Royal MS 8 F XII

THEOLOGICAL TRACTS and proceedings against Lollards and other miscellaneous articles, chiefly in Latin. Artt. 1, 2 are on vellum and in an earlier (early 14th cent.) hand. Contents:-

I. 'Epistola Milleti Sardinensis episcopi ad capituluni ecclesie Laodicensis de transitu beate virginis': the apocryphal work written in the name of S. Melito, Bishop of Sardis (circ. 150). Printed in Migne, Patr.Gr. V. 1231, but the text has considerable differences. Beg- 'Miletus seruus Christi ecclesic Sardiniensis episcopus ... Cum uobis de uita prophetarum ucl de incamatione dominica duo opuscula condidissem'; ends 'narrantes et confitentes magnalia dei'. f. 2.

2. 'Quod nullus possit secretum incarnacionis nec liceat aliqui inuestigare': a compilation from many writers, including S. Bernard. Beg. 'Memento quod ignores, &c. [Job xxxvi. 24]: Opus istud opus est incarnacionis eius'. Imperfect at end. f. 4 b.

3. Commentary on nine passages of the book of job (the lectiones mortuorum' or Petty Job, cf. 7 E. II, art. 4). Beg. 'Iob sedens in sterquilinio vlceribus ple. nus ... ait Parce michi, domine, nichil enim sunt dies mei. Felicitates humane'. Colophon, 'Explicit liber lob'. f. 6.

4. 'Sermo magistri in theologia Galfridi monachi': a defence of the cult of images. Beg.'Nolite confirmari (sic) huic seculo. Ad Rom. 12 [xii. 2]. Apostolus Paulus sciens quod homo racione creacionis'. f. 12 b.

5. Proceedings against heretics, in Latin, viz.:-(a) Recantation of Richard Wyche, printed in Fasc. Zizanio. rum, ed. Shirley, Rolls Series, 1858, app. vi. f. 16;-

(b) Recantation of John Purvey, 'Hec est confessio et reuocacio domini Iohannis Puruey capellani facta in cruce sancti Pauli London. de verbo ad verbum dominica tertia tempore sermonis reu. patris magistri Iohannis Zowche de sacro ordine minorum anno domini mcccc' (ib. p. 400). f. 17;-(C) 'Secretum domini regis et eiusdem consilii in parliamento contra quendam nouellum hereticum': the writ for the burning of William Sawtrey [26 Feb. 1401] (Rot. Parl. iii, p. 459). f. 17b;-(d) The re-issue by William Courtenay, Archbishop of Canterbury, of the condemnation of articles of Wycliffe, Lambeth, 13 Dec. 1384 (Fasc. Ziz. app. iv). f. 18.

6. 'Liber sanctorum trium regum Colonie requiescentium' (so colophon): the work of the Carmelite John of Hildesheim, Prior of Marienau (d. 1375). Printed Cologne, 1477, &c. The text appears to agree generally (except in the concluding passage) with 5 F. XIV and the Cotton MS. Cleop. D. VII, which was collated by Horstmann for his edition, E. E. Text Soc. 1886. More divergent texts are in Cotton MSS. Galba E. VIII, f. 3, and Claud. A. XII, f. 153, Add. MS. 28783, f. 16. An English version is in 18 A. X below. Preceded by a note of the translation of the relics from Milan in 1163 and a table of capitula. Beg. 'Cum venerandissimorum trium magorum immo verius trium regum'; ends'in reddenda racione', followed by a note 'nota quod magi dicuntur ... stellam pro deo colunt'. f. 18 b.

7. 'Breveloquium pro falsa et vera doctrina cognoscenda': a short discourse subscribed [as author?] by Oswalde Eyrke. Beg. '0 anima Christiana, ex parte dei tibi dico, vide, vigila et ora'. The last page is supplied in a 16th cent. hand. f. 38 b.

8. Arithmetical notes relating to mensuration. One of the problems is that of the hares in the furlong (cf. 9 A. II, f. 205). Beg. 'Miliarium [here = leuca = 12 furlongs] resoluitur in partes suas'. f. 40 b.

9. Calendar (nine lessons), with English (Sarum?) saints. S. Anne (26 July) is an insertion; on 31 July is inserted 'obitus Roberti Wade'. On the fly-leaves and margins are many notes and verses, Lat. and Engl., relating to the calendar, and on f. 48 b is an office for S. John of Bridlington, and a Latin couplet expressing the equation n farthings per week = n sh. + n d. per year. f. 42. Artt. 10, 11 are probably not connected with the rest of the MS., but may be the missing art. 1 in Casley's description of 10 A. X (q.v.).

10, Copy of the king's commission to Richard Haddo, mercer, J- Skypwith, draper, William S-, James Wilford, tailor, Robert Kreket, fishmonger, and Thomas Masset, skinner, as collectors of the whole fifteenth and tenth for London, 22 Feb. 7 Hen. VII [1492]. Lat. ff. 49, 52 b.

11. Articles for an archidiaconal visitation, apparently in the province of York, with references to the canon law on the points. Beg. 'De vasis omnibus, vestimentis, de titulo consecracionis'. f. 50. Paper (exc. ff. 1-5) ; ff. 52. Folio. 11 in. x 8 in. Early XIV (artt. 1, 2) and early XV centt. Sec. fol. '-quias nisi'. Initials in red and blue. A torn note on f. 52b probably applies only to artt. 10, 11: 'Iste liber pertinet priori Alsfor.. , quondam suppriori Londd.' [London ?]. This possibly refers to the Carmelite house at Aylejford, co. Kent. Cat of 1666, f. 5 (artt. 1-9) and f. 18 (artt. 10, 11); CMA. 7942, 8071-8073, 8273.