Harley MS 631

Origin:

? Italy.

Provenance:

Various scribes working in the early 15th century: one scribe added a colophon with the year 1408 on f. 170v: ‘Et sic finitur huiusmodi libellus valde optimus Anno Domini m^mo. cccc^mo. octavo. Die quarta mensis octobris’; Watson, Dated and Datable Manuscripts (1979), pp. 119-20 suggests an origin in England, probably because of the addition of a prayer for the souls of two English bishops on f. 2*verso and the manuscript’s early English ownership. However, Watson does not note two other colophons that suggest an Italian origin; this includes a colophon on f. 39r that indicates that the Liber dialogorum was compiled by a Dominican friar at Siena (f. 39r: ‘Explicit quartus liber gerarchie subcelestis recollectus Senis per quemdam de ordine predicatorum’); and a colophon on f. 230v that suggests that the treatise on f. 215r-230v was compiled in the year 1400 by the Italian jurist Peter of Ancarano (b. c. 1333, d. 1416) and possibly written in his hand: ‘compilavi ego petrus de ancarano [...] Anno domini millesimo cccc^mo. quinto de mense Aprilis’. The Italian origin of the manuscript may be supported by a hitherto unnoticed inscription on f. 232r which may include the signature of an Italian owner (‘P. Verones[e]’).

‘P. verones[e]’, owned in the 15th century: the name features in a signature on f. 232r, possibly referring to an Italian owner or institution.

Walter Knytley, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, London (r. 1479-1489) and Treasurer (r. 1478-1479), prebendary of Tottenhall in 1479: donated the manuscript to William Bolton between 1479 and 1489 according to an inscription on f. 231r and f. 232r: ‘Ex dono Magistri walter knytley Cancelari Ecclesie sancti pauli’ (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 212).

William Bolton, Prior of the Augustinian Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield (r. 1505-1532), owned in the 16th century: his ownership inscription on f. 2*verso (‘liber domini william bolton’), f. 231r and twice on f. 232r: ‘Iste liber constat Willelmo bolton canonico ecclesie sancti Bartholomei in West Smythfelde London’ (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 384).

Sir Simonds d'Ewes (b. 1602, d. 1650), 1st Baronet, diarist, antiquary, and friend of Sir Robert Cotton: inscribed ‘7’ at the top of f. 1r; and added a note to f. 2*verso that certain items have not yet been edited; listed in his catalogue as ‘A207’; (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 131).

The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts.

Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish, née Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d. 1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.