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The English works of John Gower, with Latin rubrics, Written about 1400 in England

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MS. Fairfax 3
Held at the Weston Library

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The English works of John Gower, with Latin rubrics, in the third recension:

  1. Prol. beg. 'Off hem ϸat writen ous tofore' (fol. 2)
  2. Text beg. 'Naturatus amor nature legibus orbem' (fol. 8)
  3. Followed by verses beg. 'Quam cinxere freta Gower tua carmina leta' (fol. 186), the French 'Traité' (fol. 186v), the 'Carmen de multiplici viciorum pestilencia' (fol. 190v), the list of Gower's works, beg. 'Quia unusquisque' (fol. 194)
  4. Sixteen verses in praise of the author: beg. 'Eneidos Bucolisque Georgica' (ib.)
  5. Fol. 195 is a leaf of a 14th cent. Latin moral treatise from the old binding

The MS. is in three hands, of which the second wrote fol. 1 (to 1. 146 of the Prologue) and fols. 186-94. The third hand wrote fol. 41v over an erasure and the inserted leaf 185.

Dates

  • Creation: Written about 1400 in England

Extent

197 Leaves

Language of Materials

  • Multiple languages
  • English
  • Latin
  • French

Shelfmark

MS. Fairfax 3

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. 3883

Custodial History

'Sr Thomas Fayrfax of Denton knighte true owner of this booke, 1588' (fol. 1). This Sir Thomas was the grandson of 'The Ladie Isabell Fairfax daughter and hare of Thwate' (fol. 2), who was the granddaughter and heiress of John Thwaites of Denton (d. 1511).

Related Materials

For a detailed account see G. C. Macaulay, Gower's English Works, in E.E.T.S. (1900), especially pp. clvii-clviii, where this MS. ('F') is the basis of the text.

Physical Facet

On parchment, in double columns, with two miniatures, etc.

Dimensions

13 1/2 × 9 1/4 in.

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom