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Royal MS 20 B XIV

Record Id:

040-002107673

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-002105724

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000000338.0x0003c0

LARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100165177107.0x000001

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Royal MS 20 B XIV

Title:

William of Waddington, Manuel de Pechies, Robert Grosseteste, Le Chasteau d'Amour, a collection of religious and moral poems and a prose treatise

Scope & Content:

This manuscript contains a collection of religious and moral poems, including William of Waddington's Manuel de Pechiez and Robert Grosseteste's Le Chasteau d'Amour, a prose sermon, the Mirour de Seinte Eglise or Speculum Ecclesiae by Edmund Rich; and a collection of Miracles of the Virgin in verse (for details of the individual miracles, see Ward, Catalogue (1893), II, pp. 729-34).

The manuscript also includes one of only three surviving copies of Simon de Freine's Roman de Philosophie (see Legge, Anglo-Norman Literature, 1963). The author's name appears in acrostic form in the first 28 lines of the work: 'SIMUND DE FREINE ME FIST', though lines 8 and 12 of the text are copied incorrectly.

The manuscript's scribe, ‘Johannis Colyford’, is identified in the colophon on f. 172v, added in a later cursive hand.

Contents:

ff. 1r-52v: William of Waddington, Manuel de Pechiez, lacking book 6, which is copied on ff. 170-172;

ff. 53r-65v: Edmund Rich (de Pontigny), Mirour de Seinte Eglise or Speculum Ecclesiae in prose;

ff. 65v-68r: A poem on the love of God, imperfect at the end;

ff. 68v-77r: Simon de Freine (Fresne), Le Roman de Philosophie;

ff. 77v-87v: A verse sermon on the Corruption of the World;

ff. 87v-95v: Robert Grosseteste, Le Chasteau d'Amour, here with the title Romanze de romanze;

ff. 95v-102v: Le Roman des Romans, a poem on sin and redemption, here with the title Le Romanz des romanz;

ff. 102v-170r, 173r-v: Miracles of the Virgin in verse, Books 1-3, as follows:

ff. 102v-103r: Introduction, beginning ‘Ke en tele chose se delite’;

f. 103r: Preface to Book I, beginning, ‘Pur ce me otrei a la Marie’;

ff. 103r-125r: Book 1, consisting of 14 Miracles including the Vie de Sainte Marie l’Egyptienne (the Life of St Mary of Egypt) on ff. 119r-121v;

ff. 125r-v: Preface to Book 2, beginning ‘Seign[eur]s baru[n]s oor eez p[r]es.

ff. 125v-140v: Book 2, consisting of 17 miracles;

f. 140v: Preface to Book 3, beginning, ‘Deu ki mei[n]t en t[ri]nite’;

ff. 140v-170r, 173r-v: Book 3, consisting of 29 miracles;

One leaf is misbound: f. 173 should follow f. 165, but it has been bound at the end of the volume among the unfoliated flyleaves;

ff. 170r-172r: Le Petit Sermon, a sermon on God’s love and on sin, usually included in the Manuel de Pechiez, as Book 6.

Decoration:

Puzzle initials in red and blue with pen-flourishing (ff. 1r, 5r). Initials and paraphs in red or blue. Rubrics in red. Small capitals highlighted in red. Spaces for initials.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Royal Collection

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-002105724
040-002107673

Is part of:

Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X : Royal Manuscripts

Royal MS 20 B XIV : William of Waddington, Manuel de Pechies, Robert Grosseteste, Le Chasteau d'Amour, a collection of religious and moral poems…

Hierarchy:

032-002105724[1814]/040-002107673

Container:

View / search within Archive / Collection: Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X

Record Type (Level):

File

Extent:

1 volume

Digitised Content:

http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100165177107.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)

Thumbnail:

Languages:

Anglo-Norman

Scripts:

Latin

Start Date:

1260

End Date:

1340

Date Range:

Late 13th century-Early 14th century

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

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Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Parchment.

Dimensions: 270 x 175 mm (written area: 205 x 125/35 mm) in two columns.

Foliation: ff. i + 173 (+ 2 unfoliated parchment flyleaves after f. 172 + 1 at the end + 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning and 2 at the end).

Script: Gothic.

Binding: Post-1600. Royal library binding of brown leather with the royal arms and a date of 1757. Marbled endpapers.

Custodial History:

Origin: Southwestern England.

Provenance:

Inscribed in a late 14th-century hand on f. 172v is the colophon, 'Iste liber est Iohannis Colyford de manu eiusdem scriptus (sic) apud Glametun anno domini millesimo trisentesimo sexagesimo primo' [1361]. However the texts are copied in a script that indicates an earlier date of production than 1361.

f. 166 is a scrap of parchment recording the burial of Thomas Button, Bishop of Exeter on the verso (26 Sept. 1307).

Walter Hungerford, 1st baron Hungerford (d. 1449): inscribed (f. i v) 'iste liber constat Walteron Hungerford'.

Shelfmark in brown ink (Carley's 'Old Large Number') 76 (f. i recto).

The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): included in the catalogue of 1666 (f. 14r).

Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.

Information About Copies:

Select digital coverage available for this manuscript, see Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm.

Publications:

H. L. D. Ward and J. A. Herbert, Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, 3 vols (London: British Museum, 1883-1910), II (1893), pp.729-34; III (1910), pp. 297-301.

Le Chateau d'Amour de Robert Grossetest, Eveque de Lincoln, ed. by J. Murray (Paris: Librairie Champion, 1918), pp. 26-28, 89-138 [includes an edition of the text (ff. 87-95].

George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), pp. 365-66.

F.J. Tanquerey, Deux poemes moraux anglo-francais: Le Roman des Romans et le Sermon en Vers (Paris: Edouard Champion, 1922) pp. 2-5, 24-25, 43-100, 103-76 [an edition of the text].

S. Harrison Thomson, The writings of Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln 1235-1253 (Cambridge: University Press, 1940), pp. 152-55.

Hilding Kjellman, La deuxieme collection Anglo-Normande des Miracles de la Sainte Vierge (Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1977), pp. xiv-xvii, 1-266 [includes an edition of the text].

La Vie de Sainte Marie L'Egyptienne, Versions en Ancien et en Moyen Francais, ed. by Peter F. Dembowski (Geneva: Librairie Droz, 1977), pp. 159-69 [includes an edition of the text, ff. 119r-121v].

E. J. Arnould, Le Manuel des Péchés: Etude de Litterature Religieuse Anglo-Normande(13eme siecle) (Paris: Librairie E. Droz, 1940), pp. 369-371, 399-435 [includes an edition of the text].

C. H. Talbot, 'A List of Cistercian Manuscripts in Great Britain’, Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought and Religion, 8 (1952), 402-18 (p. 409).

M. Dominica Legge, Anglo-Norman Literature and its Background (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963), p. 186.

Mirour de Seinte Eglise: St Edmund of Abingdon's Speculum Ecclesiae, ed. by A.D. Wilshere (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1982), pp. vi, 1-89 [includes an edition of the text].

Robert Manning of Brunne, Handlyng Synne, ed. by Idelle Sullens (New York: State University, Binghamton, 1983) p. 378.

Adelaide Bennett, 'A Book Designed for a Noblewoman', in Medieval Book Production: Assessing the Evidence, ed. by Linda l. Brownrigg, Proceedings of the Second Conference of The Seminar in the History of the Book to 1500, Oxford, July 1988 (Los Altos Hills, California: Anderson-Lovelace, 1990), pp 1163-81 (p. 180 n.).

J. P. Carley, 'Marks in Books and the Libraries of Henry VIII', Papers-Bibliographical Society of America, 91 (1997), 583-606 (p. 606).

Ruth Dean and Maureen Bolton, Anglo-Norman Literature, A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999), nos. 243, 559, 576 n., 601, 602, 618, 622, 629, 635, 636.

Evelyn A. Mackie, 'Editing Le Chateau d'amour', Editing Robert Grosseteste: Papers Given at the 36th Annual Conference on Editorial Problems (Toronto: University Press, 2000), 61-77 (pp. 68-69).

Richard W. Pfaff, The Liturgy in Medieval England: A History (Cambridge: University Press, 2009), p. 206 n. 24.

Claire M. Waters, ‘Loving Teaching: Status, Exchange and Translation in Pierre d’Abernon’s Lumiere as Lais‘, Medium Aevum, 81.2 (2012), 303-20 (p. 304).

Claire M. Waters, Translating Clergie: Status, Education, and Salvation in Thirteenth-Century Vernacular Texts (Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016), pp. 151, 283.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Names:

Edmund Rich, Saint, Archbishop of Canterbury, c 1174-1240,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000080047634
Fresne, Simon, Anglo-Norman poet and Canon of Hereford, fl. 1200,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/000000000151352X,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/7526514
Hungerford, Walter, 1st Baron Hungerford, Lord Treasurer, 1378-1449
Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, c 1170-1253,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000123212063,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/86920837
William of Waddington, Late 13th century,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000026769281,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/38264089

Places:

Southwestern England

Related Material:

From George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), pp. 365-66.

'RELIGIOUS AND MORAL poems, and one prose treatise, in French, viz.

1. 'Ici commence le manuel de peche': the Manuel des Péchés, poem in about 9900 lines (book vi being here omitted, see below, art. 9) by an English priest, William of Waddington. Printed (so much of it as corresponds to the English version by Robert of Brunne, circ. 1303) by F. J. Furnivall in his two editions, R. of Brunne's Handlyng Synne, Roxburghe Club, 1862, and Early Engl. Text Soc., 1901-1903. For fuller description see Ward and Herbert, Cat. of Romances, iii, p. 297. f. 1. Begins: 'La uertue del seint espirit Nus seit eydant en cet escrit.' Ends: 'E nostre seignur Ihesu Crist Li mercie ki lad escrist. Amen.'

2. Speculum Ecclesiae by S. Edmund of Pontigny (Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury 1234-1240, canonized 1248), in French, see 12 C. XII, art. 18. Without title. In regard to the Latin form of this work it should have been noted above under 5 A. VI, art. 24, 5 C. III, art. 25, and 7 A. I, art. 3, that it exists in two recensions. The texts in 5 C. III (incomplete) and in 7 A. I (cf. Sloane MS. 2275, f. 184, and at Oxford, Ashmole MS. 751, f. 62) agree with the printed text of La Bigne, whereas that in 5 A. VI is a different text, found also in Harley MSS. 3490, f. 1, and 5441, f. 118 b, and may possibly be a re-translation from the French. For English versions see Add. MS. 10053, f. 3, Harley MS. 4012, f. 103, and Copland's Myrour of the Chyrche made by saynt Austyn (sic) of Abyndon (W. de Worde, 1521). The French version here differs somewhat from the other texts and is introduced by twelve lines of verse (preceding the table of chapters) beg. 'En le nun et en le honur Ihesu Crist Ci comence vn sermun petit Ki est trete solun le escrit Ke seinte Cesarie a sa seor fist.' The reference in 1. 4 is apparently to the sermon (variously attributed to S. Caesarius and S. Eucherius, &c.) which is printed in Migne, Patr. Lat., l. 855, lxvii. 1067, and which is quoted by S. Edmund at f. 53 b under the name of Eusebius. Text beg. 'Videte uocacionem uesiram: Ceo mos dit le apostre apertement a uus gent de religiun'; ends, 'a la ioie uenir pussum ke a nus est aparraille. Ceo nus otreist Ihesu Crist par sa duce pite. Amen'. f. 53.

3. Poem on the Love of God, in tirades of alexandrines. No title. Apparently incomplete. f. 65 b. Begins: 'Qveor ki tut uolt auer si ke ren ne li faille Si aprenge de amer chose ki dure e vaille.' Breaks off: 'Amur nest mie amur ki ne se desmesure Ne qui a deu se doune meins ke a cumble mesure.'

4. Le Roman de Philosophie: dialogue in verse adapted from Boethius' Consolatio Philosophiae, by Simon de Freine. Without title. The author's name is given in acrostic by the first twenty lines (Simund de Freine me fist), though ll. 8, 12 are here corrupted so as to give the wrong letters; and he is apparently identical with Simon de Fraxino, canon of Hereford, a contemporary and friend of Giraldus Cambrensis (Dict. Nat. Biog., s. n. Simon). The poem is printed from this and two other MSS. by J. E. Matzke, Les Œuvres de S. de Freine, Soc. des anc. textes franç., 1909. See also T. Wright, Biogr. Brit. Lit. ii, 1846, p. 349; Bull. de la Soc. des anc. textes fr., 1880, p. 80; and Romania, xiii, 1884, p. 533. f. 68 b. Begins: 'Solas dune e tolt ire Icest romanse ki od lire.' Ends: 'Ceo est la ioie de lamunt. Icele ioie Deus nus dount. Amen. Icil ki cete romanse fit Sun noun en cete romanze mist. Mis est en vint primere vers Ceo poet ver ki est clers.'

5. Sermon in verse (about 320 x 6 lines, rhymes aabccb) on the vanity of the world. f. 77 b. Begins: '[O]yez seignurs sermun. Ne orrez si ueirs nun. Le secle est alez.' Ends: 'E la seinte mere Ki tant li est chere Od sun fiz le otreit. Amen.'

6. 'Isci comence vn escrit ke est apele Romanze de romanze': the Chastel d'Amour, a religious poem by Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln 1235-1253. The title here given and incorporated by the writer of the metrical 'preface prefixed in this MS. does not appear in the other copies, e.g. Harley MSS. 1121, f. 156, 3860, f. 48, Egerton MS. 846 B, and may be due to some confusion with art. 7. The text (from a Cambridge MS. and Harl. 1121) is printed as Carmen de creatione mundi by M. Cooke, R. Grossetete Carmina Anglo- Normannica, Caxton Soc., 1852, pp. 1, 171. f. 87 b. Scribe's preface begins: 'Ii (for Ci ?) comence vn escrit Ke seint Robert de Nichole fist. Romanze de romanze est apele; Tel nun adreit li est assigne.' Prologue begins: 'Qui ben pense ben poet dire. Sanz penser ne poet sufire.' Text begins: 'Oyez seignurs communement: Kant deu al comencement Cel e terre fet auoit, Que tuz bens set e tuz bens voit.' Ends (l. 1690 of Cooke): 'Cent fez est ma ioie duble Tot ai kant ke ai desire.'

Art. 7 is begun on col. ii of f. 95 b, but after sixteen lines the scribe stopped and began afresh on f. 96.

7. Le roman des romans: poem in about 248 quatrains, on sin and redemption. Other copies are at Paris (Bibl. Nat., fonds fr. 19525, 25407) and Cambridge (Trinity College, O. 2. 14, see M. R. James, Catalogue, vol. iii, 1902, no. 1118) and a fragment at Oxford (Douce 210), see P. Meyer in Bull. de la Soc. des anc. textes fr., 1880, p. 69, and Romania, xxxii, 1903. p. 104. f. 96. Begins: 'Isci comence le romanz des romanz Mut deit bons estre kar li nuns est granz.' Ends: 'Deus est si plein de grant simplicite (sic) Ke li out sun pecche pardune.' Colophon: 'Isci fine ma resun Deus nus doine verrai pardun. Amen.'

8. Miracles of the Virgin, in verse (chiefly octosyllabic couplets). In three books, without title. A similar collection in Latin prose is in an Oxford MS., Balliol Coll. ccxl; and another copy of Bk. iii, Mir. 27, is in Cambridge Univ. MS. Gg. i. 1 (see Romania, xv, p. 328). Fully described by Ward, Cat. of Romances, ii, p. 728. f. 102 b. Introduction begins: 'Ke en tele chose se delite Ke a chief de tur li ert petite.' Preface to bk. i begins: 'Pur ce me otrei a la Marie Ki est ma ioie en ceste uie.' Text begins: 'Un auenture ke ieo uus di Auint en Burges enz Birri.' By a mistake of the binder f. 173, which should follow f. 165, is misplaced at the end of the volume. F. 166 is a small scrap of vellum recording on the verso side in a contemporary hand the date (26 Sept. 1307) of burial of Thomas Button, Bishop of Exeter (who died 21 Sept., see his Executors' Account, ed. Hale and Ellacombe, Camden Soc., 1874, p. 25), viz. 'Anno milleno centeno ter numerato luncto septeno lux martis postera festo Sancti Mathei sepeliuit menbra magistri Thome Buctonie presulis Exonie.'

9. Sermon in verse on the love of God and the hatred of sin. Incomplete. This is the poem (described and partly printed by P. Meyer in Romania, xxix, 1900, pp. 5-21, 83, 84) the greater part of which is incorporated in many MSS. of the Manuel des Péchés as bk. vi. It occurs separately in Arundel MS. 288, f. 97, Cotton MS. Domitian A. xi, f. 87, &c. The present MS. comprises rather more than half the poem. f. 170. Begins: 'Seint Pol li apostle dist Sicum nus trouums en escrist.' Breaks off: 'Mort et honiz est ke ceo ne creint E ke ceo en memorie ne se teint.'

Vellum; ff. i + 173. 11 in. x 73/8 in. Beginning of the XIV cent. Gatherings of 12 leaves (iv¹⁶, xiii¹⁶), with catchwords (mostly cut off). Double columns. Sec. fol. 'E nee'. Initials (one flourished) in red and blue. At the end of the text (f. 172 b) is written in a late 14th cent. hand 'Iste liber est Iohannis Colyford de manu eiusdem scriptus (sic) apud Galmeton [? Galmpton in Churston Ferrers, or Galmpton in South Huish, co. Devon] anno domini millesimo trisentesimo sexagesimo primo', a date obviously later than the writing of the volume. On f. 1 b is the note in a 15th cent. hand 'Iste liber constat Waltero Hungerford'. This may refer to Walter Hungerford, ist Baron Hungerford (d. 1449), see Stowe MS. 146, f. 1, Add. MS. 19398, f. 25. Old large numbering 76; cat. of 1666, f. 14; not in CMA.'