Royal MS 18 B XXXI

THE FALL OF PRINCES: poem by John Lydgate in nine books (5140 x 7 + 19 x 8 lines), being his translation of Laurent de Premierfaits French version of Giovanni Boccaccio's Latin prose work De casibus Virorum Illustrium. The divisions between the books are generally only distinguished by a somewhat larger initial, though occasionally (cf. ff. 69 b, 70 b) spaces are left. There is no division between Books iv and v (f. 124, col. 2, 1. 15). The prologue begins 'He þat whylom did his diligence' (f. 1). Text ends 'Who wil encrese bi vertu must ascende. Finis'. Comparing the text with the printed edition of 1554, twenty-four stanzas are omitted, viz. one each on ff. 9 b, 14 b, 16 b, 25 b, 27 b, 38, 53, 68 b, 78 b, 92 b, 95 b, 110, 195, and 210, eight on f. 37 b, and two on f. 79. The first eight stanzas of Book ix, ch. 38, are in the MS. transferred to the end of the chapter (f. 215, col. 2).

Vellum; ff. 216. 121/4 in. x 8 in. XV cent. In double columns. Gatherings of 12 leaves (viii¹¹, x¹³). Sec. fol. 'And os'. Initials flourished in red and blue. Belonged to John Theyer (monogram. f. 1, and notes). Theyer sale-cat. no. 299; CMA. 6618.