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

MS. Arch. Selden. B. 11

Summary Catalogue no.: 3357

Contents

John Gower, Confessio Amantis

The first recension of the Confessio Amantis

At the end are the pieces beginning 'Quam cinxere' and 'Quia vnusquisque'

Language(s): Middle English and Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Mixed paper and parchment (fols 6 and 9 a parchment bifolium near centre of first quire but with a paper bifolium between) but thereafter only paper (Late Medieval English Scribes)
Extent: i x 170 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 15 × 11.25 in.

Layout

2 cols

Decoration

Illuminated capitals

History

Origin: 15th century, middle ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

On the front pastedown, 'Ed-us Smythe gen' hunc librum possidit' and 'ffor master doctor Martyne at ys'; owned by Edwarde Smythe and 'Edmundus Smyth generosus', 16th century (cf. Late Medieval English Scribes)

John Selden, 1584–1654

Acquired by the Bodleian in 1659

Record Sources

Description adapted (September 2023) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1922)

Bibliography

    Printed descriptions:

    Derek Pearsall and Linne R. Mooney, A Descriptive Catalogue of the English Manuscripts of John Gower’s Confessio Amantis (Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 2021), no. 22 (pp. 163-7)

    Online resources:

Last Substantive Revision

2023-09-06: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1922)