Middle English Manuscripts : Later Version Wycliffe New Testament

Middle English Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'> Later Wycliffite version of the New Testament, preceded by a table of moveable feasts, a calendar, and table to find Easter from 1448 to 1520, etc. The New Testament incorporates an unusual prologue to Romans, and inserted in another hand is the Epistle to the Laodiceans. The volume concludes with Epistle readings from the Old Testament. On folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(549);return false;'> 271r</a> is recorded 'Here endiþ þe Apocalipis Anno domini m ccco (sic) xliiii' [i.e. 1444].</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(1) Preliminaries to 2: (a) folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(10);return false;'> 1v</a>, Table of movable feasts. (b) folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(11);return false;'> 2r-7v</a>, Calendar in red and black. Peikola notes two unusual aspects of the calendar: the absence of astronomical material, and the choice of English rather than Latin as the language (see Bibliography below). Entries for Thomas Beckett have been erased at 7 July and 29 December, but 'Utas of seint thomas', 5 January, has not been erased. (c) folio<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(23);return false;'> 8r</a>, Table to find Easter, 1448-1520. (d) folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(25);return false;'> 9r-22v</a>, '...þus endiþ þe kalendir of lessouns pistlis and gospels of al þe ȝeer'; Forshall and Madden, iv. 683-98, but the text here and in Eng. MSS 76, 77, 78 and 91 differs substantially from theirs, which goes with the earlier Wycliffite version. A table for the common of saints is not provided here or in Eng. MSS 76, 78, 78 and 91: cf. Forshall and Madden, p. 696, footnote. The commemorations precede the proper of saints, as in Eng. MS 77. (e) folio<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(53);return false;'> 23r</a>, 'The first place in augrym noumbre...' An explanation of arabic numbers.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(9);return false;'>1r</a>, <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(24);return false;'>8v</a> and<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(54);return false;'> 23v</a> were originally left blank. A calligraphic title page was added to folio<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(9);return false;'> 1r</a> in the 17th century, and a table of contents to folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(24);return false;'>8v</a>. Folio 23 contains the missing text at the beginning of item (2) in imitation textura.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(2) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(55);return false;'>24r-271v</a> and folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(641);return false;'> 317</a>, New Testament in the later Wycliffite version. Forshall and Madden, no. 157. All before 'sterre' (Matthew 2: 2) came on the leaf missing before folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(55);return false;'>24r</a>. 'Here endiþ þe Apocalipis Anno domini m ccco (sic) xliiii' (folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(550);return false;'>271v</a>) is followed by a prologue not usually found in English, 'Romayns ben þei þt of iewes and heþen... to pees and acorde', which is squeezed in on <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(549);return false;'> 271 and v</a> and overflows onto a half leaf now pasted to folio<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(641);return false;'>371r</a> ; the hand is that of folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(9);return false;'> 1r-271v</a>. Other prologues are as usual. The leaf added to quire 23 contains the Epistle to the Laodiceans and its prologue.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(3) folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(551);return false;'> 272r-316v</a>, Epistle lections from the Old Testament. The first leaf is missing with all before 're him. And þei schulen clepe hem'. The temporal ends on folio<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(622);return false;'> 307v</a>and is followed by a cue for the feast of relics and 'Here enden þe pistlis and lessouns of þe olde lawe for sonedaies and ferials; and begynnen commemoraciouns'. Commemorations, folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(622);return false;'> 307v-308r</a>: of Our Lady, for brothers and sisters, for clear weather, for rain, for pestilence of beasts, and 'In masse of requiem or for deede'. Sanctoral, folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(624);return false;'> 308v-312</a>: twelve feasts, Andrew, Conception of B.V.M., Purification of B.V.M., Philip and James, 'on mydsomer euyn', 'on mydsomer dai', Mary Magdalene, vigil, day, and octave of Assumption of B.V.M., Decollation of John, Nativity of B.V.M. Common of Saints, folios<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(631);return false;'> 312r-316v</a>. folio<a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(642);return false;'> 317v</a> is blank.</p>


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