University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Codex 196

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Metadata

DS ID:

DS1448

Shelfmark:

Ms. Codex 196

Title:

English religious poems.

Place:

England

England TGN

Date:

[1400?]

fifteenth century (dates CE) AAT

Language:

Middle English and Latin

Middle English WIKIDATA

Physical Description:

Extent: 122 leaves : parchment, color illustrations ; 243 x 161 (179 x 77) mm bound to 257 x 172 mm

Former Owner(s):

Halter, Richard

Richard Halter WIKIDATA

Quawden, Francis

Francis Quawden WIKIDATA

Ireland, Gilbert Blackburne

Gilbert Ireland Blackburne WIKIDATA

Note:

Ms. codex.
Description from an unidentified dealer's catalog on file in the Library.
Description of this manuscript by Patrick O'Neill on file in the Library. It consists of seven typewritten leaves and is undated. It contains a useful discussion of the date and collation of the ms., as well as other physical details. It also includes a brief discussion of the contents.
Many marginal entries in 16th- and 17th-century hands.
Imperfect. The following leaves are known to be wanting: one before f. 1; one between ff. 7-8; one between ff. 12-13; two between ff. 14-15; eight between ff. 25-26; one between ff. 49-50 ; one between ff. 78-79; and one between ff. 91-92.
Title supplied by cataloger (Zacour-Hirsch).
Title of first work as given in the ms.: Seuene Psalmis (colophon, f. 12v). No attribution is given in the ms. The beginning of the text is missing. This work is ascribed variously to Richard Maidstone (or Maydestone) and Richard Rolle (cf. Zacour-Hirsch Catalogue).
Title of second work as given in the ms.: Stimulus conscie[ncie] (colophon, f. 118r). There is no attribution in the manuscript. In the past it has generally been attributed to Richard Rolle, but this attribution is not certain. This version of the text of the Pricke of Conscience is the "Main Version" from Group III (S. A. Waters).
Upper cover and two endleaves detached. Back hinge wearing. Outer margin on f. 80 cut away with no loss of main text but perhaps removing a marginal note. First and last couple folios badly stained and soiled, possibly due to damp. Text very difficult to read on last few folios due to wearing and staining.
Incipit of third work: Qwhan drighten dere his doom schal dresse / And alle oure dedys demen on a day ... (f. 118v).
Foliation: Parchment, ii (modern paper) + 122 + ii (modern paper); [i], [1-121]; modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto. This foliation was added after the missing folios were lost. Some leaves have traces of an earlier foliation.
Layout: Written in a single column of 40 lines, frame-ruled in ink.
Script: Written in several hands using a basically similar Anglicana formata script.
Decoration: Extensive use of red and some blue for headings and initials. 4-line blue initials with red filigree throughout, 6-line illuminated initials (f. 21r and 118v), and 8-line illuminated initials (f. 30r and 34v).
Binding: Resewn onto alum tawed leather strips with new linen thread and rebound in a paper case structure with laced on covers (University of Pennsylvania, 2021); formerly bound in modern full morocco (1940s, Sangorski & Sutcliffe, London), with spine titles Seven Penitential Psalms, The Pricke of Conscience, The Lamentation of St. Anselm.
Origin: Written in England, circa 1400.
Third work has no title in the ms. Text may be incomplete, since it ends abruptly without a colophon. There is no attribution in the ms. This is the only known ms. version of this work, which appears never to have been published. It is a homiletic poem of 200 octosyllabic verses. It appears to be based on St. Anselm of Canterbury's "Deploratio male amissae virginitatis."
Formerly owned by Gilbert Ireland Blackburne of Hale Hall (description from catalog, probably Quaritch).
Appears in Bernard Quaritch's 100th anniversary catalogue (1947), no. 131; sold by Quaritch, 1947.
Formerly owned by Richard Halter and Francis Quawden (15th-century inscription (?), f. 77r).

Keyword:

codices (bound manuscripts)

Manuscripts, Medieval

poems

Manuscripts, English (Middle)

anthologies

Poetry

Manuscripts, English (Middle)--14th century

English literature--Middle English

Repentance

Bible. Psalms

Religious poetry, English

English poetry--Middle English

Christian poetry, English (Middle)

Devotional literature, English (Middle)

English poetry

Middle English, 1100-1500

English literature

Institutional Record:

https://franklin.library.upenn.edu/catalog/FRANKLIN_9915517823503681

IIIF Manifest:

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/phalt/iiif/2/81431-p3154dp3x/manifest

Holding Institution:

University of Pennsylvania