Add MS 82948

This volume contains a collection of fragments from hunting treatises, belonging to Sir Thomas Kerdeston of Claxton, Norfolk (b. c. 1395, d. 1446) and his second wife, Phillippa Trussell (b. after 1396, d. 1452). The first folio may originate from another of Kerdeston's manuscripts, as the script type is different from that of the other leaves. The remaining leaves are probably from a hunting manual, much like Add MS 82949 ('The Kerdeston Hawking Book'), although the scribes and illustrations do not relate to that manuscript. Based on the texts within the fragments, the original order within the manuscript would be ff. 2, 5, 4, 3. This ordering is supported by Scribe 3 writing both the beginning and end of De regimine et medicinis falconem (ff. 3-4).

Contents:

f. 1v: Calendar of dangerous days, in French, beginning, 'Les mestres qui lan del kalender contre verent', and ending, 'En december iii jours, le syme e le sethime e le quinzime.'

f. 1v: Guide to bloodletting based on the signs of the zodiac in Middle English, beginning, 'Aries beware that thou touche no veyne in the heed', and ending, 'thes xii signes afore rehersid is liche deed or ellis amayn is that parte terme of life aftir.'

f. 2r-v: The opening of The Maister of the Game, attributed to Edward of Norwich (b. c. 1373, d. 1415), Duke of York. The customary dedication to Henry V (r. 1413-1422) is erased and replaced with a dedication to Sir Thomas Kerdeston, beginning, 'Here begynnethe a boke that his clepid Master of the Game was made compilid be my Lorde of yorke to be called cheftayne of alle manner of disporte of huntyng and of venery', and ending, 'never wer the ydo that rather they were ymagined or yth[ought]' (The Manual of Writings in Middle English, X: 462).

f. 3r-v: The conclusion of Pseudo-Symmachus' De regimine et medicinis falconum, in Latin and Middle English, beginning, 'Fedyrs or penne ibrokyn withowte difficulte', and ending, 'and be war that sche have no mete or sche have caste tham. Explicit tractatus sive libellus tractans Symacus de regimine et medicinis falconem austerum ceterarum que avium rapacium. D.M.A.S.' (The Manual of Writings in Middle English, X: 453).

f. 3r-v: The opening of Sir Tristram's Book of Hunting, in Middle English, beginning, 'Here bigynnyth a fulle soverayne and notable tretys of all maner and disporte of hunting and of venery', and ending, 'And other whyle female and kyndelys be kynde / and whan sche is female.' (The Manual of Writings in Middle English, X: 460).

f. 4r: The conclusion of The Crafte of Fauconrye and Hauking, in Middle English, beginning, 'To make a Sparhawke newe. He that wole have a Sparkhauke new made for to fle', and ending, 'he schall have no need for to seke right ferre for to kepe and governe other haukis what evir that they ben so that he love hem etc. Explicit.'

f. 4v: The opening of Pseudo-Symmachus' De regimine et medicinis falconum, in Middle English, beginning,'Symachus. This chapiter tretithe of the governaunce and medicinys for haukis and specially for fawconys', and ending, 'holde her on fiste til the oure of tierce and then ge[f her].'

f. 5r: The opening of The Crafte of Fauconrye and Hauking, in Middle English, beginning,'We shall devyse yow of al the crafte of Fauconrye and Haukinge and of the sporte therof and of all the kyndes of haukes', and ending, 'And how he schall tak a wey his wilde[nesse].'

Decoration:

2 half-page miniatures in colours and gold (f. 1r).

4 historiated initials with full borders in colours and gold (ff. 2r, 3r, 4v, 5r).

'Champ' initials in blue/pink and green/pink, with floriate spray (ff. 1v, 3v, 4r, 5v). Blue and red paraphs.

The subjects of the miniatures and the historiated initials are as follows:

f. 1r: Miniature of the Crucifixion, with the Virgin and John the Evangelist holding a book against a green background with a gold pattern, with white bones scattered at their feet. Kerdeston's shield is above the Virgin, while his second wife's is above the image of John the Evangelist. The miniature is framed by a green border with a white scrollwork. A miniature of George killing the dragon, flanked by two angels, each holding decorated cloth, painted directly below the miniature of the Crucifixion and partially covering the border of the above miniature, so probably added later. Kerdeston kneels on the left, wearing an armorial surcoat and his wife kneels to the right with an armorial mantel. Their shields are on the ground at their sides. The background is split, half red and half green, with an acanthus pattern throughout.

f. 2r: 12-line historiated initial 'H'(ere) in blue and pink on a gold ground surrounded by blue and pink acanthus leaves. Full border with pink, blue, green, and orange acanthus leaves and foliate spray with gold trefoils. The initial 'H' features an angel in pink, holding Kerdeston's shield against a green cloth. This initial was redecorated with Kerdeston's shield, probably at the time he had the prologue changed.

f. 3r: 13-line historiated initial 'M'(y) in blue and pink on a gold ground, with a man (Tristram?) in a chair teaching two hunters with their dogs. The internal background is pink with a delicately-painted gold pattern. 4-line initial 'A'(nd) in blue and pink on a gold ground with acanthus leaves. Full border with roundels and acanthus leaves, with animals and faces.

f. 4v: 12-line initial 'T'(he) in blue and pink on a gold ground with full border. The initial has been repainted with Kerdeston's shield. The full border has acanthus leaves, flowers, foliate spray, and gold bezants.

f. 5r: 13-line historiated initial 'W'(e) in blue and pink with full border of a teacher sitting in chair, with a group of hawks. The full border with acanthus leaves, heart-shaped flowers, foliate spray, and gold bezants.