MS. Rawl. D. 913
Summary Catalogue no.: 13679
Guardbook of fragments
Contents
Fragments: collection of fragments
Physical Description
Decoration
Good border, initial, fols. 2–3. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 1083, pl. C)
Good diagrams, initial, fols. 22–42. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 866)
Good initials, fols. 94–97. (Pächt and Alexander i. 600)
History
Contents
Language(s): Middle English with some French
Selection of short anonymous verses. See Wilson (1952), Dronke (1961), Hirsh (2014), and especially Burrow (1984) for discussion and edition.
Contents include DIMEV record numbers: 4162, 5301, 2171, 3684, 1647, 3328, 6222, 351, 327, and 6834.
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
Single column of text, 41 lines on recto, 8 lines on verso. Individual texts arranged in paragraphs, without breaks between lines of verse. Written area 222 × 80 mm.
Hand(s)
Anglicana. Carefully written, regular letter forms.
History
Provenance
Original format of leaf unclear; may have been roll or separate leaf.
MS Rawl D. 913 fols. 2-3
Contents
Language(s): Middle English
Text from Book 1 of Lydgate's Troy Book (DIMEV 3995), Fol. 1r-v ll.623-702. Fol. 2r-v ll.460-567 as printed in H. Bergen Lydgate's Troy Book : A.D. 1412-20 (1906)
Physical Description
Layout
One column per side, 38-40 lines. Written space 222 × 80 mm.
Hand(s)
Secretary Hand
Decoration
Seven line tall initial 'T' in gold on folio 2r.
Simple strapwork initials highlighted in red at beginning of each other page
Decorated descenders in final lines of each page
History
Provenance
Formerly part of a codex. Leaves foliated 3-12 bound in Rawlinson Poet 223. Folios 17 onwards preserved in Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 110. For notes on foliation, see Mooney (2001).
MS Rawl D. 913 fol. 4
Contents
Language(s): Middle English
Text from Part One of Robert Mannyng's Chronicle (DIMEV 3253), also called 'The Story of England'. Fol. 4r: ll.12550-12613. Fol. 4v: ll.12614-12699 as printed in I. Sullens, "The Chronicle of Robert Mannyng of Brunne" (1996)
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
Two columns per side, columns 46 lines of text on recto side, 45 on verso. On both sides, the word 'Arthurus' is written in red in the upper margin. Written space: 260 × 170 mm.
Hand(s)
Anglicana
Decoration
Each section is introduced with a two-line tall initial in blue ink decorated with red pen flourishing.
Sections divided with rubricated Latin headings
Marginalia in English, upper margin of verso side. "O man what arte thow that de[spu]test | wyth god Romaynes ye nynth", followed by "delyuered to thomas woulse ix platt[ers?] | ix dishes iiij sawseres upon new3eres day".
Marginalia written vertically in left, central and right margin of verso side. Three variations on the same phrase: "St Ambros in his ixth chapter of his worke intituled de his qui misteris initianter [sic initiantur]".
Both sets of marginalia presumably from when leaf was pasted down in another codex.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Formertly part of a complete codex of the Chronicle similar to the 'P' Text in Inner Temple Library Petyt MS 511, Vol. 7. (See Sullens 1996)
Fragment of same codex survives, also as a pastedown ; see Merton College MS 23.b.6 and Davies (1969) pp.51-2. Text in the Merton Fragment is from Part 2 of the Chronicle (Recto: ll.3779-3810. Verso: ll.3737-3768). Host codex bound in Oxford.
MS Rawl D. 913 fol. 5
Contents
Language(s): Middle English
Single leaf containing verses dedicating a book to an unnamed Earl of Surrey. Text not present in DIMEV or Folger First Line Index. Partial transcription provided in Quarto Catalogue. Catalogue tenatively identifies Henry Howard (1516/17–1547) as the Earl in question, although reasoning for this unclear. On verso side: 'du[m] sumus in mu[n]do vivamus corde iocu[n]do'. Proverb of unclear origin.
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
Single column with at least 22 lines of text, not all of them legible. Arranged in 2 stanzas [7, 10] with additional lines above and below.
Hand(s)
Letter forms mostly Secretary.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Ruling similar to fol. 6. Both leaves have similar stains and circular warping. May have some shared origin.
MS Rawl D. 913 fol. 6
Contents
Language(s): Middle English
'O painful heart in pains sight' (DIMEV 4022). 2 stanzas, 4 lines each. See Frankis (1955)
'Let love to love go kindly and soft' (DIMEV 3057). 7 stanzas, 4 lines each. See Frankis (1955)
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
Single column of text. Both texts arranged in stanzas of 4 lines, 7 on recto [2, 5] and 3 on verso.
Hand(s)
First hand has a reaonably careful appearance with many long, looped ascenders and descenders. Aspect of second hand is bold but rather scribbled. Mixed Secretary and Anglicana features in both.
History
Provenance
Ruling similar to fol. 5. Both leaves have similar stains and circular warping. May have some shared origin.
MS Rawl D. 913 fols. 7-8
Contents
Language(s): Macaronic Middle English and Latin.
Metrical paraphrase of the Creed in Middle English with Latin phrases interspersed (DIMEV 2139). Latin text partly taken from wording of the Creed and partly from scripture.
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
Text in single column, with 23-24 lines per side. Fol. 8v contains only 17 lines before the text finishes. Average written space approx. 151 × 90 mm.
Hand(s)
Mix of Anglicana and Secretary forms.
History
Provenance
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fols 83–84
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Lines 7029–7148 and 7391–7510
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
166 × 127 mm. 2 cols, 30 lines, with very faint leadpoint ruling, written above topline.
Hand(s)
Protogothic.
Decoration
2-line red initials and rubricated running heads.
Various later annotations, mainly illegible, of the 15th or 16th centuries.
History
Provenance
On fol. 83r a very faded annotation in the upper margin seems to read ‘De astrolabio’. The dimensions of the bifolium match those of the leaves of Geoffrey Chaucer's Treatise on the Astrolabe on fols 23–42, for which it could have served as a wrapper.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 85
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
The last 32 lines of an otherwise unknown Anglo-Norman poem on infernal punishment in alexandrine couplets (Dean no. 600).
Lines 1–311
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
245 × 156 mm. 2 cols, 51–52 lines, with very faint leadpoint ruling, written above topine.
Hand(s)
Protogothic. 3 different hands, with one hand responsible for the end of the poem on infernal punishment on fol. 85ra, a second hand beginning the Voyage de saint Brendan on fol. 85rb–va, and a third, smaller hand continuing on fol. 85va–vb. The Voyage de saint Brendan is lineated as one couplet per line, with a punctus elevatus marking the end of a verse and a punctus marking the end of a couplet.
Decoration
2-line red initial to mark the beginning of the Voyage de saint Brendan.
History
Provenance
Former pastedown leaf.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fols 86–89
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Lines 8486–8518, 8526–8558, 8567–8605, 8614–8651 (fol. 86); 8892–8940, 8948–8978, 8987–9020, 9027–9060 (fol. 87); 11084–11119, 11209–11252 (fol. 88); 11265–11299, 11389–11421 (fol. 89)
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
2 cols, at least 34 lines, with faint leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis rotunda. Every verse line is marked with a punctus.
Decoration
2- and 3-line red and blue initials.
History
Provenance
Canterbury, Kent, Franciscan convent: ‘Hoc volumen conceditur ad vsum fratrum minorum de observantia cantuarie’, 15th century (second half), fol. 87v. An inscription of the same form is also found in London, Lambeth Palace Library, 1483.5, a printed book. (MLGB3)
Formerly MS. Rawl. poet. 137, fols 42–45. It is argued in MLGB3 that the bifolia were used as pastedown leaves in the binding of MS. Rawl. poet. 137 itself, although this assertion is doubtful. (MLGB3)
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 90
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Lines 323–476
Edited (MS C) in Hue de Rotelande, Protheselaus, ed. by Anthony J. Holden (London, 1991–93).Physical Description
Condition
Layout
224 × 153 mm. 2 cols, 40 lines, with very faint leadpoint ruling, written below topline.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis rotunda.
Decoration
Spaces left empty for 1- and 3-line initials.
History
Provenance
Probably once part of the same manuscript as fol. 91, and subsequently used as a pastedown in the same binding.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 91
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Lines 10173–10332
Edited (MS C) in Hue de Rotelande, Ipomedon, ed. by Anthony J. Holden (Paris, 1979).Physical Description
Condition
Layout
224 × 151 mm. 2 cols, 40 lines, with very faint leadpoint ruling, written below topline.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis rotunda.
Decoration
Spaces left empty for 3-, 4- and 8-line initials.
History
Provenance
‘William’, ‘William Redman’, ‘Hardress’, in the outer margin of fol. 91r: probably William Redman, d. 1602, Rector of Upper Hardres, Kent, from 1578 to 1594 and later Bishop of Norwich. (ODNB)
A later hand adds a largely illegible inscription ending on ‘Leadsham his book’ in the upper margin.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 92
Contents
Language(s): Old French
Lines 4346–4364, 4453–4471
Physical Description
Layout
Upper inner quarter of the leaf: 1 col., 19 lines, with leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis quadrata.
Decoration
Rubricated letters at the beginning of almost every verse line.
A largely illegible annotation is added in the margin of fol. 92v.
History
Provenance
‘Fragmentum in quo mentio de Cassibellano’, fol. 92v: added by Thomas Hearne, 1678–1735, according to the Quarto Catalogue.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 93
Contents
Language(s): Old French
Lines 11721–11890
Cf. Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, Le Roman de la Rose, ed. by Félix Lecoy (Paris, 1965–70).Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Originally 3 cols (as suggested by the gap of 43 lines between the last legible line and the catchword), 2 cols extant, 42–43 lines, with leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis rotunda, but with frequent single-compartment a.
Decoration
2-line red and blue initials.
Rubricated letters at the beginning of every line, and a rubricated verse line serving as a catchword in the lower margin of fol. 93r.
History
Provenance
Taken from MS. Rawl. poet. 162.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fols 94–97
Contents
Language(s): Old French
Lines 646–682, 753–792 (fol. 94a); 696–722, 725–751 (fol. 94b); 1587–1613, 1692–1720 (fol. 95a); 1629–1653, 1668–1690 (fol. 95b), 3922–3951, 4029–4057 (fol. 96a); 3952–3991, 3992–4028 (fol. 96b); 12036–12075, 12140–12177 (fol. 97a); 12093–12113, 12121–12139 (fol. 97b)
Cf. Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, Le Roman de la Rose, ed. by Félix Lecoy (Paris, 1965–70).Physical Description
Layout
Originally 2 cols (now separated into fragments of 1 col.), 40 lines, with ink ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis rotunda.
Decoration
Decorated 2- and 4-line gold initials, accompanied by rubrics. (Pächt and Alexander i. 600)
An anglicana hand of the 15th century adds line 792 at the bottom of fol. 94av.
History
Provenance
Provenance prior to Rawlinson unknown.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 98
Contents
Language(s): Middle Dutch
Part III, book I, chapter xxxiii, line 94–chapter xxxiv, line 95 (Malchus and Jerome)
Cf. Jacob van Maerlant, Spiegel historiael, ed. by M. de Vries and E. Verwijs (Leiden, 1863).Physical Description
Layout
215 × 137 mm. 2 cols, 39 lines, with leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis rotunda.
Decoration
2-line red initial, following the rubric announcing the chapter on Jerome.
History
Provenance
Former endleaf.
‘Knyvett’, along with the motto ‘Manet alta mente repostum’, fol. 98r: in the hand of Sir Thomas Knyvett of Ashwellthorpe, c.1539–1618.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 99
Contents
Lost from the volume.
Language(s): Old French
Edmund Stengel noted the existence of this item in 1882 and transcribed the rubric ‘Chy s’ensieult che que on doibt dire quant aucune creature gist en son lit mortel et en son derrain extremtei’; its loss was already noted by the Quarto Catalogue in 1898.
See E. Stengel, ‘Hs. Rawlinson Miscellanea 1370 alt 1262’, Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie 6 (1882), 390–96 (p. 392).Physical Description
Layout
2 cols.
History
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 100
Contents
Language(s): Old French
Fragment of an otherwise unknown prose treatise on the degrees of wisdom and on repentance. A section begins 'La .vj. degre. ⟨L⟩i siesime de gre de proesce e⟨st⟩ apelee magnificence
Physical Description
Layout
At least 1 col., at least 31 lines, with very faint leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis semiquadrata.
Decoration
Spaces left empty for 2-line initials.
Rubric reading ‘La .vi. degre.’ on fol. 100r, as well as rubricated letters at the beginning of sentences.
An 18th-century hand notes ‘Vertue and Xtian magnificence’ in the margin of fol. 100v.
History
Provenance
Provenance prior to Rawlinson unknown.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 101
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Book I, chapter 24 (De Apels de Homicides)
Cf. Britton, ed. by F. M. Nichols (Oxford, 1865), pp. 109–14.Physical Description
Condition
Layout
1 col., at least 35 lines, with faint leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Anglicana.
Decoration
Flourished 3-line red initial on fol. 101r.
Marginal annotations in the scribal hand. A later hand adds what appears to be ‘goflid’ in the inner margin of fol. 101r.
History
Provenance
Formerly used in a binding.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fol. 102
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Fragment of an unidentified (perhaps otherwise unknown) year book, connected by the Quarto Catalogue to the year book fragments on fols 106–11 but not obviously part of the same volume. One case relates to 'lay de marche' and in another 'Edward Charles' is a party.
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
1 col., at least 31 lines, unruled.
Hand(s)
Anglicana.
History
Provenance
Formerly used in a binding.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fols 103–105
Contents
Language(s): Old French
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
199 × 125 mm. 1 col., 28 lines, with leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Anglicana.
Decoration
Spaces left empty for illustrations and 2-line initials.
Rubrics: ‘Conment alixandres renuoie a d…’ (fol. 103r); ‘…alixandres li roys trouua sa mere …’ (fol. 103v); ‘Conment chiaus qui estoient ou lieu de dayres li manderent le respons des lettres conment alixandres auoit destruite sa prouince’ (fol. 105r).
Various later scribbles and annotations in the margins and between sections of the text, partly upside-down and frequently illegible. On fol. 103, the annotations predate the trimming of the leaf.
History
Provenance
Formerly used as pastedowns in a schoolbook at Magdalen College School.
‘Thomas Grey’, ‘Ricardus Grey’, ‘Jhon Grey’, ‘Antony Grey’, fol. 104r: probably Thomas Grey, 1477–1530, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, who from 1495 was educated at Magdalen College School together with his brothers. (ODNB)
On fol. 105v is scribbled a letter from the schoolboy ‘Robert Yall’ to his master, beginning: ‘Master Mullysworth I wold pray and beseytt yow that yow wold be my good master’. Dated between c.1504 and 1509 and transcribed in Nicholas Orme, Education in Early Tudor England: Magdalen College Oxford and Its School, 1480–1540 (Oxford, 1998), p. 76.
‘2196, Disp. 46’, fol. 104v: added by Thomas Hearne, 1678–1735, according to the Quarto Catalogue, in reference to his early printed copy of the Historia preliis, now Auct. 2Q 4.7(1), although it is not clear that this is the volume in which these leaves served as pastedowns.
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fols 106–111
Contents
Language(s): Anglo-Norman and Latin
Fragments of year books for Edward I and Edward II, dated to regnal year 29 (probably Edw I, 1301) on fol. 108r and regnal year 4 (probably Edw II, 1311) on fol. 111v.
See J. H. Baker, English Legal Manuscripts, Vol. II (Zug, 1978), p. 183.Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
1 col., 25–56 lines, largely unruled.
Hand(s)
Anglicana. 2 distinct hands: the first is responsible for fol. 106r and fols 108–109, the second for fols 106v–107 and fols 110–111.
Marginal annotations in the scribal hand. A later hand adds what appears to be ‘29 E. 1 Bastard 27’ in the outer margin of fol. 111r.
History
MS. Rawl. D. 913 – fols 112–129
Contents
Language(s): Middle French
Exempla on St Hilary, Abbot Helies, St Anthony and others not otherwise attested in the tradition of the Ci nous dit.
Cf. Ci nous dit, ed. by Gérard Blangez (Paris, 1979).Unidentified manual covering the Ten Commandments, the five senses, the seven deadly sins, the seven sacraments, the celebration of Mass and priesthood. Fol. 122r, 'Des cinc sens natureulx', begins 'Dieu ta donne le sens et les membres et tout le corps pour garder le cuer', fol. 122v, 'Des .vij. pechiez mortielx', begins 'Saint Iohan dit en son apocalice que il vit issir'.
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
155 × 115 mm. 1 col., 30 lines, with very faint leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Gothic textualis semiquadrata.
Added notation: see below, Additions.
Decoration
Flourished 2-line red and blue initials.
Latin marginal annotations in the same 15th-century hand as the contemporary foliation.
Various scribbles, doodles and annotations of the 16th century, including a note beginning ‘Right wourshippefull and my Synguler good Maister’ on fol. 117v. Several attempts at adding musical notation: an empty 4-line staff on fol. 113, two 4-line staves with square notation on fol. 117v, an empty 7-line staff on fol. 127r, several notes on fol. 127v, one 4-line and one 5-line staff with square notation on fol. 128r.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
Fols. 22-42 (Chaucer's Astrolabe) will be on display in the exhibition "Chaucer Here and Now", Bodleian Libraries, Weston Library, 8 December 2023 – 28 April 2024, and will not be orderable between those dates or for a short period before or afterwards.
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (10 images from 35mm slides)
Bibliography
Online resources:
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2023-11: Ruth Allen: new descriptions of fols. 1-8