MS. Rawl. C. 883

Summary Catalogue no.: 12717

Language(s): Middle English with Latin

(fols. 1–48v)

Matthew in the Later Version of the Wycliffite Bible with usual prologue

Rubric: þe prolog on matheu

Rubric: Ierom in his ii prologis on þe gospel of matheu seiþ pleynly þis sentence & here bigynneþ þe first chap

Missing 21:27–22:2 because of the loss of one leaf after fol. 33. Running titles in black preceded by red paraphs on both rectos and versos, most consisting of ‘mᵗ’ only. Chapter numbers in red Roman numerals, most in the form ‘iiij c’’. Indexing letters in the margins, entered at the beginnings of lections rather than consistently; double strokes at the ends of lections. A gloss within the text is underlined in red on fol. 8r. The beginnings of sections within the text and sometimes verses are highlighted in red or marked with red paraphs. Dittography crossed out in red. The end of Matthew occupies the first half of the first column on fol. 48v; there is no evidence that anything is missing at the end.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: parchment; paper flyleaves

Extent: 119 leaves, c.

Dimensions (leaf): 182 × 121 mm.

Foliation: modern in ink: 22 unnumbered leaves + 1–48 + 24 unnumbered leaves

Collation

(fols. 1–32) I–IV (8) | (fols. 33–39) V (8–1) missing 2 | (fols. 40–47) VI (8) | (fol. 48) singleton. Catchwords survive; medieval quire signatures run consecutively 1–6.

Secundo Folio: ‘[of] ruth’ (fol. 2r)

Layout

ruled for two columns with single vertical and double horizontal bounding lines extending the full height and width of page; 26 lines per page; prickings survive; written space: c. 126 × 90 mm.

Hand(s)

textura, black ink

Decoration

4-line red and blue ‘puzzle’ initial decorated with red penwork at the beginning of the gospel.

2-line plain blue initials at the beginnings of the chapters; a similar initial with red penwork at the beginning of the prologue.

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

Marbled paper over pasteboard, 19th century; laid paper flyleaves and pastedowns with watermarks.

History

Origin: England ; 15th century, first quarter

Dialect survey:

ony(1)/eny(9), ech(10), fier(10), ȝouun(2)/ȝouen(7)/ȝeuen(1), lif(1)/lijf(9), lijk(9)/lik(1), myche(7)/mych(2)/moche(1), siȝ(8) (sg.), saien(4)/siȝen(2) (pl.), silf(10), such(3)/suche(2), þouȝ(2)/þou(1), þorou(5)/þorouȝ(1)
-iþ(9)/eþ(1) (pres.ind.3sg.), -en(10) (pres.ind.pl.), -ing(7)/-yng(2)/-ynge(1) (pres.part.), sche(10) (3sg.fem.pronoun, nom.), þei(10) (3pl.pronoun, nom.), hem(10) (3pl.pronoun, oblique), her(10) (3pl.pronoun, possessive)

Provenance and Acquisition

Thomas Rawlinson (1681–1725); see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: no. 272 in his collection.

Richard Rawlinson (1690–1755); see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: bought at the Thomas Rawlinson sale for 5 s . 6 d .

Bodleian Library: bequeathed by Rawlinson and accessioned in 1756.

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. 44. Previously described:

Quarto Catalogue, col. 461

Summary Catalogue, vol. 3, p. 222

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, p. l.

William D. Macray, Catalogi codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ partis quintæ fasciculus secundus, viri munificentissimi Ricardi Rawlinson, J.C.D., codicum classem tertiam, in qua libri theologici atque miscellanei, complectens; accedit in uniuscujusque classis codicum contenta index locupletissimus (Oxford, 1878), col. 461.

Dove, M., The first English Bible: the text and context of the Wycliffite versions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007), p. 301 (listed as Rawlinson C. 888).

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2023-03-24: Add Solopova description.

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