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Manuscripts

[Prose and poetry, late 15th/early 16th century]

1 of 319

Description: Poems and prose by William Lichfield, John Lydgate, Geoffrey Chaucer and others. Also includes the Gospel of Nicodemus, excerpts from John Trevisa's translation of Higden's Polychronicon and a medical recipe.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date: late 15th/early 16th century
Call number: mssHM 144
Provenance: An early possibly the first owner (the copyist himself?) had access to a manuscript which had belonged to the Augustinian monastery in Bisham Montague, Berkshire, and which was used for reinforcement in the binding. Other 16th century owners wrote their names in the book: f. ii, among many pentrials, "John thyll [second word erased]. John tylly owth for ii bowsylles of wy[cropped] the pres xxiiii d."; "Iste confessor domyni. Iste lyber pertenethe nicolaus serll"; on the inside of the front and back covers, "John Skynner" and "John Skynner of farnham." Manly and Rickert suggest that the note on f. 81 may be in the hand of William Thynne, who prepared editions of Chaucer's works in 1532 and 1542. The notes on ff. 1 and 9v appear to be written by John Stow who brought out a revised version of Thynne's edition of Chaucer in 1561. Belonged to a member of the Savile family. Sold by Ellis in that year to Henry Huth; sale of Alfred H. Huth to Quaritch. Acquired by Henry E. Huntington before 1925.
Restrictions: RESTRICTED. Available with curatorial approval. Requires extended retrieval and delivery time.
Dimensions: 290 x 200 (185-197 x 130-146) mm
Associated people: Lichfield, William, (-1448.); Lydgate, John, (1370?-1451?); Chaucer, Geoffrey, (-1400.); Thynne, William, (-1546,); Stow, John, (1525?-1605,); Huth, Henry, (1815-1878,); Huth, Alfred Henry, (1850-1910,); Higden, Ranulf, (-1364.)
Associated organization: Henry E. Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Find out more: View in the Huntington Digital Library(Opens in new tab); View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

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ff. 1-32. [Richard Rolle, attributed to]. [Contemplations of the Dread and Love of God]. Incipit: Whi ech man schulde desire to love god, Amonge alle creatures whiche god of his endeles myȝte made. Explicit: whiche be þe techinge of almiȝti god have write to þe þes fewe wordes in helpinge of þi soule. Ardeat in nobis domini fervor amoris. English. Text here preceded by a chapter list (labelled a-z, the last entry with no sign:"This schort pistil þat folweþ is deuided in sundri materes ech mater be himself in titlis as þis kalender shewes . . .), and by a prologue (In þe begynnynge and endynge of alle goode werkys: worshipe and þonkynge be to almyȝti god makere and byere of all mankind . . .). Contemplations of the Dread and Love of God (title used in Wynkyn de Worde's edition, 1506), or Fervor amoris, as on f. 33v, including the following three texts, Tractatus de quattuor gradibus amoris. P. S. Jolliffe, A Check-list of Middle English Prose Writings of Spiritual Guidance. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto, Subsidia Mediaevalia 2 (Toronto 1974), H.15. C. Horstman, ed., Yorkshire Writers: Richard Rolle of Hampole (London 1896) 2:72-105. ff. 32-33. [Prayers]. Incipit: A Goode curteis angel ordeined to my gouernaisse I knowe wel myn feblenes. . .yow also in him aftir his holi techinge. I þanke him with þis holi preier. Pater noster et cetera. Et ne nos inducas in temptacionem Set libera nos a malo. Per defensionem angeli commissi nobis ad custodiam amen. Ave maria. [A]ngele qui meus custos pietate superna/ me tibi commissam salva defende guberna. . . Latin; English. A. Wilmart, Auteurs spirituels et textes dévots du moyen âge latin (Paris 1932; repr. 1971), 556-58], with versicle, response and prayer, Deus qui sanctorum angelorum tuorum aliquos tibi benigne concedis assistere. . . ; devotions to one's guardian angel, the English prayer pr. in Horstman, p. 105, followed by a suffrage in Latin. On ff. 32v-33, two prayers to Jesus in Latin: Ihesu fili dei vivi omnium cognitor adiuva me ut vanis cogitacionibus non delector. . .; O bone ihesu tibi sine te placere non possum clementer. . . Some prayers in feminine form. f. 33r-v. [De quattuor gradibus amoris]. Incipit: I ffinde and rede bi holi mennis writinge þat aftir oure ladies assumpcion Seint Johan euangelist gretliche desirid to se þat blessid ladi. Explicit: and þan seie an antem wiþ a deuout orison suiche as we þenkemost plesinge to oure soule. Explicit tractatus de quatuor gradubus [sic] amoris. English. N. S. Baugh, A Worcestershire Miscellany Compiled by John Northwood c. 1400 (Philadelphia 1956) 151-52. ff. 34-50v. [Richard Rolle] [Form of living]. Incipit: In euery sinful man or woman þat is bounden in dedeli sinne is þre wrecchednesses þe whiche bringeþ hem to þe deþ of helle. Explicit: and praye for me þe grace of ihesu crist be wiþ deþ and kepe þe. Amen. Rubric: Incipit liber nuncupatus Amore langueo. English. Richard Rolle, Form of Living, in Horstman, 1:3-49; H. E. Allen, Writings Ascribed to Richard Rolle, Hermit of Hampole (New York 1927) 256-68; H. E. Allen, English Writings of Richard Rolle Hermit of Hampole (Oxford 1931) 82-119. f. 51. [Poem]. Incipit: Crist made to man a faire present/ His blody body wiþ loue y brent. . .þan schal my loue be trewe. Explicit: & fin/ and loue in loue schal make fin. English. C. Brown and R. H. Robbins, Index of Middle English Verse (New York 1943) and Supplement by R. H. Robbins and J. L. Cutler (Lexington 1965) 611. C. Brown, ed., Religious Lyrics of the XIVth Century (Oxford, 2nd ed., 1952) 113-14, with collations from this manuscript on pp. 273-74. ff. 51-52v. [Poems]. Incipit: Hyt is yfounde and ywrite þat oure lady apered to seint Thomas of caunterbury and badde him and tauþt him to worschipe here. . .Be glad of al maydens flourre/ þat hast in heuene swich honoure. Explicit: Bringe me to þe blisse of heuene/ þorwe grace of clene lyfe. Latin; English. Text preceded by a Latin legend ("Legitur quod dum beatus Thomas martir Cantuariensis Arche episcopus septem gaudia temporalia . . ."), several short Latin texts (Gaude flore virginali; O sponsa dei electa mater domini nostri ihesu christi benedicta; Domine ihesu christe fili dei vivi qui beatissimam genitricem tuam). See C. Brown and R. H. Robbins, Index of Middle English Verse (New York 1943) and Supplement by R. H. Robbins and J. L. Cutler (Lexington 1965) 465. C. Brown, ed., Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century (Oxford 1939) 59-60, English portions only from this manuscript. U. Chevalier, Repertorium hymnologicum, Louvain 1892-1912, Brussels 1920-21, n. 6809 for the hymn, Gaude flore virginali. ff. 53-62v. [Richard of St. Victor]. [Benjamin Minor]. Incipit: A Greet Clerc þat men callaþ Richard of seint victor in a book þat he makeþ of þe studie wisdam. Explicit: Ibi Beniamin adolescentulus in mentis excessu: þat is þer is Beniamin ȝe ȝonge child in rauissyng of mynde. Mercy help. Gremercy help. English. A Tretyse of þe Stodye of Wysdome þat Men Clepen Beniamyn (translation of Richard of St. Victor's Beniamin Minor), in P. Hodgson, Deonise Hid Divinite. Early English Text Society original series 231 (London 1955) 11-46; HM 127 collated as C. f. 62v. [Seven Works of Mercy]. Incipit: The seuene dedis of mercy/ I wole do as god us bede. Explicit: Cherishe þe sinful to turne fro vys/ And wys him in to þe riþt way. English. Index of Middle English Verse 3459. The seven Works of Mercy,"Bodily" and"Gostly.". f. 62v. [Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit]. Incipit: Septem dona spiritus sancti, Domum [sic] sapiencie castitas contra luxuriam. Explicit: Domum [sic] timoris domini humilitas contra superbiam. Latin.
mssHM 127