48:6, fols. 93v–288r, Anglicana.

fourth scribe: Ecclesiasticus 48:6–end, informal textura, fols. 288r–332r. According to Forshall and Madden, the last hand is identical to the last hand of MS Douce 369 (1850, vol. 1, p. l). This was questioned by de Hamel who pointed out, probably correctly, that only the added note naming Hereford in MS Douce 369 may be by the last scribe of MS Bodl. 959 (2001, p. 172).

Decoration

4- to 10-line initials with blue penwork at the beginning of prefatory epistles and books.

2- to 3-line plain red initials at the beginning of chapters.

Rubrics in red or black ink. The text of a rubric in black ink in the margin and a note ‘wryte þis with red[…]’ next to a rubric on fol. 300r.

Binding

English, 16th century. Green velvet with brass bosses and corner-pieces, backed with green leather.

History

Origin: England ; 1390s (?)

Execution is highly variable, suggesting that it is a working copy; heavily corrected, perhaps used in a workshop. There is no attempt to match hands, the format of rubrics, running titles or chapter numbers. The last hand may be the hand responsible for the Hereford inscription in MS. Douce 369 (de Hamel, C., The book: a history of the Bible (London: Phaidon, 2001), p. 172). The text may have been checked against MS. Douce 369, or a version similar to it, and corrected to bring it in conformance with this version. A break at the same point in the text occurs in MS. Douce 369 and Cambridge University Library MS. Ee. 1. 10.

Dialect survey:

  • First scribe:
    • eny(9)/ony(1), eche(5)/ech(5), fyer(7)/fyre(2)/fyr(1), ȝiue(1)/ȝeue(2)/ȝeuen(4), lyf(10), lyke(10), mych(8)/myche(1)/mich(1), seeȝ(7)/saw(1) (sg.), seen corrected to siȝen(1)/seen corrected to seien(2)/seein(1) (pl.), self(8)/seluen(2), sich(2)/siche(1)/sych(3), þorou(1)/þoru(3)
    • -iþ(8)/-eþ(2) (pres.ind.3sg.), -en(10) (pres.ind.pl.), -yng(6)/-ing(4) (pres. part.), sche(10) (3sg.fem.pronoun, nom.), þey(8)/þei(1)/þeȝ(1) (3pl.pronoun, nom.), hem(10) (3pl.pronoun, oblique), here(5) (3pl.pronoun, possessive)
    • Also preterites: seeyȝ, fleeyȝ; participles often with the prefix: yschewid, yspoke; plurals: clotheȝ, bryddeȝ (Forshall, J. and Madden, F. (eds), The Holy Bible … in the earliest English versions made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and his followers, 4 vols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1850)).
  • Second scribe
    • eny(10), eche(10), fuyr(10), ȝouyn(1)/ȝeuen(3)/ȝeue(3)/ȝeuyn(1), life(7)/lyfe(3), lyke(9)/like(1), moche(10), sauȝ(1)/sawȝ(1)/say(2)/saw(1) (sg.), sawe(1)/syȝyn(1) (pl.), self(10), such(9)/sich(1)
    • -eþ(10) (pres.ind.3sg.), -en(3)/-yn(3)/-n(1)/-eþ(2)/-þ(1) (pres.ind.pl.), -ynge(8)/inge(2) (pres.part.), she(1)/sheo(7)/sche(2) (3sg.fem.pronoun, nom.), þei(9)/ þey(1) (3pl.pronoun, nom.), hem(10) (3pl.pronoun, oblique), here(8)/þer(1)/ þer corrected to þeir(1) (3pl.pronoun, possessive)
    • Also hit, hul, hully, gulty, hud for ‘it’, ‘hill’, ‘hilly’, ‘guilty’, ‘hid’; folly for ‘full’, folfulle for ‘fulfil’, fluys for ‘fleece’, opp for ‘up’, opon for ‘upon’, ȝerstynday for ‘yesterday’, hanfol for ‘handfu’l, ȝut for ‘yet’, prude for ‘pride’, sulle for ‘sell’ (Forshall, J. and Madden, F. (eds), The Holy Bible … in the earliest English versions made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and his followers, 4 vols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1850)).
  • Third scribe (psalms)
    • any(6)/eny(1), eche(10), fijr(9)/fyr(1), ȝyuen(4)/ȝeeuen(1), lijf(10), lijc(10), myche(10), saw(1)/sawȝ(6) (sg.), seeȝen(7) (pl.), self(6), þurȝ(10)
    • -eþ(10) (pres.ind.3sg.), -en(9)/-yn(1) (pres.ind.pl.), -ynge(8)/-inge(2) (pres. part.), þei(9)/þey(1) (3pl.pronoun, nom.), hem(2)/þem(8) (3pl.pronoun, oblique), þer(10) (3pl.pronoun, possessive)
  • Fourth scribe
    • any(10), eche(10), fijr(10), ȝyuen(6)/ȝyue(1), lijf(5), lijc(10), myche(10), sawȝ(5)/saȝ(1)/saw(1) (sg.), seyn(1)/seeȝen(1)/seen(1) (pl.), self(10). such(7)/ suche(2)/shuch(1), þof(4), þurȝ(10)
    • -iþ(4)/-eþ(6) (pres.ind.3sg.), -en(10) (pres.ind.pl.), -ynge(2)/-inge(5)/ende(2)/-yn(1) (pres.part.), þei(9)/þey(1) (3pl.pronoun, nom.), hem(8)/ þem(2) (3pl.pronoun, oblique), þer(8)/þeir(2) (3pl.pronoun, possessive)
    • Also: slowȝ.

Provenance and Acquisition

‘þat þing þat ȝe spac of touchynge Sauages douȝter wole not ȝet be’, 15th century, fol. 333v.

Bodleian Library: presented through Thomas Bodley with MS. Bodl. 665 by Springham in 1602 (Madan, F. and Craster, H. H. E., Summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, vol. 2, part I (collections received before 1660 and miscellaneous MSS acquired during the first half of the 17th century), nos. 1–3490 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922); Wheeler (1926)). Richard Springham, Magdalen College (?), Foster, J., Alumni Oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford, 1500–1714, 4 vols (London: Joseph Foster; Oxford: Parker and Co., 1891–92), p. 1401.

Record Sources

Elizabeth Solopova, Manuscripts of the Wycliffite Bible in the Bodleian and Oxford College Libraries, Exeter Medieval Texts and Studies (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2016), no. 9. Previously described:
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 589

Availability

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Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Digital Bodleian (6 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

    Forshall, J. and Madden, F. (eds), The Holy Bible … in the earliest English versions made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and his followers, 4 vols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1850), vol. 1, pp. xlvii–xlviii; siglum E.
    Deanesly, M., The Lollard Bible and other medieval biblical versions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1920), passim .
    Madan, F. and Craster, H. H. E., Summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, vol. 2, part I (collections received before 1660 and miscellaneous MSS acquired during the first half of the 17th century), nos. 1–3490 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922), no. 3093.
    Mallet, C. E., A history of the University of Oxford, 3 vols (London: Methuen, 1924–27), vol. 1, p. 231.
    Wheeler, G. W. (ed.), Letters of Sir Thomas Bodley to Thomas James, first Keeper of the Bodleian Library (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1926), pp. 86–7.
    Fristedt, S. L., The Wycliffe Bible, 3 vols (Stockholm: Almquvist & Wiksells, 1953–73), passim .
    Lindberg, C. (ed.), The earlier version of the Wycliffite Bible, 8 vols (Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1959–97), edition.
    Fristedt, S. L., ‘A weird manuscript enigma in the British Museum’, Studier i modern sprakvetenskap, Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, Stockholm Stuidies in Modern Philology, New Series, 2 (1964), pp. 116–21 at p. 121.
    Hudson, A., Selections from English Wycliffite writings (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978), pp. 157, 163, 164.
    Smith, J. J., ‘Linguistic features of some fifteenth-century Middle English manuscripts’ in Pearsall, D. A. (ed.), Manuscripts and readers in fifteenthcentury England: the literary implications of manuscript study; essays from the 1981 conference at the University of York (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1983), pp. 104–12.
    Hudson, A., Lollards and their books (London: Hambledon Press, 1985), pp. 104, 106, 176.
    Hudson, A., The premature reformation: Wycliffite texts and Lollard history (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988), pp. 238–47.
    Lindberg, C., ‘A note on Wyclif’s English’, in Oshitari, K. et al. (ed.), Philologia Anglica: essays presented to Professor Yoshio Terasawa on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday (Tokyo: Kenkyusha, 1988), pp. 385–88 at pp. 387, 389.
    Tanabe, H., ‘On some English renderings in the vocabulary of the Wycliffite Bible’, in Oshitari, K. et al. (1988), pp. 389–402, passim .
    Yonekura, H., ‘Wyclif’s Romance vocabulary: the case of the Wycliffite Bible’, in Oshitari, K. et al. (1988), pp. 403–21 at pp. 404, 405. Hudson, A., ‘Lollard book production’, in Griffiths, J. and Pearsall, D. A. (eds), Book production and publishing in Britain 1375–1475 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), pp. 125–42, p. 139.
    Samuels, M. L., ‘The dialects of MS. Bodley 959’, in McIntosh, A., Samuels, M. L. and Laing, M. (eds), Middle English dialectology: essays on some principles and problems (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1989), pp. 136–49.
    A Continental shelf: books across Europe from Ptolemy to Don Quixote: an exhibition to mark the re-opening of the Bodleian Exhibition Room, Bodleian Library (Oxford: Bodleian Library, 1994), no. 38.
    Smith, J. J., ‘Dialect and standardisation in the Waseda manuscript of Nicholas Love’s Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, in Beadle, R., Oguro, S. and Sargent, M. (eds), Nicholas Love at Waseda: proceedings of the international conference 20–22 July 1995 (Cambridge: Boydell & Brewer, 1997), pp. 129–41 at p. 132.
    Scott, K. L. (gen. ed.), An index of images in English manuscripts from the time of Chaucer to Henry VIII, c.1380–c.1509: the Bodleian Library, Oxford, 3 vols (Turnhout: Harvey Miller Publishers, 2000–02), vol. 1, p. 81, no. 347. de Hamel, C., The book: a history of the Bible (London: Phaidon, 2001), pp. 170–2.
    Dove, M., The first English Bible: the text and context of the Wycliffite versions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp. 88, 99, 103–4, 141, 143–4, 146, 148, 153, 175–7, 178, 199, 214, 223, 224, 225, 230, 234, 253, 255–6.

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2023-03-24: Revise Solopova description.