Manchester. The John Rylands Library, English MS 91

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Source
Manchester Digital Collections
Library
The John Rylands Library
Shelfmark
  • English MS 91
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1st half 15th century
Language
  • Middle English
Title
  • Later Version Wycliffe Bible
Agent
Description
  • Extent:
    272 folios(272) Leaf height: 380 mm, width: 270 mm.
    Binding:

    Wooden boards, bevelled on the inside. A hole in the middle of each piece of velvet reveals a blurred coloured armorial on the board, framed by a gilt leather centrepiece surround; bosses on each corner; 2 clasps.


    Decoration:
    There are continuous foliate bar borders on folios10r (Proverbs), 46v (Isaiah), 126v (Minor Prophets) and 166r (Matthew)
    There are [-shaped or I-shaped borders on other pages where principal books begin, sprouting acanthus leaves and knotwork, with extensions terminating in acanthus leaves, ivy leaves and bezants.
    There is a 9-line initial on folio 10r, blue and pink with white penwork and floral infill, on a burnished gold ground (water damaged).
    There are 5- or 6-line initials of a similar design at the beginning of other books: folios 18v, 21v,23r, 29r, 66v, 90v, 92v, 96v, 118r, 129v, 130v, 133r, 133v, 134r, 136r, 137v (two), 138v , 139r, 142v, 143v, 156v, 180v, 189v, 204v, 215v, 221r, 226r, 231v, 233v, 234v, 236r, 237r-237v, 239r, 240r-240v, 241r, 245r, 259r, 260v, 261v, 262v, 264r-264v, and 265v.
    There are numerous 3-line initials in blue ink with red penwork flourishes.


    Acquisition:

    Unknown. The manuscript was accessioned by the John Rylands Library in December 1922.


    Layout:
    Written height: 272 mm, width: 180 mm.
    Collation:
    Quire 18 plus one leaf after 8,
    Quire 2-198,
    Quire 20-216 (folios 154-65),
    Quire 22-348,
    Quire 354 lacking 4, blank.

    Secundo folio:þin iȝe


    Subject(s):
    Religion; Christianity; Bible Manuscripts, English; Bible. English (Middle English) Versions Wycliffe; Bible. Old Testament
    Abstract:
    The second volume of a two-volume Bible in the later Wycliffite version, beginning at Proverbs, preceded by a table of lessons, epistles and Gospels for the year according to the use of Salisbury.

    (1) folios 1r-9r, 'Heere bigynneþ a reule þt telleþ in whate chapiters of þe bible ȝe may fynde all þo pistles and þe gospels in al þe ȝer after Salisbery vs markid wt letteris of þe a.b.c at þe begynning and endiþ wt strikys.' Forshall and Madden, iv. 683-98, but the text here and in Eng. MSS 76, 77, 78 and 80 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, 77, 78 and 80: cf. Forshall and Madden, p. 696, footnote. Commemorations precede the sanctoral, as in MS. Eng. 77. They differ from other Rylands copies by making no mention of Salus populi as part of the commemoration of brothers and sisters.

    (2) folios 10r-272r, The second volume of a Bible in the later Wycliffite version, beginning at Proverbs. There are the usual prologues throughout the New Testament, but in the Old Testament only at Isaiah and Baruch. From quire 11 (folios 82r-89r) onwards the outside leaves of every quire show offsetting from other outside leaves; for example, part of folio 238r-289v (start of quire 31) has offset onto folio 89v (end of quire 11), except for the red ornament of the blue initial T.


    Foliation:

    Foliated 1-272 (modern foliation)


    Format:
    Codex
    Material:
    Parchment
    Provenance:

    Early inscriptions: 'Gilbert Humblye' (folio 35r); 'M hylls Gyllbard Humblye' (folio 90v); 'Jhon Lane' (folio 272v).

    Rev. John Symonds Breedon c.1754-1826 of Bere Court, Berkshire. Belonged to Breedon in 1789.

    Charles Lilburn. Armorial bookplate.

Place
  • Preferred form
    • England (United Kingdom)
    Original form
    • England
    Other form
    • Angleterre
    • Angleterre (?)
    • Angleterre.
    • Angleterre ?
    • Anglaterra
    • Inglaterra
    • Engeland
    • Angleterre (Salisbury ?)
    • Anglaterra (Salisbury?)
    • Inglaterra (Salisbury?)
    • England (Salisbury?)
    • [Oxford?]
    • [England]
    • England, Norwich?
    • England, Canterbury, St. Augustine's Abbey?
    • England, Cornwall?
    • England, St. Albans?
    • England, North?
    • England, York?
    • England, Witham?
    • England, Winchester or St. Albans
    • England, Reading or Leominster
    • England, Cirencester?
    • England, Sherborne?
    • England, Worcester?
    • England, Bury St. Edmunds?
    • England, Tewkesbury?
    • England, East Anglia?
    • England, Peterborough?
    • England, Mercia?
    • England, Canterbury, Christ Church?
    • England, Canterbury, St. Augustine's?
    • England, Winchester?
    • England, Oxford?
    • Flanders (possibly executed in England)
    • England and Netherlands
    • England, Canterbury?
    • England, West Midlands?
    • England, London?
    • England, Crowland?
    • England, Wessex?
    • England, Reading?
    • England, Northeast?
    • England, Southeast?
    • England, Ely?
    • England, Winchester or Hereford?
    • England, Salisbury?
    • England, Oxford or Salisbury
    • German (but made in England)
    • England, South East (?)
    • England. Peterborough (?) or Lincoln (?)
    • Hereford?, England
    • England, Durham ?
    • England, Durham?
    • England, probably Durham
    • England, Oxford (?)
    • England, possibly Oxford
    • England (?Oxford)
    • England, Durham (?)
    • England, London/Westminster
    • Unknown, possibly London and Cambridge
    • Royal Chancery, London; Cambridge
    • Engeland (?)
    • England (II)
    • I. England
    • [Engeland]
    • see more
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