>English poems by Thomas Hoccleve and John Lydgate, Written in the second quarter of the 15th century
File
MS. Seldon Supra 53
English poems by Thomas Hoccleve and John Lydgate:
- Fol. 1. The Regement of Princes, by Thomas Hoccleve, wanting sixteen leaves (128 stanzas) at the beginning: the text beg. 'Knyghthood awake, thou slepist to longe': at end 'Explicit Egidius de Regimine Principum'.
- Fol. 76. Hoccleve's Complaint, with prologue, but no author's name.
- Fol. 83v. Hoccleve's Dialogue, without author's name: at end 'Explicit Dialogue'.
- Fol. 98v. 'Incipit quedam fabula de quadam bona & nobili Imperatrice Romana', Hoccleve's Tale of the Emperor Gerelaüs: followed at fol. 115v by its prose moralization (with prologue in verse), but all after 'the good conscience wher' is wanting, a leaf being lost.
- Fol. 117. 'To lerne to die', by Hoccleve, wanting the first three stanzas, a leaf being lost: a well executed miniature of Death approaching a man is on fol. 118. At end follows a verse 'prolog on the ixe lessone that is redde on Alle Halwen day', with a prose commentary on the lesson (fol. 133).
- Fol. 134v. 'The Tale of Jonatas', by Hoccleve, with verse prologue and prose moralization.
- Fol. 148. 'The Daunce of Deeth', by John Lydgate, here without author's name.
- A slightly later hand of about 1475 has added (1) two 8-line stanzas (beg. 'Let se your hand my ladi dam emperys'), fol. 158v, and (2) the poem beginning 'Erthe apon erthe', B version, fol. 159v.
- There is some scribbling, annotating, and drawing in the margins after fol. 83, largely by Richard Burnett in the 16th cent.
Dates
- Creation: Written in the second quarter of the 15th century
Extent
161 Leaves
Language of Materials
- English
Shelfmark
MS. Seldon Supra 53
Arrangement
Old Selden mark = 53
Other Finding Aids
Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. II, no. 3441
Custodial History
Manuscript 3456 acquired by the Bodleian Library
Physical Facet
On parchment, with one miniature, illuminated capitals, etc.
Dimensions
10 3/8 × 8 in.
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk