MS. Douce 369

Fols. i–ii are paper flyleaves, blank apart from Douce’s notes on Wyclif.

Imperfect at the beginning because of the loss of leaves. Prologues to psalms appear at the end of quire XVIII. The second of the two prologues occupies three-quarters of the first column on the last page of this quire (fol. 150v), the rest of the page is left blank and psalms start on a new quire. The books are numbered in a contemporary hand as shown in brackets after each title (see also Provenance). Running titles in black in the upper left margin, usually only on the versos, consisting of abbreviated titles of books without chapter numbers. Occasionally rubrics in red or black, in English or Latin, by the scribes, rubricator or added in contemporary hands (see below). Chapter numbers in black (occasionally in red) in the margins at the beginning of each chapter in Arabic numerals, preceded by ‘c(apitulu)m’. The contents of the chapters are summarised in Latin verses (two for each chapter) in the lower margins of pages containing the beginnings of chapters. The verses are laid out in long lines and rhyme at the end and at caesura. Such two-line verse summaries are in a smaller, more informal script, in a hand different from those of the main scribes, and are preceded by chapter numbers in Arabic numerals. The ruling for the verses (thick brown plummet) is similar to the ruling elsewhere in the manuscript (e.g., fols. 6v, 15v–16r, 189r, 193r). Occasionally the ruling is provided where the verses are absent (e.g., fols. 42v, 121r, 122r, etc.). Starting with fol. 132v the chapter numbers that accompany the verses are in red, and the verses are enclosed in red brackets. The verse summaries are absent in psalms and after fol. 206r (from chapter 47 of Ecclesiasticus onwards), though the ruling is provided up to fol. 208r. The lections are occasionally marked with a red bracket in the margin and sometimes with the opening and final letters of the passage written in red in the margins. Added material within the text is occasionally underlined faintly in brown ink (e.g., Jeremiah 8:7, fol. 230r).

Many corrections in the margins in contemporary hands, including cancellations, additions and substitutions of words or short phrases. Some corrections are stylistic or grammatical; particularly frequent are the substitution of ‘þe whiche’ for ‘þe’ or ‘þat’, the insertion of the article ‘þe’ and the future modal ‘schal’ (e.g., fols. 193r, 198r–v, 200r, 202r, 203r, 224v). Other examples are ‘resteyȝede’ for ‘restide’ (fol. 65r), ‘hadde taken’ for ‘tok’ (fol. 80r), ‘made of nou3t’ for ‘foormede’ (fol. 219v). Other contemporary marginal additions include: cross-references between biblical books (e.g., fols. 117r–v, 222r, 223v); notes providing the Latin version of a phrase (e.g., ‘optaui et datus’, fol. 187v; ‘melior est iniquitas…’, fol. 205r; ‘clama ne cesses’, fol. 224r) and ‘nota’ (fols. 184r, 185r, 194v, 223r, 229r etc.). Contemporary pointing hands and ‘hedera’ signs in the margins, some in red ink (fol. 146v), occasionally accompanied by notes referring to the content of passages (e.g., ‘heritage of prestis’, fol. 206r), or drawing attention to them (‘noteþ weel’, fol. 230r; ‘marke weel’, fol. 230v). Some notes are on scrolls or outlined in red ink (fol. 68r); many partially cropped off.

[quires I–XVIII]

[quires XIX–XXX]

Note concerning the authorship of Nicholas Hereford at the end (see Provenance). Fol. 250v is blank.

Missing Ezekiel 1:27–22:22 because of the loss of leaves. The books are numbered in the same way as in the first part, in the same contemporary hand, as shown in brackets after each title (see Provenance).

Ends imperfectly at 28:15 (‘…þre tauernes whom whanne’). Fols. 486–488 are paper flyleaves, containing notes by Douce, including a list of contents of the manuscript with folio numbers.

The text contains corrections, most over erasures, in contemporary hands. Chapter numbers and running titles with chapter numbers in red by the original rubricator. Lections outlined in red and/or marked in the margins with the opening and final letters of each passage, possibly by the original rubricator. Added material within the text is consistently underlined in red. English notes in the margins in the original hand referring to the subject matter of passages (e.g., fols. 433r, 434r, 435v, 436r, etc.). Occasionally glosses in the margins in a contemporary hand providing Latin versions of phrases (fols. 288r, 392r); cross-references among biblical books (e.g., fols. 313r, 378r); and ‘nota’ (fols. 435v, 439r, etc.). Pointing hands added in the margins, 16th century (?) (e.g., fols. 270r–v, 272r, etc.).