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Harley MS 2973

Record Id:

040-002048804

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

040-002048804

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000000761.0x000105

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Harley MS 2973

Title:

Prayer book

Scope & Content:

A composite prayer book with materials from two 16th-century prayer books that were produced produced but contain identical prayers: ff. 4r-64v and ff. 65r-121v respectively. It is possible that one is a copy of the other.

Contents:

Part 1:

f. 4r: 'A prayer called Ave rex'.

f. 4v: 'A prayer agaynst evill thoughtes'.

ff. 4v-5r: 'An other prayer', beginning: 'Omnipotend and mercyfull God the father eternall, which dost not despise that sinners bewayling with contrit harte , for offendinge thyn high maiestie'.

ff. 5r-7r: 'Devoute prayers to our saviour Jesus Christ'.

ff. 7r-8r: Prayers for the Five Wits: 'ffor thoughts', 'ffor workes', 'ffor kepinge of thy sight', 'ffor heringe', 'ffor the mouth and speach', 'ffor the handes', 'ffor the hart'.

f. 8r: 'If you will salute Christ our redemptour saye thus'.

ff. 8r-9r: 'A devout prayer to our Lorde Jesus Christ'.

ff. 9r-10r: 'A devout prayer unto our Lord Jesus Christ'.

ff. 10r-10v: 'An other prayer'.

ff. 10v-11r: 'A prayer for trust in god'.

ff. 11r-11v: 'The Prayer of anye captive accoridnge to the forme of David when he wsa hid in the cave'.

f. 12r: 'A prayer for pacienc [sic] in trouble'.

f. 12v: 'The oration of Job in his most grevous Adversitie and losse of goods'.

ff. 12v-14v: 'In great trouble of conscience'.

ff. 14v-15r: 'A prayer to be sayde in prosperitie'.

ff. 15r-16r: 'A prayer of Manasses kynge of Juda'.

f. 16r: 'A prayer of hierimie' (I).

f. 16v: 'A prayer of hierimie' (II).

ff. 16v-18v: 'The prayer of Jesus the sonne of Sirach in necessitie and for wisdome'.

ff. 18v-21r: 'The comfort of all trobles and diseases is to praye to our Lord Jesus Christ'.

ff. 21r-22r: 'A fruitfull meditation not be sayde with the mouth onlye, but to be cryed with heart and minde ofte and m[i]ghtely'.

ff. 22r-23v: 'A godly devout prayer.

ff. 23v-24r: 'A godlye porayer to desire the life to come'.

ff. 24r-26r: 'An intercession and prayer unto our saviour Jesu Christ'.

ff. 26r-27v: 'An other prayer to our saviour Jesu Christ called conditor [celi]'.

ff. 27v-29r: 'An other prayer called O bone Jesu'.

f. 29r: 'An other prayer called O rex gloriose'.

ff. 29r-29v: 'And ye be sick and in tribulation saye thus'.

ff. 29v-31r: 'ffive godly and necessarie prayers to be sayde most speciallie at the houer of death'.

ff. 31r-31v: 'The pryaer of Salomon for to obtaine wisdome'.

ff. 31v-32r: 'A prayer for obteninge of wisdome'.

ff. 32r-32v: 'A prayer for a compentent livinge'.

ff. 32v-33r: 'A preparatoin to meditation and prayer'.

ff. 33r-37r: 'A devout prayer to our Lord god'.

ff. 37r-39r: 'A prayer that we maye have the feare of god before our eyes in all our doinges'.

ff. 39r-39v: 'A prayer agaynst the enimies of Christ truth'.

ff. 39v-40v: 'A prayer to keep the tounge and to eschuethe infection of the worlde'.

f. 40v: 'A prayer of the church agaynst sinnes'.

f. 40v: ' A prayer of kinge Asa in the warres'.

ff. 40v-41v: 'A prayer for kepinge a good name'.

ff. 41v-42r: 'A prayer agaynst worldly carfulnes

ff. 42r-42v: 'A prayer agaynst the devill'.

ff. 42v-44v: 'A thanksgevinge unto god foor all his benefites'.

ff. 44v-46v: 'A devout prayer to be dayly sayde'.

ff. 46v-47r: 'An other prayer to our Lord god'.

ff. 47r-47v: 'An other devout prayer'.

ff. 47v-48r: 'A prayer for meknes and chastitie'.

ff. 48r-49v: 'A prayer of the seven wordes that our Lorde spake hanginge uppon the crosse'.

ff. 49v-51r: 'A prayer of Esaye in the lxiij and lxiiij chapiter'.

ff. 51r-53v: 'Before the receivinge of the sacrament saye thus'.

ff. 53v-54v: 'After the receiving of the sacrament saye thus'.

ff. 54v-56v: 'A devout prayer', beginning: 'O my Lorde Jesu, with all my minde, with all my might, I do laud and prayse the for thy innumerable benefites which thous has shewed unto me heretofore'.

ff. 57r-64v: Confessional formula, entitled: 'The form of confession', beginning: 'First I knowledg myself gilty unto Almightie God'; covering the Seven Deadly Sins, Ten Commandments, Seven Works of Bodily and Spiritual Mercy, Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Seven Sacraments, and Eight Beatitudes.

Part 2:

ff. 65r-68v: 'Howe a man shall behave hym self in the mornynge when he rysen'; with instructions for each day of the week.

ff. 68v-69v: 'A generall mornynge Prayer'.

ff. 69v-72r: 'A generall Confession of syns unto god dayly to be sayde'.

ff. 72r-74v: 'Prayers of the Passyon of ower savyoure Chryste'.

f. 75r: 'A prayer to the holy and Blyssed Trynyte'.

f. 75r: 'When thou enterest into the Chirch Say thus'.

ff. 75r-77r: 'A prayer to ower Lady and saynte John the evangelist'.

ff. 77r-77v: 'To the most holy Trinite'.

f. 77v: 'A prayer to be sayed at the Elevation'.

ff. 77v-78v: 'To the proper Angell'.

ff. 78v-79r: 'The Antheme of St George'.

ff. 79r-80r: 'A prayer unto all saintes'.

ff. 80r-80v: 'A prayer called Ave Rex'.

ff. 81r-81v: 'Agaynst evell thoughtes'.

ff. 81v-83r: 'Devout prayers to ower Savyour Jesus christ'.

ff. 83r-84r: Prayers for the Five Wits: 'for thoughte', 'for speche', 'for workes', 'for the sighte', 'for herynge', 'for the mouth', 'for the handes', 'for the harte'.

f. 84r: 'Yf thou wilte salute christ ower redemer'.

ff. 84r-85v: 'A devoute Prayer to ower lorde Jesus Chryst'.

ff. 85v-86r: 'A devoute Prayer to ower Savyour Jesus Chryst'.

f. 86r: 'An other Prayer'.

f. 86v: 'A prayer for truste in god'.

ff. 86v-87v: 'The Prayer of any Captyve accordyng to Forme of David when he was hid in the Cave'.

ff. 87v-88r: 'A prayer for pacyence in troble'.

f. 88r: 'The oracyon of Jobe in hys most grevous adversity and losse of goddes'.

ff. 88v-89r: 'In greate troble of Conscience'.

ff. 89r-90r: 'A Prayer to be sayed in prosperite'.

ff. 90r-90v: 'The Prayer of Manasses Kynge of Juda'.

f. 90v: 'A Prayer of hieremy' (I).

f. 90v: 'A Prayer of hieremy' (II).

ff. 90v-92r: 'The Prayer of Jesus the sonn Syrach in necessite and for wisdome'.

ff. 92r-94v: 'The comforte of all trobles and deseases is to pray to ower lord Jesus Christe'.

ff. 94v-95r: 'A frutefull medytacion not to be sayed wyth the mouth lightely But to be cryed wyth harte and mynd mightely'.

ff. 95r-96v: 'A Godly devoute Prayer'.

ff. 96v-97r: 'A godlye Prayer to desyer the Lyf too comme'.

ff. 97v-98v: 'An intercession and Prayer unto Saviour Jesus Christe'.

ff. 98v-100r: 'An other Prayer to ower Lorde Jesus Christe called Conditor Celi'.

ff. 100r-101r: 'An other Prayer called O bone Jesu'.

f. 101r: 'An other prayer called O Rex gloriose'.

f. 101r: 'And yow be syck in tribulation Say thus'.

ff. 101r-102v: 'ffyve Godly necessary Prayers to be sayed most specially at the hower of deathe'.

ff. 102v-103r: 'Th ePrayer of Salamon for to obtayne Wisdome'.

ff. 103r-103v: 'The Prayer of Salamon for the obteynynge of wisdome'.

f. 103v: 'A Prayer [...] of lyvung'.

ff. 103v-104r: 'A Preparacion unto medytacion and prayer'.

ff. 104r-106v: 'A devoute Prayer to ower lorde God'.

ff. 106v-108r: 'A Prayer that we maye have the feare of god before ower eyes before all ower doynges'.

ff. 108r-108v: 'A Prayer agaynste the enemyes of Christes chirch'.

ff. 108v-109r: 'A Prayer to kepe the tonge and to eschewe thin section of the worlde'.

f. 109r: 'A Prayer of th echirch agaynste syns'.

ff. 109r-109v: 'A Prayer of Kyng Asa in the wars'.

ff. 109v-110r: 'A Prayer for the kepyng of A good name'.

ff. 110r-110v: 'A Prayer agaynste wordly carefulnes'.

f. 110v: 'A Prayer agaynste the devell'.

ff. 110v-112r: 'A thankesgevynge unto god for all his benefyttes'.

ff. 112r-113r: 'A devoute prayer dayly to be sayed'.

ff. 113r-113v: 'An other Prayer to ower lorde god'.

ff. 113v-114r: 'An other devoute prayer'.

f. 114r: 'A Prayer for mekenes and Chastyte'.

ff. 114v-115v: 'A Prayer of the seven wordes whiche ower Lorde speake hangyng uppon the crosse'.

ff. 115v-116v: 'A Prayer of Esay in the Lxiij and Lxiiij chapiter'.

ff. 116v-118v: 'Before the Receyvynge of the Sacrament'.

ff. 118v-119r: 'After the Receyvynge of the Sacrament Saye thus'.

ff. 119r-119v: 'A devoute Prayer'.

ff. 119v-120v: 'A prayer and thankes gevynge to the ffather for al his benefite shewed unto us'.

f. 121r: 'A prayer in Adversite'.

ff. 121r-121v: 'A very godly prayer to be sayd in adversite and troble'.

The manuscript contains later additions:

ff. 1r, 2r, 3r: Inscriptions on the Wentworth family of Little Horkesly, Suffolk (see Custodial History); written in the 2nd half of the 16th century.

f. 2r (paper pastedown): 'The pil[…]e person from this buk didde parte / though yt grieved hym to the harte'; written in the 16th century.

Decoration:

Part 1: No decoration.

Part 2: Large (2-line) red initials with cadels. Rubricated headings for prayers.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Harley Collection

Hierarchy Tree:

[{ "id" : "040-002048804", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 2973: Prayer book" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-002045828
040-002048804

Is part of:

Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts

Harley MS 2973 : Prayer book

Hierarchy:

032-002045828[2974]/040-002048804

Container:

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

Record Type (Level):

File

Extent:

1 volume

Digitised Content:

Languages:

English
Latin

Scripts:

Latin

Start Date:

1530

End Date:

1559

Date Range:

1530s-1550s

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Paper.

Dimensions: 200 x 140 mm (text space: 160 x 90 mm).

Foliation: ff. 121 (+ 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 2 at the end); 7 unfoliated blank but ruled leaves after f. 64; and 54 after f. 121; 1 unfoliated paper pastedown on f. 1 and f. 2.

Script: 16th-century script.

Binding: British Museum in-house; gold-tooled brown speckled leather with the initials 'M. B.' (Museum Brittanicum) gold stamped on the upper cover.

Custodial History:

Origin:

England.

Provenance:

? T[homas] Wentworth, 16th century: his initials below a poem which suggests that he donated the book to Elizabeth Wentworth on f. 1r and f. 3r: 'Huius Libri peticio: As ground is tilled with labour and with payne / so covet I , who so, shall me obtayne / In skilfull handes, and wisshe lickwise to com / that prudence loore, might fill my empty rom / to you Mistris, whom Wentworth men do call / Elizabeth, I wisshe my chaunse to fall - Per T. Went.' (not in Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)).

Elizabeth [Heydon] Wentworth, wife of John Wentworth (b. c. 1530, d. c. 1589), of Little Horkesley, Suffolk, and eldest daughter of Sir Christopher Heydon, owned by her in 1571: her ownership inscription on f. 1r: 'Anno 1571 October 20 Elizabethe Wentworth ys the trew owner of this booke'; birth records of her children Elizabeth, John and William on f .1r: 'Elizabeth wentworth fillia mea nata 3. Sept. an. 1571 between six and seven of the clocke in the morning beinge monday'; and f. 3r: 'Anno domini 1563 - John wentworth the Eldest Son of John Wentworth of Litill Horkesley in the Countie of Essex Esquir and of Elizabethe his wiefe, Eldest daughter of Sir Christofer Heyden of Bakonsthorpe in the County of Norffolk, Knight, was borne at Bakonsthorpe aforesaid on Thursdaye in the morninge between the howres of .iiij. and .vj. beinge the second daye of March Anno Domini 1563 et Regni Elizabett Dom. Reg. […] Sexto'; 'William the secunde son of John Wentworth and Elizabeth his wiefe was borne at Litill Horkesley aforesaide the xxijth of Aprill Anno Domini 1575' (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 351).

Nathaniel Noel (fl. 1681, d. c. 1753), bookseller, employed by Edward Harley for buying books and manuscripts chiefly on the Continent, where his agent was George Suttie: Edward Harley purchased this manuscript on 13 August 1724 (see Diary, ed. by Wright and Wright (1966), II, p. 304 n. 7; Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 255).

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, inscribed as usual by their librarian, Humfrey Wanley ‘13 August, 1724’ (f. 2r).

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. 722.

The Diary of Humfrey Wanley 1715-1726, ed. by Cyril Ernest Wright and Ruth C. Wright, 2 vols (London: Bibliographical Society, 1966), II: 1723-1726, p. 304 n. 7.

Cyril Ernest Wright, Fontes Harleiani: A Study of the Sources of the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1972), pp. 244, 351.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Places:

England