Egerton MS 3143

ST ROBERT OF KNARESBOROUGH: prose and verse material in Latin and English mostly relating to the life and cult of the hermit, Robert Flower (d. 24 Sept. 1218), compiled late 15th cent. For a complete list of contents see The Metrical Life of St Robert of Knaresborough, ed. J. Bazire (Early English Text Society, orig. ser. no. 228, 1953), in which all the English, and much of the Latin, material is printed with introduction, and which includes (in Appendix B) the Latin prose life preserved in Harley MS. 3775 (ff. 74-77), the only other known source for the life of St Robert, apart from the Lanercost Chronicle for the year 1218 (Cotton MS. Claudius D. vii, ff. 176b, 177), and references in the public records. The text of the English metrical life was first printed from this MS. by its then owner, Henry Drury, in his Roxburghe Club volume of 1824 (The Metrical Life of Saint Robert of Knaresborough, ed. J. Haslewood). The Latin prose life of St Robert in the Harley MS. and at ff. 15-31b of the present MS. has also been printed in full by P. Grosjean, Analecta Bollandiana, 1vii, 1939, pp. 364-400; and a portion of the Latin life from this MS. (ff. 29, line 17-30b, line 12) was printed by J. R. Walbran, Memorials of the Abbey of St Mary of Fountains (Surtees Soc., vol. 42, 1863), i, pp. 166-171. See also Brit. Mus. Quart., xii, 1937-1938, pp. 79-82. Vellum; ff. ii + 63. 205 mm. x 117 mm. Late xv cent. Written in England. Gatherings of 8 leaves (i^lO, viii⁶, 1 cancelled), with catchwords, the first half of each gathering signed (ai-hiii). Initials (some flourished) and headings in red. Early 19th cent. stamped binding in brown calf, executed by Charles Lewis, according to a note by the Rev. Henry Joseph Thomas Drury (f. ii). Apparently owned by Bryan (cf. inscr., f. 9b) Flemynge, whose signature and that of Thomas Flemynge in late 16th-cent. hands are scribbled passim. The MS. was seen by Nicholas Roscarrock (d. circ. 1634) at Knaresborough when it may have been in the possession of Francis Slingsby of Scriven, W.R., co. York (cf. Cambridge University Library MS. Add. 3041, ff. 377a-379b). On f. ii is a copy by Drury of a note on the MS. by Francis Douce (printed by Drury in The Metrical Life of Saint Robert of Knaresborough, Roxburghe Club, 1824). Drury acquired the MS. for 2s. 6d. in Southwark (cf. W. T. Lowndes, Bibliographer's Manual, 1890 ed., iv, 2102) before 1824 and sold it in 1827 (sale-cat., 19 Feb.-23 Mar. 1827, lot 3808), when it was acquired by Payne (for £33 10s.). It was subsequently in the library of the Dukes of Newcastle at Clumber circ. 1863 (cf. J. R. Walbran, op. cit., i, p. 166 n.)-1938 (Sotheby's sale-cat., 21 June 1937-16 Feb. 1938, lot 1295; f. 39b reproduced, pl. 103).