30 - Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Lyell 31

Summary

Confessio Amantis (sixteen leaves lost), ‘Explicit iste liber’

London, s.xv, mid-century

Contents

1

(fols 1ra–165va) Confessio Amantis

Torpor ebes sensus, etc. (6 lines of Latin verse)

Of hem that writen vs tofore < > [O]ure ioye may ben endeles. Amen

Prologue (fol. 1ra); Book I (fol. 7vb) wants an eight-leaf quire after fol. 8, with I.164–1624; Book II (fol. 19ra); Book III (fol. 38rb); Book IV (fol. 53rb) wants six leaves after fol. 57 (with IV.879–1985) and one after fol. 59 (with IV.2362–2542); Book V (fol. 66rb) wants one leaf after fol. 88 (with V.4382–4572); Book VI (fol. 106rb); Book VII (fol. 119rb); Book VIII (fol. 148rb) has part of the outer column of fol. 165 (the last leaf) torn or cut away, with loss of ends of lines 3131–64 on fol. 165rb (greater losses further down the column) and loss of first words or letters of lines 3165–72 on fol. 165va, as also in ‘Explicit iste liber’ (see below). Replacement parchment was inserted in s.xvii, with lost words and letters (and sometimes duplicating text still present at edge of tear) supplied in a hand of s.xvii imitating s.xv script.

Text: MS not known to Macaulay, but it would belong to his third recension, with Richard II now cast as a tyrant and Henry of Derby as England’s saviour (see ‘Explicit’ below).

For further information about the following item, see Appendix III.

2

(fol. 165va) ‘Explicit iste liber’

Missing text supplied in s.xvii (see above) in square brackets.

[Exp]licit iste liber qui transeat obsecro liber

[Ut s]ine liuore vigeat lectoris in ore

[Qui] sedet in scannis celi det vt ista Iohannis

[Perpetuis] annis stet pagina grata britannis

[Derbie Comiti] recolunt quem laude periti

[Vade liber purus] sub eo requiesce futurus

[Lau]des deo

Later six-line version with dedication to the earl of Derby, as

printed from other MSS by Macaulay (ed.), Works, II.478.

Illustration

No miniatures.