The West Midland version of the late 13th-century Northumbrian poem in Middle English, Written in the late 14th century in Lancashire
The West Midland version of the late 13th-century Northumbrian poem in Middle English, known as Cursor Mundi, edited from this and other MSS. for the Early English Text Society by the rev. Richard Morris in six volumes (1874-93), where a full table of contents of the ninety articles into which the poem is divided will be found. Though this MS. (known as 'F') contains in all about 6,000 lines less than the Cottonian MS. Vesp. A. iii, for part of art. 23 with artt. 24-32 and part of art. 76 with artt. 77-89 were on quires which have been torn out, it has also some unique additions.
For the lyrics in the text at fols. 102, 106-10v, 122, see Carleton Brown, Register of Middle English Religious Verse, p. 48. Rubric: 'ϸis is ϸe best boke of alle ϸe cours of ϸe werlde men dos hit calle', text beg. 'Men covettes sinnes for to here' (fol. 4), preceded by table of capitula (fol. ii-1). Colophon: 'Stokynbrig scripsit istum librum Willelmo Keruour de Lanc[astria]' (fol. 123v).
Dates
- Creation: Written in the late 14th century in Lancashire
Extent
126 Leaves
Language of Materials
- English, Middle (1100-1500)
Shelfmark
MS. Fairfax 14
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. 3894
Custodial History
Written for William Keruour of Lancaster, this MS. was perhaps in the possession of the Belyngham family about 1500. The names Thomas Belyngham (fol. iiv), Robartus Belyngham (ib.), and William Belyngham (fol. 1) occur in hands of about 1500, with other scribblings, for which see the printed table of contents (op. cit., p. 4). Fol. 2v has late 15th-cent. notes of burgages in Lancaster.
Physical Facet
On parchment, in double columns
Dimensions
10 7/10 × 7 1/10 in.
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk