Harley MS 4294

Contents:

ff. 1r-79v: Sidrak and Bokkus, a Middle English translation by Hugh of Campden of the long rhymed French Sidrac; imperfect at the end; beginning: 'If þat þou vundestonde can / Haþ vij chambrez and no moo' (edited by Burton, Sidrak and Bokkus (1998-1999); see also IMEV 772; NIVEM 772; DIMEV 1276 for further bibliography).

The manuscript contains various additions:

Early modern (? 16th or 17th century) marginal notes highlighting subjects from the Sidrak and Bokkus (e.g. ‘Envie the villest thinge in man’) throughout.

f. 80r: An untitled fragment from Stephen Hawes (fl. 1503-1511), The Conversion of Swearers, beginning: 'Worth your harts so planted in pryde' (edited by Furnival, 'Inedited Pieces, No. IV' (1869), p. 9; see also IMEV 4216; NIMEV TM 1524; DIMEV 6776); added in the early 16th century.

f. 80v. Three medical recipes in Middle English; the first one entitled 'A Remedy for the swetyng syknes'; and beginning: 'Take iij pyntis of ale and on unce of suger, vi levys of sage’; the second one entitled ‘The quenys preservatyfe’; and beginning: ‘Take fyne tryakle’; the third one untitled and beginning: ‘Also all hole pepyll may take the gutt rotyce of a bene’ (listed in Robbins, ‘Medical Manuscripts in Middle English’ (1970), p. 404 n. 28; Voigts and Kurtz, Scientific and Medieval Writings (2000), no. 6350.00); added in the late 15th century or early 16th century .

f. 81r: A poem in praise of women (To unpraise women it were ashame), beginning: ‘To onpreyse wemen yt were a shame / For a woman was thy dame’ (edited by Wright and Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, Reliquiae Antiquae (1845), I, p. 275; see also IMEV 3782; NIMEV TM 1760; DIMEV 6033 for further bibliography); added in the late 15th century or early 16th century .

f. 81v: A hymn to St John the Evangelist, preceded by the injunction: ‘Prey we all to the prynce of pece / Vince Christi Johannes’, beginning: ‘I shall you tell of crystes derlyng / That was a mayd both old and yong’ (edited by Leighton, The Early English Carols, 2nd edn (1977), p. 56; see also IMEV 3776; NIVEM 3776; DIMEV 6020); added in the late 15th century or early 16th century .

f. 81v: A poem on discreet behaviour (Sit amongst the knights all), beginning: ‘[...]sit amonges the knyghtes alle / [...]e to counsell but ye be calle’ (edited by Wright and Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, Reliquiae Antiquae (1845), I, p. 252; see also IMEV 3119.5; NIMEV TM 1432; DIMEV 4877 for further bibliography); added in the late 15th century or early 16th century .

f. 82r: Memoranda of deliveries of goods with payments, beginning: ‘Delyvered to bly[...] sen ye went to London 1 C yern’; including the delivery of ‘1 shert’ to ‘Merget whyte’; ‘1 barel rape oyle’ to ‘John salow’; ‘1 barel sope’ to ‘Ilsabet Dunkar’: below this list is written in adifferent hand: 'Memorandum delyverd to John Mathew'; added in the 16th century.

f. 82r: Practice sentences, including ‘Ryght trusty and welbeloved’; ‘Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia’; ‘O whane disease is’; ‘Ego sum bonus puer’ and ‘Henry by the grace of god kynge’; added in the 16th century.

f. 82r: A Memento mori poem: ‘Man remember thy end / and thou shalt never be shend’ (edited by Wright and Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, Reliquiae Antiquae (1845), I, p. 316; IMEV 2072.4; NIMEV TM 981; DIMEV 3374 for further bibliography); added in the 16th century.

Decoration:

Guide letters and spaces left for decorated initials. Rubrics in red.

The cataloguing of this manuscript was funded by the Wellcome Trust.