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Harley MS 2339

Record Id:

040-002048170

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

040-002048170

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000000709.0x00034f

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Harley MS 2339

Title:

Collection of theological texts, including the Rule of the Life of the Virgin Mary; Myrrour of Synners; The Three Arrows of Doomsday; treatise on the Three Estates; Song of Love of Jesus; William Lychefelde, Complaint of God

Scope & Content:

Contents:

ff. 1r-3r: A prayer to Christ, beginning imperfectly due to the loss of a preceding folio: 'þere þi modir make þou þat þi love and þi charite; felowshippe me to þi modir'.

ff. 2r-3r: A prayer to Christ, entitled: 'þis orisoun þat folowiþ is in mynde of ihesu cristis passioun'; beginning: 'Deus qui voluisti pro redempcione mundi etcaetera Lord ihesu crist þat woldist for þe aȝenbiynge of þe world be repreved'.

ff. 3r-5v: A prayer to Christ attributed to St Augustine, entitled: 'Seynt austyn þe docotour made þis orisoun þat folowiþ'; beginning: 'Domine iheus Christe qui hinc mundum etcaetera Lord ihesu crist þat comest fro þe bosum of þe fadir into þis world; for us synners'.

ff. 5v-7v: A prayer to the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist, entitled: 'þis orisoun þat followiþ schal be seid to our ladi and to seint Joon þe evangelist'; beginning: 'O intemerata et in eternum etcaetera / unwemmed and wiþouten ende blessid alooone maide wiþoute peer'.

ff. 8r-9v: A prayer to the Holy Name, entitled: 'here folowiþ a precious orisoun for him þat loveþ þis name ihesu'; beginning: 'O bone ihesu etcaetera / O good ihesu . O mekeste ihesu. O swetist ihesu'.

ff. 9v-13v: The Rule of the Life of the Virgin Mary according to revelations shown to St Elizabeth, mother of John the Evangelist [translation from the Pseudo-Bonaventuran Meditationes Vitae Christi], entitled: 'here bigynneþ þe rule of oure ladi liif . while sche lyvede here in erþe'; beginning: 'Aboute þe glorious maiden of whom our lord ihesu crist took fleisch and blood; we have to þenke upon hir lif' [edited by Towl, 'An Edition' (2011), pp. 272-296].

ff. 13v-16r: The Rule of the Life of the Virgin Mary from the works of Jerome [translation from the Pseudo-Bonaventuran Meditationes Vitae Christi], entitled: 'Here eendiþ þe revelacioun; and bigynneþ þe writynge of Seynt Jerom'; beginning: 'Seynt Jerom writiþ of hir lijf on þis wise; and seiþ þat þe blesside virgyne ordeynede to hir þis rule' [edited by Towl, 'An Edition' (2011), pp. 272-296].

ff. 16r-17r: A tract on God's love and the World's love, entitled: 'Here þou maist se þat þe world is contrarie to god'; beginning: 'Now maist þou weel undirstonde bi swetnesse of oure ladi . þat þe world is contrarie to god'.

ff. 17r-19r: A treatise on spiritual preparation for death, entitled: 'Here every man may lerne to make him redi to god every dai'; beginning: 'Take ȝe and preie ȝe; for ȝe witen not þe day ne þe hour / for god resseyveþ penaunce aftir synnes; if eche man wiste what tyme he schulde go out of þis world'.

ff. 19r-22r: A tract on sin, entitled: 'þe malice of synners'; beginning: 'Also cristostum seiþ þus / a þe malice of synneris which is neiþir chaungid bi drede of doom to comynge'.

ff. 22r-26r: A tract on sin, entitled: 'Here we moun lerne how we schulden wake þe hous of oure soule fro undirmynynge of þe feend bi synne and to be redi whatevere tyme we be callid forto answere for our good deedis and oure yvel'; beginning: 'Soþely þat þing wite ȝe for if þe husbonde man wiste in what hour þe þeef were to come; truly he schulde wake'.

ff. 26r-31r: A tract on ire, entitled: 'Of emperour and kingis office and of her ministris'; beginning; 'Turne þi swerd into his place / soþely alle þat schulen take swerd; schulen perische bi swerd'.

ff. 31r-33r: A tract on wrath, entitled: 'Here ȝe moun se of uniust sleinge and uniuste wraþþe'; beginning: 'Be han herd þat it was seid to olde men. bi moises; þou schalt not sle / ffor soþe he þat sleeþ; schal be gilty bi doom'.

ff. 33r-38r: A tract on sin, entitled: 'here we moun se þat noman schulde deme himsilf iust'; beginning: 'Cristostum upon þis text / lest it suffise not / seiþ þus / Bi þese wordis lest it suffise not to us'.

ff. 38r-38v: A tract on marriage, entitled: 'Of iust wedding and uniust'; beginning: 'Oon schal be taken / The ilke part schal be taken. which uside weddingis . oonly for love of mankynde to be encreessid'.

ff. 38v-41v: A tract on Christ at Last Judgment, entitled: 'how crist schal appere at domesday'; beginning: 'Austyn in þe book of hise sermouns; in a sermoun þat bigynneþ thus in þis present lijf / Crist in þe doom schal schewe to all biholdynge þe woundis and prickyngis of nailis in þe same bodi wiþoute doute . which was woundid for oure synnes'.

ff. 41v-47v: A tract on sin, entitled: 'here we moun lerne hou we schulen go with oure enemye and how we schulden ȝeve and leve and how men moun lawefulli be chastisid for synne'; beginning: 'Who evere constreyneþ þee a þousand pasis ; go þou wiþ him oþir tweyne'.

ff. 47v-49r: A tract on virginity, entitled: 'Of virtues virignite and of yvel'; beginning: 'Also cristostum upon matheu seiþ þus / Sum men gessen þe virgins here to be þo: of þe whiche þe apostil spekiþ . þat a virgine be holi in bodi and in spirit'.

ff. 49r-62v: The Myrrour of Synners (Speculum Peccatorum), beginning: 'Here sueþ a profitable mirrour for synful men and wymmen to biholde ynne'; beginning: 'For þat we ben in þe weye of þis failynge lijf . and our dayes passen as schadowe þerfore it is nedeful ofte to recorde in oure mynde þat þing þat oure freelte and oure deedly synnes makiþ us so ofte to forȝete'.

ff. 62v-72v: The Three Arrows of Doomsday, entitled: 'Here eendiþ þe myrrour of synners; and bigynneþ anoþir tretis of þre arowis þat schulen be schot on domesday . to hem þat þere schulen be dampned'; beginning: 'Who so wole have in mynde þe dredful day of doom . so þat he may be moved with drede to fle fro synne'.

ff. 72v-78r: A treatise on the Three Estates, entitled: 'Here eendiþ þe tretis of þre arowis / And here sueþ anoþir mater . how ech man and womman may lerne to love and serve god ech in his degree . takynge ensaumple bi þre foolis / Respice volatilia celi'; beginning: 'Biholde ȝe þe foulis of hevene . for bi hem may men lerne. how þei schulden love god' [edited by Doyle, 'A Treatise on the Three Estates' (1950), 351-358].

ff. 78r-81v: A Song of Love to Jesus, entitled: 'Here sueþ þe swetnes of þe love of Jhesu'; beginning: 'Jhesu þi swetnesse who myȝte it se / þer of to have a cleer knowynge / All erþeli love bettir schulde be / But þin aloone wiþoute leseynge' [DIMEV 2940-11]. ff. 81v-100v: William Lychefelde, Complaint of God, entitled: 'Here sueþ þe complaynte of god of every synful man and womman'; beginning: 'Oure gracious god ful of pite / Whos myȝt and goodnes never bigan / At whos wille alle bihoveþ to be / Compleineþ him þus to synful man' [DIMEV 4312-6].

ff. 100v-104v: A treatise on the Devil's arguments to mankind, entitled: 'Here bigynneþ þe þre argumentis . þat þe devel wil putte to man in his dijnge'; beginning: 'The firste argument þat he wole make is þis // þow has doon manye greete and orrible synnys wiþoute noumbre fro þat tyme þat þou coudist synne into þis dai'.

ff. 104v-116r: A treatise on the Sabbath, entitled: 'Here bigynneþ a litil tretys aȝens þe opynyoun of sum men þat seyn þat no man haþ power for to chaunge þe saboth fro þe saturday to þe sonday / And here is pleynly proved þe contrarie bi holi writt and doctouris sentence acordynge þerwiþ'; beginning: 'Sum men douten siþ no man haþ leeve for to chaunge þe ten comaundementis of god: how myȝte we chaunge oure saboth fro saturday to sunday'.

ff. 116r-116v: A poem on the Ten Commandments, entitled: 'here bigynnen þe x comaundementis of god'; beginning: 'Thou schalt have o god and nomo / and over al þing love him also' [DIMEV 5843-6].

ff. 116v-117v: A poem on the Seven Deadly Sins, entitled: 'þese ben þe .vij. deedly synnes þat suen'; beginning; 'Pride is heed of al kyns synne / þat makiþ mannys soule fro god to twyn' [Black, 'Seven Penitential Psalms' (1842), pp. 61-62; DIMEV 4403-4].

ff. 117v-118v: A poem on the Wounds of Christ as Remedies against the Deadly Sins, entitled: 'þe .vij. vertues aȝens þe .vij deedli synnes'; beginning: 'Wiþ scharpe þorne þat weren ful kene / Myn heed was crowned ȝe moun wel sene' [edited by Brown, Religious Lyrics (1924; rev. edn 1952), pp. 227-228, and Person, Cambridge Middle English Lyrics (1953; rev. edn 1962), pp. 68-69; see also DIMEV 6744-6].

ff. 118v-119r: A poem on the Seven Bodily Works of Mercy, entitled: 'þese ben þe .vij werkis of merci bodili'; beginning: 'Seint poul þe apostle þus seiþ he / Doiþ alle ȝoure werkis in charite' [DIMEV 4744-3].

ff. 119r-119v: A poem on the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, entitled: 'þese ben þe vij werkis of merci gostly'; beginning: 'Teche ech man wiþ charite / To kepe goddis heestis buxum to be' [DIMEV 5120-4].

ff. 119v-121r: A poem on the Seven Sacraments, entitled: 'þese ben þe sevene sacramentis þat suen'; beginning: 'These ben þe sacramentis sevene / þat crist haþ ordeined to holi chirche / To kepe men in þis wei to hevene / If þei wiþ feiþ and trewe love wirche' [DIMEV 5612-1].

ff. 121r-121v: A poem on the Five Bodily Wits, entitled: 'þese ben þi fyve bodily wittis'; beginning: 'Kepe þi siȝt fro vanytee / þat þou not coveite þat yvel mai be' [DIMEV 2987-4].

f. 121v: A poem on the Five Spiritual Wits, entitled: 'þese ben þe fyve wittis goostly'; beginning: 'Have mynde on þe blis þat nevere schal blynne / and on greet peyne þat synners schal wynne' [DIMEV 1811-4].

ff. 121v-122r: A poem with graces before food, entitled: 'þese ben gracis to fore mete'; beginning: 'Almyȝti god so merciable / In fedinge þou make us resonable' [DIMEV 435-1].

f. 122r: A poem with graces after food, entitled: 'Gracis aftir mete'; beginning: 'Ihesu þat diedist on þe rode / To fede mannys soule with hevenli fode'.

f. 122v: A poem with graces before supper, entitled: 'Gracis afore soper'; beginning: 'Crist þat breed brak at þe soper þere he sat' [DIMEV 1011-2].

f. 122v: A poem with graces after supper, entitled: 'Gracis aftir soper'; beginning: 'Lord wiþ þis sustynaunce/ Ȝeve us good contynuaunce' [Patterson, 'Shakespeare and the Medieval Lyric' (1916), p. 448; see also DIMEV 3240-1].

The manuscript contains a few additions:

f. 124r: A Latin saying: 'Qui non ante cavent / ipsi post dolebunt'; added in the 16th century.

f. 125v: 'grande facit crimen qui frangit virginis ymen [sic] Amen Jhesu fili dei miserere mei - Marget wilis [?] - Tomas Bord[?e]'; added in the (?) 16th century.

f. 126r: Latin sayings: 'Quo ad penam eternam dicitur per Euesebium [sic] - ve illis quibus datum est penis / illam sentire quam credere' and 'Et qui non ante cavent ipsi post dolebunt'; added in the (?) 16th century.

Decoration:

Large initials in blue with red pen-flourishing. Smaller plain initials in blue. Rubrics in red. Paraphs in red or blue.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Harley Collection

Hierarchy Tree:

[{ "id" : "040-002048170", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 2339: Collection of theological texts, including the Rule of the Life of the Virgin Mary; Myrrour of Synners; The Three Arrows of Doomsday;…" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-002045828
040-002048170

Is part of:

Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts

Harley MS 2339 : Collection of theological texts, including the Rule of the Life of the Virgin Mary; Myrrour of Synners; The Three Arrows of…

Hierarchy:

032-002045828[2340]/040-002048170

Container:

View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661

Record Type (Level):

File

Extent:

1 volume

Digitised Content:

Languages:

English, Middle
Latin

Scripts:

Latin

Start Date:

1400

End Date:

1449

Date Range:

1st half of the 15th century

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Parchment.

Dimensions: 135 x 95 mm (text space: 80 x 50 mm).

Foliation: ff. 126 (+ 4 unfoliated paper and 1 parchment flyleaves at the beginning + 2 unfoliated parchment and 5 paper flyleaves at the end); ff. 124-126 are parchment leaves that originally served as flyleaves; 1 parchment stub after f. 17; and 1 before f. 126; 1 unfoliated paper pastedon on f. [iv]recto (bibliographical notes); and 1 on f. [130]verso (notes of examination).

Script: Gothic cursive.

Binding: British Museum in-house; red half leather with the Harleian arms gold stamped on the outside covers; rebound in 1972.

Custodial History:

Origin:

England.

Provenance:

? Margaret Wilis and Thomas Borde, 16th century: their names inscribed below a poem-prayer on f. 125v.

? John [? Foxe], 16th century: his name in a marginal inscription on f. 98v: 'John [? Foxe]'.

? John Baker, 16th century: his name in a marginal inscription on f. 98v: 'For John Baker'.

? Sarah Cannan, (?) 17th century: her name inscribed on f. 123r: 'Sara Cannan'.

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.

Publications:

A Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 4 vols (London: Eyre and Strahan, 1808-12), II (1808), p. 658 [no. 2339].

A Paraphrase On the Seven Penitential Psalms, In English Verse, Supposed To Have Been Written By Thomas Brampton In the Year 1414; Together With a Legendary Psalter Of Saint Bernard, In Latin and In English Verse, ed. by William Henry Black, Percy Society, 22 (London: Percy Society, 1842), pp. 61-62 [edition from this manuscript of ff. 116v-117v].

Frank A. Patterson, 'Shakespeare and the Medieval Lyric', in Shaksperian Studies by Members of the Department of English And Comparative Literature in Columbia University, ed. by Branders Matthews, and Ashley Horace Thorndike (New York: Columbia University Press, 1916), pp. 431-452 (p. 448).

A. I. Doyle, 'A Treatise on the Three Estates', Dominican Studies, 3 (1950), 351-58 [with a transcription of ff. 72v-78r].

Carleton Fairchild Brown, Religious Lyrics of the XIV Century (Oxford: Clarendon, 1924; rev. 2nd ed. Oxford: Smithers, 1952), pp. 227-228.

Henry Axel Person, Cambridge Middle English Lyrics (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1953; rev. ed. 1962), pp. 68-69.

Peter Revell, Fifteenth Century English Prayers and Meditations: A Descriptive List of Manuscripts in the British Library (New York: Garland, 1975), p. 88.

Murray J. Evans, Rereading Middle English Romance: Manuscript Layout, Decoration, and the Rhetoric of Composite Structure (Montreal: Mc-Gill University Press, 1995), p. 62.

John B. Friedman, Northern English Books, Owners, and Makers in the Late Middle Ages (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1995), p. 335 n. 113.

Elizabeth May Towl, 'An Edition of Marian Devotional Texts Extant in English Manuscripts of the Fifteenth and Early-Sixteenth Centuries' (Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Otago, 2011), pp. 108-127 [MS B5]; and pp. 272-296.

'London, British Library Harley 2339', in The Digital Index of Middle English Verse [=DIMEV] [accessed 26 October 2021].

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Places:

England