of the Virgin_ (imperfect at beginning), f. 1 begins in cap. xiii.
‘Therefore quod pees,’ ff. 30-249 _Confessio Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’
(six lines), ‘Quam cinxere,’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque,’ ff. 250-283,
Hoccleve’s _Regement of Princes_, with ‘Explicit Thomas Occlef,’
ff. 283 v^o, metrical version of Boethius [by John Walton of Osney]
with leaves lost at the end, ends ‘Amonges hem þ_at_ dwelle_n_ nyȝe
present.’ Parchment, ff. 297, about 15 × 11 in., in quires of 8
without catchwords, in a good and regular hand. The _Conf. Amantis_
is in double column of 41 lines. Latin summaries in text (red).
Ornamental borders at the beginning of books and space for miniature of
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream on f. 34 v^o. One leaf lost between ff. 134 and
135, containing v. 1159-1318.
The book belonged formerly to the Rev. Charles Lyttelton, LL.D., who
notes that it came originally from the Abbey of Hales Owen.
I owe thanks to the librarian of the Society of Antiquaries for
courteously giving me access to the manuscript.
The text is of the intermediate type, passing over in a part of
the fifth book with H₁ &c. to the revised group, but not giving
the revised readings much support on other occasions. It forms
however a distinct sub-group with GOAd₂, these manuscripts
having readings apparently peculiar to themselves in several
passages, e.g. v. 3688 and after v. 6848.
The spelling is not very good, and in particular final _e_
is thrown in very freely without justification: there are
also many _-is_, _-id_, _-ir_ terminations, as ‘servantis,’
‘goodis,’ ‘nedis,’ ‘ellis,’ ‘crokid,’ ‘clepid,’ ‘vsid,’
‘chambir,’ ‘aftir,’ and ȝ usually for _gh_ (_h_), as ‘hyȝe,’
‘nyȝe,’ ‘ouȝt,’ ‘lawȝe,’ ‘sleyȝtis,’ &c. The text however is
a fair one, and the use of it by Halliwell in his Dictionary
preserved him from some of the errors of the printed editions.
The scribe was apt to drop lines occasionally and insert them
at the bottom of the column, and some, as iii. 2343, are
dropped without being supplied.
G. GLASGOW, HUNTERIAN MUSEUM, S. i. 7. Contains _Confessio Amantis_,
imperfect at the end. Parchment, ff. 181 (numbered 179 by doubling
94 and 106) with two blanks at the beginning, 16½ × 10¾ in.,
in quires of 8 with catchwords: well and regularly written in double
column of 46 lines, early fifteenth century. Latin summaries in the
text (red). Floreated page at the beginning of each book, so far as
they remain, and illuminated capitals. Many catchwords lost by cutting
of the margin: it must once have been a very large book.
The manuscript has lost about sixteen leaves at the end, and eight
altogether in various other places. In every case except one, however,
the place of the lost leaf is supplied by a new leaf inserted, one of
which has the missing portion of the text copied out from an early
edition, while the rest are blank. The leaves lost are mostly such as
would probably have had miniatures or illuminations, including the
beginning of the first, second, sixth, seventh, and eighth books. The
losses are as follows: f. 4 (containing Prol. 504-657, probably with a
miniature), text supplied by later hand, f. 7 (Prol. 984-i. 30), f. 9
(i. 199-336, probably with a miniature), f. 28 (i. 3402-ii. 108), f.
129 (131) (v. 7718-vi. 40), f. 143 (145) (vi. 2343-vii. 60), a leaf
after f. 175 (177) (vii. 5399-viii. 126), f. 177 (179) (viii. 271-441),
and all after f. 179 (181), that is from viii. 783 to the end.
A former owner (seventeenth cent.) says, ‘This Book, as I was told by
the Gent: who presented it to me, did originally belong to the Abbey of
Bury in Suffolk.’ If so, the _Confessio Amantis_ was probably read in
this copy by Lydgate.
I am under great obligations to Dr. Young, Librarian of the Hunterian
Museum, for the trouble he has taken to give me access to this
excellent manuscript.
The Glasgow MS. is especially related to X (iv. 2773, v. 1486,
3582, 3688, 4110, 6848 ff., vi. 101, vii. 769, &c.), and
belongs more generally to the group H₁X &c., which passes over
to the revised class almost completely in a considerable part
of the fifth book. The text, however, is on the whole much
better than that of X, being both individually more correct and
more frequently found on the side of the corrected readings,
e.g. i. 2836, ii. 1441, 1867, v. 781, 1203, 2996, 4425, 5966,
6839, 7223, 7630, vi. 86, 746 (corrected), 1437, vii. 510,
1361, 1574, 2337, 3902, viii. 568. In at least one place, vii.
1574, it stands alone of the first recension, while in others,
as v. 4425, 5966, 7630, vi. 746, 1437, &c., it is accompanied
only by J. On the other hand in some passages, as v. 5802,
6019, 6257, vii. 1172 _marg._ &c., G has an earlier reading and
X the later, while there is also a whole series of passages
where G, sometimes in company with X, seems to show a special
connexion of some kind with B (BT), as ii. 1925, iii. 733, iv.
2295, 2508, v. 4, 536, 2508, 3964, 4072, 7048, vi. 1267, 1733,
vii. 3748, 4123, &c.
The book is carefully written, and corrected in the same hand,
e.g. v. 3145, 5011, vi. 430, 746, vii. 4233. The spelling is
pretty good, and in particular it is a contrast to X in the
matter of final _e_. This is seldom wrongly inserted, and when
it is omitted it is usually in places where the metre is not
affected by it. Punctuation often in the course of the line,
but not at the end.
O. STOWE 950, Brit. Museum. _Confessio Amantis_, imperfect at beginning
and end. Parchment, ff. 175 (177 by numbering leaves of another book
pasted to binding), 14¼ × 10 in., in eights with catchwords and
signatures, double column of 44-46 lines; written in a small, neat
hand. Latin summaries in text (red). No decorated pages.
Has lost seven leaves of the first quire, to i. 165 (incl.), and also
after f. 16 one leaf (i. 2641-2991), after f. 35 one (ii. 2486-2645),
after f. 44 two (iii. 673-998), after f. 97 one (v. 3714-3898), after
f. 108 two (v. 5832-6184), after f. 136 two (vii. 771-1111), and at
least four leaves at the end (after viii. 2549).
Formerly belonged to Lord Ashburnham.
In text this belongs to the XG group, agreeing with them, for
example, at v. 3688, 6848, and in general with H₁XG, where they
go together (so far as I have examined the book), e.g. in the
Latin verses after v. 2858 (‘Vltra testes falsos,’ ‘penitus’)
and in the readings of v. 1893, 1906, 2694, 3110, &c.
The handwriting is somewhat like that of H₁: the spelling
sometimes fairly good, but unequal; bad especially at the
beginning. The metre generally good.
Ad₂. ADDITIONAL 22139, Brit. Museum. _Confessio Amantis_, imperfect,
with the author’s account of his books, ‘Quia vnusquisque,’ at the end,
followed by Chaucer’s poems, ‘To you my purse,’ ‘The firste stok,’
‘Some time this worlde,’ ‘Fle fro the pres.’ Parchment, ff. 138, 13¾
× 10¼ in., in quires of 8 with catchwords: regularly and closely
written in double column of 53 lines by two hands, the first (ff.
1-71) somewhat pointed, the second rounder and smaller. Date 1432 on
a shield, f. 1. Latin summaries in text (red). Illuminated borders
at beginning of books (except the eighth) and many gilt capitals: a
miniature cut out on f. 4 (before Prol. 595).
The first leaves are much damaged, f. 1 having only two lines left (f.
2 begins Prol. 177), f. 3 has lost Prol. 455-478 and 505-527, &c., f. 4
has a miniature cut out, with Prol. 716-726 on the other side, f. 6 has
lost Prol. 979-1061. After f. 7 there is a loss of seventeen leaves (i.
199-ii. 56), after f. 31 (originally 48) two quires (sixteen leaves)
are lost and f. 32 is damaged (iii. 1150-iv. 1517), after f. 81 one
leaf lost (v. 7807-vi. 154).
Bought by Brit. Museum from Thos. Kerslake of Bristol, 1857.
The text is closely connected with that of X, but not copied
from that manuscript itself (see ii. 1711, vii. 92, viii.
2650). There are corrections here and there in a somewhat later
hand, e.g. ii. 671, 1045, 1457, iii. 1052, iv. 2922, several
of which are cases of lines supplied, which had been dropped.
In v. 3688 the ordinary reading has been substituted doubtless
for that of X, and in some cases the alterations are wrong, as
vii. 2639, viii. 51. The manuscript has a good many individual
errors and the spelling is rather poor.
Cath. ST. CATHARINE’S COLL., CAMB. _Confessio Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’
(six lines), ‘Quam cinxere’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque.’ Parchment, ff.
188, 17¾ × 12¼ in., in quires of 8 with catchwords: well
written in double column of 47 lines, afterwards 40, before the
middle of fifteenth cent. Latin summaries in text (red). Floreated
whole border at the beginning of each book: miniature on f. 4 v^o of
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, and f. 8 v^o the Confession (Priest on stool to
left of picture, laying hand but not stole on penitent’s head), fairly
well painted.
Leaves are missing which contained i. 3089-3276, ii. 3331-3518, v.
1182-1363, 6225-6388, vi. 107-460, vii. 984-1155, and viii. 2941-3114*,
and the last leaf containing ‘Explicit,’ &c., is placed now at the
beginning of the volume. There is a confusion of the text in the third
book, iii. 236-329 being repeated after 678 and 679-766 left out, also
a considerable omission in the fourth (iv. 2033-3148) without loss of
leaves in this MS. (The statement in the MS. that seven leaves are here
lost is a mistake.) In the passage vii. 1486-2678 several leaves have
been disarranged in the quire.
Given to the College in 1740 by Wm. Bohun of Beccles (Suffolk), to
whose great-grandfather, Baxter Bohun, it was given in 1652 by his
‘grandmother Lany.’
The text is of a rather irregular type, but often agrees with
the XGO group. It has many mistakes and the spelling is poor.
Q. Belonged to the late Mr. B. Quaritch, who kindly allowed me to
examine it slightly. Parchment, leaves measuring about 14 × 8¾ in.,
in double column of 49 lines, well written, early fifteenth cent. Ends
with the account of the author’s books, ‘Quia vnusquisque.’ Floreated
pages at the beginning of books and a good miniature of the Confession
on f. 3, of a rather unusual type--the priest seated to the left of the
picture and the penitent at a little distance. Latin summaries in text
(red). Begins with Prol. 342, having lost two leaves here, and has lost
also Prol. 529-688, Prol. 842-i. 85, and perhaps more.
The book formerly belonged to a Marquess of Hastings.
This is a good manuscript, and the spelling is fairly correct.
I place it provisionally here, because its readings seem to
show a tendency towards the XG group.
(_c_) _Unrevised._
E. EGERTON 1991, Brit. Museum. _Confessio Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’
(six lines), ‘Quam cinxere,’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque,’ after which ‘Deo
Gracias. And þanne ho no more.’ Parchment, ff. 214, 15¼ × 10 in.,
in quires of 8 with catchwords: regularly written in a very good
large hand in double column of 42 lines, early fifteenth cent. Latin
summaries in text (red). Floreated pages at beginning of books, and a
finely painted miniature of the Confession on f. 7 v^o.
Two leaves lost, originally ff. 1 and 3, containing Prol. 1-134 and
454-594. The book has also suffered from damp, and parts of the first
and last leaves are so discoloured as to be illegible.
A seventeenth cent. note on f. 1 v^o tells us that the book was given
on April 5, 1609, ‘at Skarborough Castle’ to the lady Eliz. Dymoke by
her aunt the lady Catherine Burghe, daughter of Lord Clynton, who was
afterwards earl of Lincoln and Lord High Admiral, to whom it came by
her mother, the lady Eliz. Talboys. On f. 2 we find the register of
the birth of Master Harry Clinton, son and heir of Lord Clinton, born
at Canbery, June 6, 1542. The name Willoughby occurs also in the book
(sixteenth cent.), and on a flyleaf inserted at the beginning we find
‘John Brograve, 1682,’ with Latin lines in the form of an acrostic
about his family, signed ‘Thomas Tragiscus, Bohemus.’ Bought by the
Brit. Mus. August 6, 1865, at Lord Charlemont’s sale.
The text of this fine MS. belongs clearly to the unrevised
group. At the same time its original must have had some
corrections, and some also appear on the face of this MS. It
stands alone of the first recension in agreement with S, F in
a few passages, as v. 5438, vi. 1954, vii. 4318 _marg._, and
with J in ii. 2576, iii. 176, v. 4989 f., 7327, vii. 3484. It
has also some connexion with B (BTΛ), standing in this matter
either with C (or YC), as iii. 633, v. 3688, 3814, 5667, 6318,
or by itself, as Prol. 169, i. 2122, ii. 1353, iv. 3401, v.
3992, 6336, vii. 323, 978, viii. 1761, 2706.
The scribe seems to have had a good ear for metre, and seldom
goes wrong in any point of spelling which affects the verse,
though apt to omit final _e_ in case of elision. Sometimes,
however, he drops words, as ‘swerd,’ i. 433, ‘so,’ v. 122,
‘chaste,’ v. 6277. On the whole the text of E is probably the
best of its class.
C. CORPUS CHRISTI COLL., OXF. 67 (Bern. Cat. i. 2. 1534). _Confessio
Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’ (four lines), ‘Quam cinxere,’ and ‘Quia
vnusquisque,’ after which ‘Deo Gracias.’ Parchment, large folio, ff.
209, of which three blank, in quires of 8 with catchwords: written in
double column in a good hand of first quarter fifteenth cent. Latin
summaries in text (red). Pages with complete borders at beginning
of books (except Lib. i), and two very fair miniatures, f. 4 v^o
Nebuchadnezzar’s Image, f. 9 v^o the Confession (priest laying stole on
youthful penitent’s head). The book has lost four leaves, the second of
the first quire (Prol. 144-301), the last of the 22nd and first of the
23rd (vii. 3137-3416), and the first of the 26th (viii. 1569-1727).
We find on the last leaf in a hand perhaps as early as the fifteenth
cent. ‘Liber partinet Thomam Crispe Ciuem et Mercerium Londiniarum,’
and on the flyleaf at the beginning a device containing the same name,
and also A. Crispe, F. Crispe, W. Rawson, Anne Rawson. ‘Augusten Crispe
me Iure tenet’ is written on the first leaf of the text, and also
‘Liber Willelmi Rawson A^o. Dni 1580.’ Finally, ‘Liber C. C. C. Oxon.
1676.’ The device referred to above appears also in the decoration of
the book both at the beginning and the end, but the manuscript must
have been written much earlier than the time of Thomas Crispe.
This is a good copy of the unrevised group, having some
connexion, as we have seen above, with E, but less good
in spelling, especially as regards final _e_. For special
connexion with B, see i. 2234, iv. 359, &c. CL go specially
together apparently in some places, as Prol. 937 f., i.
94, 161, 165, 433, 916, but not throughout. There are some
corrections by erasure of final e, and a line supplied by a
different hand, vi. 1028. No punctuation.
R. REG. 18. C. xxii, Brit. Museum. _Confessio Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’
(six lines), ‘Quam cinxere’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque.’ Parchment, ff.
206, 14¼ × 3¾ in., in eights with catchwords: double column of
44 lines, well written, first quarter fifteenth cent. Latin in text
(red). Floreated border of first page with miniature of the Confession
in the initial O; also a miniature on f. 4 v^o of the Image of
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (hill with stone to left of picture), and half
borders at beginning of books, except Lib. i.
Two blanks cut away at the end, from one of which is set off ‘This
boke appertayneth vnto the Right Honorable the Ladie Margaret Strange’
(presumably the same whose name appears in M). The binding has ‘Lady
Mary Strainge.’
A very fair MS. of its class and almost absolutely typical, but
gives distinctively revised readings in a few passages, as ii.
925, iv. 1342, v. 3145, viii. 1621. Omits vii. 2889-2916 and
some of the Latin summaries. The words ‘pope’ and ‘papacie’
are regularly erased, see especially f. 47. Spelling and metre
fairly good: no punctuation.
L. LAUD 609, Bodleian Library (Bern. Cat. 754). _Confessio Amantis_
with ‘Explicit’ (four lines), ‘Quam cinxere’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque.’
Parchment, ff. 170, 16 × 10¾ in., in quires of 8 with catchwords:
double column, first of 40 lines, then about 44, and after f. 16 of 51:
well written, first quarter fifteenth cent. Latin in the text (red).
Floreated border of first page and half borders at the beginning of
books, well executed. Two miniatures, on f. 5 v^o the Image of the
dream, and on f. 10 the Confession, both much like those in C and B₂,
but damaged.
After f. 109 one leaf is lost (v. 5550-5739), one after f. 111 (v.
6140-6325), and eight (quire 16) after f. 118 (v. 7676-vi. 1373).
The names Symon and Thomas Elrington (sixteenth cent.) occur in the
book, ff. 89, 170, and ‘Liber Guilielmi Laud Archiepiscopi Cantuar. et
Cancellarii Vniuersitatis Oxon. 1633’ on f. 1.
In correctness of text and spelling the text is decidedly
inferior to the foregoing MSS. We may note apparently good
readings in the following passages, Prol. 159, i. 3023, v.
1072, vii. 374, 3040, 3639, viii. 358, 483.
B₂. BODLEY 693, Bodleian Library (Bern. Cat. 2875). _Confessio Amantis_
with ‘Explicit’ (six lines), ‘Quam cinxere’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque.’
Parchment (gilt edged), ff. 196, 15 × 10 in., in eights with
catchwords. Well written, first quarter fifteenth cent., in double
column of 46 lines. Latin in text (red). Floreated border of first
page and half borders at beginning of books (also on f. 8 v^o), well
executed: two small miniatures, f. 4 v^o the Image of the dream, f. 8
v^o (within an initial T) the Confession, like those in C and L, but
smaller.
At the end we have ‘ffrauncois Halle A^o MV^cVI’ (i.e. 1506), ‘Garde
le ffine.’ In the initial on f. 1 a coat of arms is painted surrounded
by the Garter and its motto. The arms are those of Charles Brandon duke
of Suffolk (Brandon with quartering of Bruyn and Rokeley, see Doyle,
_Official Baronage_, iii. 443), and on the same page is painted the
Brandon crest (lion’s head erased, crowned per pale gules and arg.,
langued az.). These must have been painted in later than the date of
the MS. The binding is deeply stamped with the arms of Great Britain
and Ireland in colours, and the letters I. R., showing that the book
belonged to James I. It was presented to the Bodleian by Dr. John King,
who was Dean of Ch. Ch. 1605-1611. We must suppose that James gave it
to Dr. King.
The fineness of the vellum and the general style of the book
seems to indicate that it was written for some distinguished
person. The text is very typical of its class. In correctness
and spelling it is less good than L, oftener dropping final _e_
and having less regard for the metre.
Sn. ARCH. SELD. B. II, Bodleian Library (Bern. Cat. 3357). _Confessio
Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’ (four lines), ‘Quam cinxere’ and ‘Quia
vnusquisque.’ Paper (with some leaves of parchment), ff. 169, 14½
× 10¾ in. Quires with varying number of leaves, usually 12 or 16,
signatures and catchwords. (No written leaves lost, but blanks cut away
in quires nine and ten.) Written in double column of 44-65 lines (no
ruling), in a small hand, middle fifteenth cent. Latin in text. Red and
blue initials, but no other decoration.
The book has the name ‘Edwarde Smythe’ (sixteenth cent.) as the owner.
It came into the Bodleian among John Selden’s books.
The text is a poor one with a good many corruptions, from the
first line of the Prologue (‘To hem’ for ‘Of hem’) onwards,
many of them absurd, as ‘who thoghte’ for ‘we the while’ (v.
6752), ‘homicides’ for ‘houndes’ (vii. 5256), and some arising
from confusion between _þ_, _ȝ_, and _y_. Thus the scribe (who
usually has _th_ for _þ_ and _y_ for _ȝ_) is capable of writing
‘aþen’ or ‘athen’ for ‘aȝein,’ ‘yer of’ for ‘þer of,’ ‘yeff’
for ‘þef,’ ‘biþete’ for ‘biȝete.’ There are many mistakes in
the coloured initials, e.g. ii. 2501, iii. 2033, 2439. Some
northern forms, as ‘gude,’ iii. 1073, ‘Qwhat,’ iii. 2439. Note
agreement with B in some places, as i. 365, 1479, iii. 1222, v.
2417, 6296, and a few more.
D. CAMB. UNIV. Dd. viii. 19 (Bern. Cat. ii. 9653). _Confessio Amantis_
(imperfect). Parchment, ff. 127, quires of 8 with catchwords: double
column of 48 (sometimes 50) lines, regularly written in a hand using
very thick strokes. Latin in text (red). Spaces left for miniatures, f.
4 v^o, f. 8 v^o (the latter marked ‘hic Imago’), and perhaps also f.
1. Many spaces left for illuminated capitals.
After f. 83 follows a quire of six with 5 v^o blank (after end of Lib.
iv.) and 6 lost: then a quire of eight with 5 and 6 (also part of 4)
blank, and 7, 8 lost: then, f. 94, ‘Incipit liber Sextus.’ So that
of Lib. v. we have only about four leaves (v. 1444-2149). The leaves
numbered 16, 17, 15 should stand last (in that order), and the text
ends (on f. 15) with vii. 3683, the line unfinished and the rest of the
page blank.
Successive owners in sixteenth cent., Magister Asshe, Thom. Carson (or
Cursson), Ambr. Belson, J. Barton. It was one of Bishop Moore’s books
(No. 467), and came to the University in 1715.
The text shows no leaning, so far as I know, to the revised
group. Perhaps somewhat akin to the MSS. which precede and
follow: see Prol. 331 _marg._, i. 110, 370.
Ar. ARUNDEL 45, College of Arms (Bern. Cat. ii. 5547). _Confessio
Amantis_ (imperfect). Paper, 168 leaves (numbered 167, but one dropped
in numbering after f. 42) + two parchment blank at beginning, 11½
× 8¼ in. Quires of 8 (usually), with catchwords, double column of
46-51 lines, small neat writing, middle fifteenth cent. Latin in text
(red): no illumination, but spaces left for initials.
One leaf lost after f. 7 (i. 63-216), two after f. 116 (v. 5229-5594),
and all after viii. 1102 (about twelve leaves gone at the end).
Former possessors, ‘Thomas Goodenston, Gerdeler of London,’ and (before
him probably) ‘Jhon Barthylmewe, Gerdyllarr and Marchant.’
Hd. At CASTLE HOWARD, the property of the Earl of Carlisle, who most
kindly sent it for my use. _Confessio Amantis_ with ‘Explicit’ (four
lines), ‘Quam cinxere’ and ‘Quia vnusquisque.’ Parchment, ff. 111
(numbered as 110) 14 × 11 in., in quires of 8 (usually), marked iiii,
v, vi, &c. In double column of 60-74 lines, rather irregularly written
in a small, fairly clear hand, later fifteenth cent. Latin in text.
Some red and blue initials; no other decoration.
Seventeen leaves lost at the beginning, f. 1 begins at i. 3305, and
f. 8 is the first leaf of quire iiii: after f. 73 four leaves lost,
containing vi. 264-1306, and in the last quire one, containing viii.
2566-2833. The leaves in the latter half of the book, from f. 66, have
been much disarranged in the binding.
The name ‘Tho. Martin’ is written at the beginning, in the handwriting
of the well-known Thomas Martin of Palgrave. This of course is not the
book mentioned in Bern. Cat. ii. 611 as among the books collected by
Lord William Howard at Naworth Castle. There seems to be at present no
Gower MS. at Naworth.
Some readings seem to show a connexion of Hd with L, as iii.
1885, 2763, ‘Now herkne and I þe þo,’ iv. 1341, 3086, 3449,
3535, but it is not derived from it. Note also the readings
of ii. 1577 ‘Ne,’ 2825 ‘by,’ iii. 1173 ‘Iupartie,’ v. 3306
‘Oute.’ There are many corruptions in the text as well as some
deliberate alterations, as ‘cleped’ regularly to ‘called,’ and
words are often dropped or inserted to the injury of the metre.
Ash. ASHMOLE 35, Bodleian Library (Bern. Cat. 6916). _Confessio
Amantis_ (imperfect). Paper, ff. 182, 13½ × 9½ in. Quires of 12
(usually), with catchwords, double column of 42-48 lines, fairly well
written: no Latin verses or summaries, but summaries in English written
in the text (red), mostly omitted in the last thirty leaves. Some
initials in red, spaces left for larger capitals.
Begins with Prol. 170, having lost two leaves (one blank) at the
beginning. After f. 2 one leaf is lost (Prol. 541-725), one after f.
4 (i. 1-169), one after f. 32 (ii. 1749-1927), one after f. 91 (v.
2199-2366), three after f. 181 (viii. 2505-2893), one after f. 182,
which ends with viii. 3082*. Half of f. 182 is torn away, but the
beginning of the Chaucer verses remain, as well as a whole column of
the early form of conclusion, in spite of the statement in the Ashmole
Catalogue. Even if the conclusion were really wanting, there would be
no difficulty in assigning the MS. to its proper class.
SECOND RECENSION.