Royal MS 17 B I

17 B. 1

CONCORDANCE to the New Testament in the later Wycliffite version, alphabetically arranged, with an interesting preface explaining the methods of the compiler, who is not named. Preface beg. 'Mannes mynde þat is ofte robbid'; text, 'Aaron: bi þe ordre of Aaron Heb. vii. c^o'.

Some passages of the preface are as follows: Mannes mynde, þat is ofte robbid of þe tresour of kunnyng bi þe enemye of science, þat is for[]etyng, is greatly releeued bi tablis maad bi lettre aftir þe ordre of þe a.b.c. Ensaumple, if a man haue mynde oonly of oo word or two of sum long text of þe newe lawe and haþ for[]etyn al þe remenaunt, or ellis, if he can seie bi herte such an hool text, but he haþ forgeten in what stede it is writen, þis concordaunce wole lede him bi þe fewe wordis þat ben confrid in his mynde vnto þe ful text and shewe him in what book and in what chaptire he shal fynde þo textis whiche him list to haue.... In englisch, as in latyn, ben wordis synonemus, þat is to seie, manie wordis bitokenynge oo þing. as kirke and chirche, accesse and ny[]comynge, clepe and calle, []yue and uc, lift and gift, bigyle and disce ue and defraude; and sumtyme sucne wordis varyen or diuersen al oonly in oo lettre, as flax and flex, invie and envie, lomb and lamb,and oþerwhile haþ þat oon a lettre more þan þat oþer as epistle and pistle. Now it may be so þat in sum newe lawe is written in sum text þis word, kirke, and in þe same text and in anoþer book is writen þis word, chirche; and þus of oþere wordis bifore rehersid and of manye mo lyk hem. If þou þanne seke a text in ony of suche synonemus, and if þou fynde it not in oon of hem, loke in anoþir of hem, she loke in alle suche synonemus, pou[] þer be þre or mo hem, til þou fynde þe text wiþ which þe liste mete. Remissioun is ofte maad in þis concordaunce fro such a synoneme til anoþer. Sumtyme þe formere remittiþ to þe lattere, and sumtyme þe lattere remittiþ to þe formere Sumtyme þe same word and þe self þat is written of sum man in oo manere is writen of anoþer man in anoþer manere, as wher summe writen þese wordis, thyng and theef wiþ th, oþere vsen to writen þoo same wordis wiþ þis, figure þ Wherefore alle þe wordis of þis concordaunce of which þe firste carecte is þis figure þ bigynnen in þis table wiþ th and in T þei stonden aftir þat here ordre axiþ. Summe writen gh in some wordis, whiche wordis ben writen of some oþere with a yogh, þat is figured þus []; as sum man writeþ þus þese termes, doughter, thought, where anoþer writiþ hem þus, dou[]ter, thou[]t. But for as miche as þe carect yogh, þat is to seie [], is figurid lijk a zed, yerfore alle þe wordis of þis table þat beginnen wiþ þat carect ben set in zed, which is þe laste lettre of þe abc. Also sum man writeþ sum word wiþ an h, which saame word anoþer man writeþ wiþouten an h, as is of þe englisch word which þis latyn word heres signyfieþ, which terme summe writen wiþ h þus, here, and summe þus, eir, wiþouten h. þese diuerse maneris of writyng ben to be considerid in þis concordaunce . . . . In englisch also, as in latyn, ben wordis equiuouse, þat is whanne oon word haþ manye signyficaciouns or bitokenyngis, as þis word, kynde, bitokeneþ nature, and also such a man clepen we kynde which is a free hertid man and þat gladly wole rewarde what þat men don for hym; an instrument wherwiþ we hewen clepen we an axe and I axe God mercy of synnes þat I haue don. Suche wordis in þis concordaunce ben maad knowen bi sum word addid to hem, wherby it may be wist whanne þei ben taken in oon significacion and whanne in anoþer. . . .

The two paper flyleaves (ff. i, 173) are from a printed book, in a type resembling that used by Wolfgang Hopyl at Paris, containing, invocations of the Trinity.

Vellum; ff. i + 173. 7¹/₂ in. x 5 in. Early XV cent. Gatherings (beg. f. 3) of 8 leaves, with catchwords. Old Royal press-mark, no. 1049' ; not identified in the old catalogues.