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Harley MS 7334
- Record Id:
- 040-002053188
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002053188
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000935.0x00035f
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100193734638.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Harley MS 7334
- Title:
- Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales
- Scope & Content:
-
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400), including the Tale of Gamelyn. See Boffey and Edwards, A New Index of Middle English Verse (2005), no. 4019. For an edition, see Riverside (1987).
The tales are in an order which is unique to this manuscript, they lack some headings and running titles, and some of their variant readings presuppose the work of a good editor (see Doyle and Parkes, 'The Production of Copies of the Canterbury Tales (1978)). Incipit (f. 1r): 'Whan that aprille with his schowres swoote / The drought of Marche haþ perced to þe roote'. The Tale of Gamelyn is included at the end of the incomplete Cook's Tale (ff. 59r-70v). See Boffey and Edwards, A New Index of Middle English Verse (2005), no. 1913. It is preceded by a scribal (?) note in Gothic cursive script at the bottom right corner of the page (f. 58v): 'Icy commencera le fable de Gamelyn' ('Here will begin Gamelyn's tale'). Incipit (f. 59r): 'Litheþ and lestneþ and herkneþ aright / And [g]e schul heere a talkyng of a doughty knight'. Explicit (f. 70v): 'And so schal we alle may þer no man fle / God bryng us to þe Ioye þat ever schal be A M E N'. Chaucer's text resumes at the top of f. 71r, with the Man of Law's Prologue. Incipit (f. 71r): 'Owre hoste sawh þat þe brighte sonne / The arke of his artificial day haþ I ronne'. The text ends with the Retractions. Explicit (f. 286r): 'So þat I moote be oon of hem at þe day of doom that schal be savyd. Qui cum patre'.
Rubrics, in black or red, mark the beginning of some of the tales. Some running titles in Gothic display script were added at the manuscript's production; other occasional running titles have been added in later hands. Very occasional marginal notes, in both English and Latin, mostly in the the hand of the scribe, e.g. on ff. 55v, 90v-91r, 97r, 140r, 141r, etc. More frequent Latin marginal notes in the scribe's hand in the Monk's Tale (ff. 227r-237r) and to a lesser degree the Parson's Tale (ff. 252r-285v).
Decoration:
Large initial in colours and gold with a full foliate bar border (f. 1r). 26 large initials in colours and gold with three-sided foliate bar borders at the beginning of each tale (ff. 12v, 42v, 52v, 57v, 58r, 59r, 72r, 89r, 97v, 103r, 108v, 117r, 133r, 149r, 162r, 171v, 181v, 185v, 187v, 194r, 200v, 207r, 227r, 238r, 247v, 252r). Smaller 'champ' initials in colours and gold with ivy tendrils extending into the margin. Small initials and paraphs in blue with red penwork decoration or in gold with dark blue/black penwork. Running titles in black or red Gothic hybrid (Bastard Anglicana) display script in some sections (e.g. ff. 13r-28r, 86v-148v, 156v-196v, 213r-220v).
The same illuminator's hand can also be found in British Library, Royal MS 2 B VIII and Rennes, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 22, ff. 32r, 76v, 89r and 105r.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Harley Collection
- Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "040-002053188", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 7334: Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002045828
040-002053188 - Is part of:
- Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts
Harley MS 7334 : Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales - Hierarchy:
- 032-002045828[7344]/040-002053188
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
-
1 volume
- Digitised Content:
- http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100193734638.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- English, Middle
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1405
- End Date:
- 1415
- Date Range:
- c 1410
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
- Restrictions to access apply please consult British Library staff
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- User Conditions:
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: parchment.
Dimensions: 355 x 245 mm (text space: 225 x 135 mm).
Foliation: ff. 286 (6 unfoliated modern paper flyleaves: 3 at the beginning (ff. [i-iii]) and 3 at the end (ff. [287-89]); 1 unfoliated paper leaf after f. [iii]: f. [iv]).
Collation: Gatherings mostly of 8, with evidence of quire signatures in the lower right corner of the rectos in the first half of the gatherings (see f. 20r) and framed horizontal catchwords in the lower right corner of the last verso of each gathering.
Script: Gothic cursive (Anglicana Formata). The scribe's hand is also found in British Library, Egerton MS 1991 and Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MSS 67 and 198.
Binding: British Museum in-house binding. 19th-century binding of blind-tooled brown leather over (original?) wooden boards; gilt edges.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin:
England (probably London or East Anglia).
Provenance:
Written by the scribe of the Canterbury Tales in Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 198, and of Gower's Confessio amantis in British Library, Egerton MS 1991 and Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 67, among other manuscripts (see Doyle and Parkes, 'Production of Copies of the Canterbury Tales' (1978), Backhouse, The Age of Chivalry (1987).
The initial and full bar border on f. 1r were probably executed by the same anonymous artist who worked on Rennes, Bibl. Municipale, MS 22, ff. 32r, 76v, 89r and 105r, and British Library, Royal MS 2 B VIII (see Scott, Later Gothic Manuscripts (1996)).
16th-century additions of marginal titles and running titles in cursive hand, passim, and the drawing of a vase in brown ink (f. 180r).
The Brunstone or Brunston family of Preston by Faversham, related to Lady Anne Grey, late 15th century: inscribed with the names of John Brunstone, William Brunstone and Thomas Brunstone (f. 286v: see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940); Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)).
Sir Henry Sidney (1529-1586), 16th century (see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940): inscribed with his name (f. 170r): 'Henry Sidney'.
Lady Anne Grey (d. 1557/58), in 1556: inscribed 'My lady Grayes Boke' (f. 169r), 'Anne Grey wife to the Lord John Grey and Dowghtor to Wyll[ia]m Barlee Esquier owith this book' with date 1556 and initials 'E. W.', identified as those of Edward Waterhouse (f. 286v: see Wright Fontes Harleiani (1972)).
Anne Barlee (16th century), perhaps a relative of Lady Anne Grey (see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940)); inscription (f. 187r): 'And yf yt be so playne Anne Barlee that ys my name [remainder cut away at the edge of the page]'.
Elizabeth Kympton, in 1557: inscribed with her name (f. 129r), and with date together with the names of Edward Waterhouse and John Brograve (ff. 61r, 81r, 187r: see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940); Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)): '1557 Elizabethe Kympton Edward Waterhows' (f. 61r); 'Elizabethe Elizabethe Kympton John Brograve Edward Waterhows' (f. 61r); 'Mrs Kympto[n] shall have an ill name by Mr Waterh[ows] but she cares not a turd and yet she is a gentlewo[man] Clerly enoug[h] how say you she kna[ves?]' (partly lost to wear and the edge of the page, f. 81r), 'Elizabeth Kympton' (f. 129r), 'mrs Kimpton is like to have an ill name by mr waterhous but she cares not a [remainder rubbed away]' (f. 187r).
Sir Edward Waterhouse (1535-1591), in 1557 (see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940); Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)); inscribed with his name and those of Anne Grey (f. 187r) and Elizabeth Kympton (ff. 61r, 81r, 187r), and with his initials.
? Anne Leventhorpe, 16th century: inscribed with her name, partially cut away at the edge of the page (f. 147r): 'Anne Leu'.
Thomas Leventhorpe, husband to Dorothy, née Barlee (the grand-daughter of Lady Anne Grey's brother), in 1564 (see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940); Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)): inscriptions with his name: 'Malus mortem, Bonus vitium magis formidat / Tho. leventhorpe' (f. 285v); moral proverbs in Latin, some of them biblical (incipit: 'Aeque turpe est carere Amicis, atqueos sepe mutare'), ending 'When I am gonne, and owt of Syght / Remember me, that this dyd wryght / Tho: Leuenthorpe 1564' (f. 286r), 'ffeare the Lorde, and thow shalt / prosper . Tho: Leuenthorpe 1564' (f. 286v).
Sir John Brograve the Elder (bap. 1538, d. 1613), lawyer, before 1602: obtained from Thomas Leventhorpe and inscribed with his name and those of his sons, including Charles who died in 1602: 'John Brograve the eldere gent. oweth this booke witnesses John Leventhorpe gent. Thomas Meade. gent. Simeon Brograve. gent. John. Brograve the younger. gent. Joene Brograve. Bridgete. Brograve. Charles Brograve. Thomas Alline John . Rawlinson. Roberte. Coates John Hodson. and many. othere' (f. 286v: see Manly and Rickert, Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940); Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)).
Simeon Brograve (d. 1639, eldest son of John Brograve), and his wife Dorothie, née Leventhorpe: inscribed with their names (f. 286v; see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)).
Other inscriptions include: 'John Marka' (f. 144r) and 'John Marcant' (f. 180r, near a drawing of a jar), 16th century (ff. 144r, 180r); 'John Thomlyn' (f. 165v) and 'John Thomsun Symond Massam' (f. 284v), late 16th-early 17th century.
John Somers, 1st baron Somers (1651-1716), lawyer and politician, c. 1701: his pressmark 'H.9' (ff. [iv] recto, 1r); no. 2 in the catalogue of his manuscripts, now Harley 7191, f. 153r; bequeathed to his brother-in-law, Sir Joseph Jekyll (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)).
Sir Joseph Jekyll (bap. 1662, d. 1738), lawyer and politician, brother-in-law to Lord Somers, after 1716: inherited from his brother-in-law as part of the Somer's library (see Wright Fontes Harleiani (1972)).
The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (1661-1724), 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (1689-1741), 2nd Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts: acquired by Edward in 1738 and inscribed 'Dec. 1738. Oxford B. H.' (f. 1r).
Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish Harley, née Holles (1694-1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (1715-1785), 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: old British Museum press mark (f. [iv] recto): '162. B. 26'.
- Information About Copies:
-
Select digital coverage available for this manuscript, see Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm.
Full digital coverage available for this manuscript: see Digitised Manuscripts at http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts.
- Publications:
-
A Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 4 vols (London: Eyre and Strahan, 1808-1812), III (1808), p. 526 (no. 7334).
The Harleian MS 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall, Chaucer Society, 73 (London: Trübner, 1885).
Eleanor Prescott Hammond, Chaucer: A Bibliographical Manual (New York: MacMillan, 1908), p. 179.
Walter Hoyt French and Charles Brockway Hale, Middle English Metrical Romances (New York: Prentice-Hall, 1930), pp. 209-35.
The Text of the Canterbury Tales Studied on the Basis of All Known Manuscripts, ed. by John M. Manly and Edith Rickert, 8 vols (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1940), I, pp. 212-13, 225-26.
Carleton Brown and Rossell Hope Robbins, The Index of Middle English Verse (New York: Columbia, 1943), nos. 4019, 1913.
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. 83, 85, 171, 177, 204, 213, 223, 309, 349, 474.
Giovanni Boccaccio: Catalogue of an Exhibition held in the Reference Division of the British Library 3 October to 31 December 1975 (London: British Museum Publications, 1975), no. 36 [exhibition catalogue].
A.I. Doyle and Malcolm B. Parkes, 'The Production of Copies of the Canterbury Tales and the Confessio Amantis in the Early Fifteenth Century', in Medieval Scribes, Manuscripts & Libraries: Essays Presented to N. R. Ker, ed. by Malcolm B. Parkes and Andrew G. Watson (London: Scholar Press, 1978), pp. 163-210 (pp. 177, 192-94).
Alex I. Jones, 'MS Harley 7334 and the Construction of the Canterbury Tales', English Language Notes, 23 (1985), 9-15.
Hilton Kelliher and Sally Brown, English Literary Manuscripts (London: British Library, 1986), p. 10, pl. 5.
Janet Backhouse in The Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England 1200-1400, ed. by Jonathan Alexander and Paul Binski (London: Royal Academy of Arts, 1987), pp. 521-22, no. 719 [exhibition catalogue].
The Riverside Chaucer, ed. by Larry D. Benson and F. N. Robinson, 3rd edn (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987), pp. 3-328, 1117-38.
Jeremy J. Smith, 'The Trinity Gower D-Scribe and his Work on Two Early Canterbury Tales Manuscripts', in The English of Chaucer and his Contemporaries: Essays by M. L. Samuels and J. J. Smith, ed. by Jeremy J. Smith (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1988), pp. 51-69.
Kathleen L. Scott, Later Gothic Manuscripts 1390-1490, A Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 6, 2 vols (London: Harvey Miller, 1996), II, p. 133.
Stephen Knight and Thomas Ohlgren, Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales, TEAMS (Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University Publications, 1997), pp. 169-86.
Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, 'Langland "In his Working Clothes"?: Scribe D, Authorial Loose Revision Material, and the Nature of Scribal Intervention', in Middle English Poetry: Texts and Traditions: Essays in Honour of Derek Pearsall, ed. by Alastair J. Minnis, York Manuscripts Conferences Proceedings Series, 5 (York: York Medieval Press, 2001), pp. 139-67 (pp. 144-47).
Julia Boffey and A. S. G. Edwards, A New Index of Middle English Verse (London: British Library, 2005), nos. 4019, 1913.
Treasures of the British Library, ed. by Nicolas Barker and others (London: British Library, 2005), p. 56.
Jacob Thaisen, 'The Trinity Gower D Scribe's Two Canterbury Tales Manuscripts Revisited', in Design and Distribution of Late Medieval Manuscripts in England, ed. by Margaret Connolly and Linne R. Mooney (York: York Medieval Press, 2008), pp. 41-60.
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)