Royal MS 8 E V

SPECVLVM CHRISTIANI: a theological treatise, in Latin prose interspersed with English verse, of doubtful author. ship. Imperfect at the end and by loss of ten leaves after f. 13. The attribution by Casley to Iohannes Morys Wallicus is presumably taken from the lost

9 A. XV (a Theyer MS). The colophon of Corpus Chr. Coll. MS. 155 at Oxford names John Watton, probably only as the scribe, or possibly by an error for Ioh. Wallensis. There are many copies and at least two recensions, differing especially towards the end (latter

part of tabula viii), where the present MS. agrees (so far as perfect) with Add. MS. 15237 against the more

numerous group represented by Add. MS. 22121 and the English version in Harley MS. 6580. The edition printed by W. de Machlinia (London, n. d.) is perhaps a conflation of the two texts, and a Paris MS. (Maz.

974) is probablycopied from this edition. There seems to be an edition printed at Paris (by Jean Petit, see Cal. of MSS. Cambr. Univ. Libr. under Dd. iv. 51) wanting the English parts. Preface beg. 'In principio cuiuslibet operis premitte oracionem dominicam . . . Magna differencia est inter predicacionem et doctrinam'; tab. i, 'De fide catholica dicitur in symbolo Athanasii'. Breaks off (cf. Add. MS. 15237, f. 44) 'non debet emere'. The vellum fly-leaves (ff. i, 57) contain theological commonplaces in the same hand as the text, with colophon Iorate pro anima Willelmi pro amore Ihesu Christi'. Paper, with vellum inner and outer leaves to each quire; ff. i + 57.

83/4 in. x 53/4 in. Middle of XV cent. Sec. fol. 'In principio' or 'nono acceptus'. Red initials. Belonged to Edward Banister (cf. 7 D. III) and [John, Lord] Lumley. Lumley cat. f. 125; not identified in cat. Or 1666 or CMA.