Middle English Manuscripts : Wycliffe Treatises

Middle English Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Various treatises attributed to John Wycliffe but of doubtful authorship, including On the Ten Commandments, On the Lord's Prayer, The Mirror of Sinners and the parts of The Pore Caitif known as The Charter of Heaven and The Three Arrows of Doomsday.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(1) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(13);return false;'>2r-37r</a>, 'Here bigynneþ þe abcde. and next pater noster aue marie and crede and next þe heestis and oþer þingis shortli touchid to helþe of euery persoone þat þenkiþ to be saued.' Divisible into eighteen sections: (a-e) folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(13);return false;'>2r-v</a> , The alphabet (a-z, ȝ, þ, 7, est, amen), Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Creed, Blessing; (f) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(14);return false;'>2v-9r</a>, On the ten commandments, 'Alle manere men shulde holde... ony man doiþ', printed from this copy by Kellogg and Talbert, pp. 371-6 (see Bibliography below); (g) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(27);return false;'>9r-13v</a>, On the deadly sins, 'Pride and Enuye... do to ihesu crist': Jolliffe, A check-list of Middle English prose writings of spiritual guidance, F.21a; (h-n) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(35);return false;'>13r-19r</a>, Seven pieces setting out the five wits of body and of soul, the seven spiritual virtues, the seven works of corporal and of spiritual mercy, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the seven sacraments; (o) folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(47);return false;'>19r-v</a>, A prologue, 'This litil compilation biginneþ wiþ praier... and not oonli bi drede', which looks back to (b, d, f) and forward to (p-r) and occurs with (p-r) also in Durham Cathedral A. IV. 22, pp. 98-116; (p) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(48);return false;'>19v-24v</a>, 'þe twelue lettyngis of preier': Jolliffe, M.4; (q) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(58);return false;'>24v-25v</a>, 'Of beleeue in general. Also touchinge þe crede... and come to bliss'; (r) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(60);return false;'>25v-37r</a>, 'Of diuerse degrees of loue': Jolliffe, G.3.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(2) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(83);return false;'>37r-54r</a>, Þe pater noster, exposition on the Lord's Prayer attributed to John Wycliffe (this and the next three titles are running titles). 'Siþ þe pater noster is þe best praier þat is... in blisse and ioie wt hym to wone wt outen eende. Amen'. Shirley, A catalogue of the original works of John Wyclif, English 64 (see Bibliography below). Thomas Arnold (ed.), Select English works of John Wyclif, vol. 3, pp. 98-110. Cf. English MS 90 , item (2).</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(3) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(118);return false;'>54v-63v</a>, Þe mirrour of synners. Jolliffe, F.8. Horstmann, Yorkshire writers, vol. 2, pp. 436-40 (see Bibliography below). Cf. Lambeth Palace Library MS 3597, item (3).</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(4) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(137);return false;'>64r-72v</a>, Þe chartir of heuene. Part of The Pore Caitif: Jolliffe, B.5.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(5) folios <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(154);return false;'>72v-81v</a>, 'Þe þre arowis. Who þat wole haue in mynde þe dredful day of dome... upon þe rode tre. Amen'. Basically the same, but fuller than the text printed by Horstmann, vol. 2, pp. 446-8. Cf. Lambeth Palace Library MS 3597, item (3).</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>(6) folio <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(11);return false;'>1r-1v</a>, Text on the flyleaf, twenty-three lines on the recto and twenty-five on the verso, all more or less faded: the first sentence begins 'Wymen schulden make ensaumple as hester þt was a qwene to aray hem' and another sentence begins 'Also seint poul repreueþ'.</p>


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