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

MS. Douce 323

Summary Catalogue no.: 21897

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
vi + 168 + i leaves
Dimensions (binding): 290 × 215 × 40 mm.
Dimensions (leaf): 280 × 210 mm.

Hand(s)

Hand 1: Anglicana in a dark brown ink, from fols. 1–160

Hand 2: Anglicana in a dark brown ink, from fols. 160–168

Decoration

Miniature (coloured drawing). (Pächt and Alexander iii. 1148)

History

Origin: 15th century, second half ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

Fol. 101v, arms sable a saltire engrailed ermine between four roses (?) argent (the colours doubtful), with the name 'iohannes tubantisville', as though the scribe or owner (John of Trumpington?).

Belonged to William Dupre (Du pre), a specimen of whose intended metrical paraphrase of art. 2 in modem English is prefixed: sold by him to Douce, who has inserted notes of his own, chiefly also about art. 2.

Francis Douce, 1757–1834

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1834

MS. Douce 232 – part 1

Contents

1. (fol. 1)
Chronicle of England (Brut Chronicle) to 1333
Incipit: In the noble lande of Surrye
Colophon: Deo gracias
Language(s): Middle English

Physical Description

Collation

Quires of 12 leaves.

Layout

196 × 130 mm.

Decoration

Coat of arms in black and red on fol. 101v.

Catchwords decorated with scroll motif in red and black ink, becoming more complex from fol. 48v.

Marginal manicula in black ink on fols. 107v, 108r, and 130v.

MS. Douce 232 – part 2

Contents

2. (fol. 102)
William Langland, Piers Plowman ('A' text)
Final rubric: Explicit liber Petri Plouman

Prologue and Passus i-xi of the A-text.

Language(s): Middle English

Physical Description

Foliation: Modern pencil foliation on recto folios.

Collation

Quires of 12 leaves.

Layout

193 × 132 mm.

Decoration

Decorated catchwords in black ink.

Large elaborate rubrication (including black ink) on fol. 140r.

Decorated initial with dragon motif in rubrication on fol. 140r.

MS. Douce 232 – part 3

Contents

3. (fol. 140v)
Abbey of the Holy Ghost
Rubric: Here is the book that speketh of a place that is called the Abbey of the Holy Gost ...

At the end is a coloured view of the abbey.

Language(s): Middle English

Physical Description

Layout

195 × 135 mm.

Decoration

Decorated catchwords in black ink.

Miniature depicting the Abbey of the Holy Ghost referenced in item 3 on fol. 159v.

MS. Douce 232 – part 4

Contents

4. (fol. 160)
Ipotis
Rubric: Ipotyce
Incipit: Alle that will of wysdom lere

Ends, abruptly, some leaves being lost, 'And thanketh God al his wille.'.

Language(s): Middle English

Physical Description

Layout

182 × 125 mm.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted from the Summary Catalogue (1897). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973).

2025-05-16: Additional data collected by Megan Stuart and Adam Burge as part of the 'Big Data' and Medieval Manuscripts workshop held at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford on 29th May 2025. Data encoded in TEI-XML by Sebastian Dows-Miller on 4th June 2025.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (4 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2025-05-16: Additional data collected by Megan Stuart and Adam Burge as part of the 'Big Data' and Medieval Manuscripts workshop held at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford on 29th May 2025. Data encoded in TEI-XML by Sebastian Dows-Miller on 4th June 2025.