PROJECT RESOURCES / MANUSCRIPT DESCRIPTION
Manchester, Chetham's Library MS 27911
Described by: Ryan perry from manuscript analysis in the Chetham Library.
Source:
Revision Date: June 1st, 2010
Heading
Life of the Virgin and the Christ, early C15.Condition of the MS
Fols 1r and 85v are darkened to the point of illegibility, suggesting the book may have been coverless for some period; the book begins and ends imperfectly; there is some staining with grease/wax in the book.Number of Items
1Title(s) of Pseudo-Bonaventuran Text(s)
Life of the Virgin and the Christ.Incipit
Begins imperfectly, first legible line on fol. 1v, "schamed sore of hem self . and token leffis of a fig tree". This corresponds to the opening side of the text in TCD MS 423, fol. 124, l. 22; the text would appear to have originally begun on a lost opening folio; in fact, an item or possibly several items may have preceded the Life, as 2 quires in addition to the lost opening folio appear to be missing from the book, see Contents.Colophon
N/ASecundo Folio
-Explicit
Concludes imperfectly, last legible lines on fol. 85r, "gaderþ þe reliff . þ at it be no3t lost . þei went". This corresponds to TCD MS 423, fol. 142, l. 3, a little before the final chapter of the text.Languages of the MS
English text with Latin headings etc.Detailed Description of Contents
An imperfect copy of the Life of the Virgin and the Christ
Estimated Date of Production
1st quarter C15.Writing Support
ParchmentFoliation
85 fols; foliated in pencil- from fol. 2r onwards a C16 foliation is visible, beginning here at fol. 21 (the current fol. 1 was thus 20); taking into account the lost leaf at the beginning of the first quire, the book then lacks a further 18 leaves. The Life was therefore preceded by one or more items.
Dimensions of Page and Writing Space
Leaf size: 130 x 90 mm
Writing Space: 74 x 43 mm approx. Collation
18 -1 (fols 1-7; wanting first leaf of quire); 2-5 8
(fols 8-47); 6 8 -5 (wants 4-8).
Layout
! column, 17 lines; columns and lines ruled, pricking visible.Rubrication/ Ordinatio
2-line blue initials with red pen-work flourishes at beginning of chapters; chapter headings in red, are usually initiated with a 1-line blue initial, eg. " How marie was spoused to Joseph &cetera"
Alternating red and blue paraphs.
Latin text in red.
On rare occasions a 1-line blue initial begins a sentence, presumably for emphasis eg., "" I askeþ consideracione here what solempnite and goodnes is þis dai of þe incarnacion", fol. 31v (cf. TCD 423 fol. 131v ll. 23-5). Catchwords appear in a distinctive ruled scroll. Illustration
N/ANumber of Scribal Hands
1Style of Hands
A neat, very well-penned anglicana formata bookhand with secretary influence; occasionally executes flamboyant ascenders with a serrated effect into the upper-margin.
Estimated Date of Hands
The hand appears to date from c. 1400-25.Scribal Annotation
N/ANotable Dialect Features
No reference in LALME.
She: sche
many: many
busy: besi
but: but
way: wei
they: þei, þai
our: owre
through: þoro3
together: togeder
gather: gader
them: hem
mother: moder
her: hir
day: dai
saw: sau3e
should: schulde
shall: schal
much: moche, mochel
work: werk
The dialect appears to be approximate with forms found in the South-Central or South-East Midlands.
Localisable on Google Earth
(click markers to view sample dialect forms)
N/AAnnotation and Marginalia
Fol. 33v: an X is placed beside, " Marie sau3e Elizabeth hir cosyn & folowed hir and and seid . heil my cosyn Elizabeth . and Joseph folowed hir also", (cf. TCD 423 fol. 132r, ll. 20-1). Graffitti
N/A
Names recorded, signatures, ex libris marks
Fol. 17v "Robert Bunting", C16-17.
"John Barton", C17-18?.
"Jhn Gealton[s] (Goultons?) book of men the my [ ____?] of Jhn Barton", C16? Notes
This very small but very well constructed manuscript is the earliest example of the Life, although the text may predate its construction by several decades. The size of the book hints perhaps at private devotional applications, and a desire for portability.References and Other Resources
N.R. Ker, Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries, III (Oxford, 1983) pp. 377-8.
Heading
Life of the Virgin and the Christ, early C15.
Condition of the MS
Fols 1r and 85v are darkened to the point of illegibility, suggesting the book may have been coverless for some period; the book begins and ends imperfectly; there is some staining with grease/wax in the book.
Number of Items
1
Title(s) of Pseudo-Bonaventuran Text(s)
Life of the Virgin and the Christ.
Incipit
Begins imperfectly, first legible line on fol. 1v, "schamed sore of hem self . and token leffis of a fig tree". This corresponds to the opening side of the text in TCD MS 423, fol. 124, l. 22; the text would appear to have originally begun on a lost opening folio; in fact, an item or possibly several items may have preceded the Life, as 2 quires in addition to the lost opening folio appear to be missing from the book, see Contents.
Colophon
N/A
Secundo Folio
-
Explicit
Concludes imperfectly, last legible lines on fol. 85r, "gaderþ þe reliff . þ at it be no3t lost . þei went". This corresponds to TCD MS 423, fol. 142, l. 3, a little before the final chapter of the text.
Languages of the MS
English text with Latin headings etc.
Detailed Description of Contents
An imperfect copy of the Life of the Virgin and the Christ
Estimated Date of Production
1st quarter C15.
Writing Support
Parchment
Foliation
85 fols; foliated in pencil- from fol. 2r onwards a C16 foliation is visible, beginning here at fol. 21 (the current fol. 1 was thus 20); taking into account the lost leaf at the beginning of the first quire, the book then lacks a further 18 leaves. The Life was therefore preceded by one or more items.
Dimensions of Page and Writing Space
Collation
18 -1 (fols 1-7; wanting first leaf of quire); 2-5 8
(fols 8-47); 6 8 -5 (wants 4-8).
Layout
! column, 17 lines; columns and lines ruled, pricking visible.
Rubrication/ Ordinatio
Illustration
N/A
Number of Scribal Hands
1
Style of Hands
A neat, very well-penned anglicana formata bookhand with secretary influence; occasionally executes flamboyant ascenders with a serrated effect into the upper-margin.
Estimated Date of Hands
The hand appears to date from c. 1400-25.
Scribal Annotation
N/A
Notable Dialect Features
No reference in LALME.
She: sche
many: many
busy: besi
but: but
way: wei
they: þei, þai
our: owre
through: þoro3
together: togeder
gather: gader
them: hem
mother: moder
her: hir
day: dai
saw: sau3e
should: schulde
shall: schal
much: moche, mochel
work: werk
The dialect appears to be approximate with forms found in the South-Central or South-East Midlands.
Localisable on Google Earth
(click markers to view sample dialect forms)
N/A
Annotation and Marginalia
Graffitti
N/A
Names recorded, signatures, ex libris marks
Notes
This very small but very well constructed manuscript is the earliest example of the Life, although the text may predate its construction by several decades. The size of the book hints perhaps at private devotional applications, and a desire for portability.
References and Other Resources
N.R. Ker, Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries, III (Oxford, 1983) pp. 377-8.