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

MS. Rawl. D. 82

Summary Catalogue no.: 12900

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
iii + 34 + iii leaves
Dimensions (binding): 288 × 197 × 18 mm.
Dimensions (leaf): 280 × 197 mm.

Binding

Non-contemporary binding repaired in 1986, including replacement of spine, as per note on final pastedown.

Earlier spine included on final pastedown.

History

Origin: 15th century ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

Richard Rawlinson, 1690–1755

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1755

MS. Rawl. D. 82 – Part 1

Contents

1. (fol. 1)
The siege of Thebes
Rubric: Here bigynnethe Sege of Thebes
Incipit: In the tyme of the fulle worthi Josue, as the story reherceth by þe writing of þe noble clerke Boas
Explicit: the which myscheues iournay and sege was iiije yere bifore Remus and Remulus bigane the fundacione of Rome
Final rubric: Here endethe the Sege of Thebes
Language(s): Middle English
2. (fol. 11)
The siege of Troy
Rubric: Here bigynnethe the Sege of Troye
Incipit: As the noble and worthi clerke Guydo writethe
Explicit: And alwey the ende of euery tresone and falsenes to sorowe and myschef at the last. Amen.
Language(s): Middle English

Physical Description

Foliation: No foliation.

Collation

Quires 1–3 (part 1): 8 folios in quarto. Quires 1, 2, and 3 bear '17', '18', and '19' respectively, indicating previous inclusion in a larger composite.

Layout

196 × 202 mm.

Hand(s)

One hand (littera hybrida) for part 1.

Decoration

Flourished initials in blue base with red flourishing of three lines in height on fols. 1r and 11r.

Line fillers in red ink on fols. 1r and 10v.

Rubrication on fols. 1r (incipit) and 10v (explicit).

MS. Rawl. D. 82 – Part 2

Contents

3. >(fol. 25)
John Gower, Confessio amantis

Extract: Part of the eighth book containing the description of the Court of Venus. The lines in praise of Chaucer are omitted.

Incipit: Venus which stante without lawe In no certeyn but as men drawe
Explicit: Upone the poynte þat I am shryue I thenke byddi while I lyu
Language(s): Middle English
(fol. 34)

Verse on the deceitfulness of friendship.

Incipit: Wo hath the conyng by wysdom or prudence To know whether his frende be feynt or stable
Language(s): Middle English

Physical Description

Foliation: Modern foliation in ink on recto folios.

Collation

Quire 4 (part 2): 10 folios in quarto. 'MSS Rawl.' appears at the beginning of the quire in modern ink, perhaps suggesting that this part was once distinct.

Faint cross watermark.

Layout

140 × 135 mm.

Hand(s)

One hand (littera hybrida) for part 2.

Additional 16th-/17th-century hands found on fol. 34.

Decoration

Coloured initials in red ink of two lines in height on fols. 25r–33v.

Various marginal notes and manicula on fol. 34r.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted from the Quarto Catalogue (W. D. Macray, Catalogi codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ...viri munificentissimi Ricardi Rawlinson, J.C.D., codicum...complectens, Quarto Catalogues V, 5 fascicles, 1862–1900).

2025-05-16: Additional data collected by Annabel Broderson and Hannah Wei 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.

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2025-05-16: Additional data collected by Annabel Broderson and Hannah Wei 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.