London, British Library, Royal 17 A.xxvii

| Shelfmark | Date and Language |
Part 1: | Contents | Physical Description |
Part 2: | Contents | Physical Description | History | Record History | Bibliography |


Shelfmark
Country:England
Settlement:London
Repository: British Library
Idno:Royal 17 A.xxvii
AltName:
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Date and Language
Date:s. xiiiin and s.xiv/xv
Language: English
Dialect:Part I - Scribal Dialect: north Herefordshire (Thompson 1958, p. lvi). Linguistic Atlas Grid Reference: not mapped. Part 2 - Scribal Dialect: (prose introduction to a poem - ff. 86v-88v) 'prose is clearly NW Midland, possibly Staffs' (McIntosh, Samuels and Benskin 1986, p. 239). Linguistic Atlas Grid Reference: not mapped but language the same as London, British Library, MS Additional 37787, north Worcestershire (404 268).
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Part 1

Contents
A manuscript in two distinct parts. Part 1 is an early thirteenth-century copy of Sawles Warde and the Katherine Group whilst part 2 is an early fifteenth-century collection of devotional texts including verses on the Arma Christi accompanied by miniatures.





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Physical Description
Form:Codex
Support: Parchment
Extent:160 x 120 mm.
Collation:
Layout:Heavily cropped but where pricking is seen it has largish round holes. Writing space of 125 x 95-100 mm. Single columns with 22 lines. Frame and lines ruled in drypoint.
Writing: Scribe 1: ff. 1r-5r, 11r-50v. Scribe 2: ff. 9r-10v, 58r-70v. Scribe 3: ff. 50v-58r.
Decoration: Red paraphs. Red and green line filler in rows of m-like shapes. One-line green initials with red dots or red with green dots within texts. Two-line red initials. Three-line initials outlined in green and infilled with red surrounded by a green box. Six/seven-line red or green coloured initials with either red or green penwork. From f. 45r use of green ceases.
Binding:
Foliation:ff. i + 70
Additions:'Iohannes Theyer' is written on a piece of parchment attached to the front fly-leaf (f. 1) and on f. 70v, upper margin.
Condition:
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Part 2

Contents
An early fifteenth-century manuscript of c. 1403 (erased date f. 97r - '1403'). The manuscript contains various didactic and devotional texts in English and Latin.









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Physical Description
Form:Codex
Support: Parchment
Extent:165 x 120 mm
Collation: 18, ff. 71r-78v; 28, ff. 79r-86v; 38, ff. 87r-94v; 4?, ff. 95r-??, ff. ?-98v.
Layout:Some pricking slits visible on fore edge. Writing space of 130 x 85 mm. Single columns with 20 lines. Frame and lines ruled in drypoint.
Writing: One scribe, expert Textura Semi-Quadrata, late fourteenth/early fifteenth century.
Decoration: Initial A on f. 71r - first page of part II and text. Perhaps gold with red infill. Much rubbed. Drawings accompanying the Legends of the Holy Rood. F. 72v - drawing of the vernicle. Christ's head on a sheet with angels either side. Christ's halo in bright orange and blue. Angels with blue wings and rose collars. Bar-frame of miniature in rose with pairs of blue and rose single leaves and blue balls. Monks in white habits. Text: 'O veronicle i honoure him & the'. F. 73v top: title - 'pellicanus'; text beginning, 'şe pelicane his blod did blade şer with his briddus for to fede şit be tokenet on şe rode oure lord us fede with his blode'; four-line miniature of a bird feeding her young; double bar - blue on outside and rose on inside; 'brown' background with white patterning; green nest; red/brown bird; pairs of single leaves alternately blue and rose. F. 73v bottom: title - 'triginta denarii'; text beginning 'şe pens also şat iudas tolde'; three-line miniature; overlapping coins now oxidised; bar-frame in salmon pink and white with pairs of leaves. F. 74r top: title - 'lanterna'; text beginning 'şe lantern şat me bar in şe ly?t when crist was taken in şe ni?t'; four-line miniature; man putting something into the 'lantern'; man in red top, face light salmon; 'cauldron' base and top (placed in right side of miniature) in brown and highlighted with light salmon; green and then rose frame; blue background with white 'filigree/twiggish' decoration. F. 74r bottom: 'gladii', text beginning 'swerdus & battus şat şey bere ihesu crist şer with to fere'; four-line miniature, outer frame green with white line decoration; inner frame in salmon pink; background rose with small white circles; crossed swords on left and crossed bones on right; pairs of single leaves at corners with green balls at mid points and between pairs of leaves (floating). F. 74v: top - title 'arundines'; text beginning 'Crist had astroke with a rede şer with şe iewes brak his hed with gud chere'; three-line miniature; blue then rose frame; blue background; pairs of leaves; two poles crossed. F. 74v middle: title 'velamen ante oculos'; text beginning 'şe cloth before'; outer frame rose, inner frame blue/green; Christ with creamy face and brown hair and beard; halo in blue and rose with white line decoration; background faded rose with white stars; white cloth; hand and arm either side with salmon pink sleeves. F. 75r: title 'tunica inconsutilis et uestis purpuria; text beginning 'şe whit cote şat hade sem none'; two pale brown 'habit'-like costumes; bar frame in blue and then green; burgundy background with 'filigree' white decoration. F. 75r middle: title 'scurge & flagelle'; text 'with ?erdes gret şow were to dachud with scourges smert al to lachud şat peine me loke of sinnis of slouth & of idelnes'; three-line bar frame blue then salmon pink, pairs of crossed scourges either side of miniature; blue then salmon pink frame; rose background with white cross decoration. F. 75r bottom: title 'corona spinea'; text 'şe coroune'; two-line miniature; blue then rose frame with leaves; Christ's crown of thorns. There are 13 more miniatures all in the same fashion and by the same artist: f. 76v - pillar - 'columpna cum corda', nails - 'claui', hammer - 'malleus', 'uas cum felle' - vessel of eysel and gall; 77r - sponge on stick - 'spongea'; spear 'lancea'; 77v - ladder - 'scala'; tongs - 'forceps'; f. 78r - Christ flanked by two heads - 'iudeus spuens in facie christi'; christ on cross flanked by Mary and John the Baptist - 'christus portans crucem in humero'. F. 78v - sepulchre-'sepulcrum christi'; f. 79r christ risen from sepulchre with angels either side. Line drawings of miniatures (omitting frame) printed in Morris 1871, pp. 170-196.
Binding: Not contemporary. 165 x 120 mm. Five raised bands across the spine.
Foliation:ff. 71-97.
Additions:
Condition:Good.
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History
Origin:Erased contemporary note referring to 1403, f. 97r.
Provenance:Possibly produced at Bordesley Abbey, Worcestershire (See Related Manuscripts).
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Record History
Catalogued and encoded: Rebecca Farnham, University of Birmingham, August 2003.
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Related Manuscripts and other documents Textual Part I - related to Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 34, and London, British Library, MS Cotton Titus D. xviii (C). Part II shares textual and scribal similarities with London, British Library, MS Additional 37787.
Bibliography
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