Manuscript on parchment of collected Greek moral sayings translated into Latin by the diplomat George Hermonymus of Sparta. The manuscript also contains a dedicatory preface to the Abbot of St. Albans. The final two leaves contain 16th and 17th-century verses in multiple hands. The humanist style of the book's script, contents, and illuminations suggest that it is a sister copy of British Library, Harley MS 3346, which was presented to George Neville, Archbishop of York.
Description:
Binding: original, worn velvet over wooden boards., Decoration: heraldic illumination on f. 1v of two angels holding a coat of arms, overpainted to that of the Totewhill family (sable, three covered cups argent); the mitre associated with the abbacy of St. Albans floats above. Borderwork around the miniature consists of gold leaf and alternating red and blue flowers. 1 four-line gilt initial "M" on 2r with accompanying blue and red design and gold borderwork with blue and red background. Between 1 and 3 two to three-line gilt initials per page with blue and red background. Rubrics in red., Ex libris St. Albans Abbey. Ex libris the Totewhill family of Cornwall. Purchased from Christie's London sale (2017 July 12, lot 13) on the James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Fund, 2017., Layout: single column of 14 lines., Script: main text in a humanist hand, possibly that of George Hermonymus. Later English and Latin verses in three early modern hands., and The manuscript contains a dedicatory preface from George Hermonymus to "Gulielmum," the Abbot of St. Albans, either William Albon (1465-1475) or William of Wallingford (1476-1492); this manuscript was probably presented while Hermonymus was on a diplomatic mission to England between 1475 and 1476. The coat of arms of the Totewhill family of Cornwall have been overpainted in the heraldic miniature.
Subject (Name):
Albon, William,---1476., Hermōnymos, Geōrgios,--15th cent., St. Albans Abbey, and Wallingford, William,---1488?
Subject (Topic):
Classical philosophy, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript, on parchment, in a single hand, of a Middle English copy of the "Defective Version" of the Book of Sir John Mandeville.
Alternative Title:
Itinerarium. English
Description:
Binding: contemporary light brown doeskin over wooden boards., Decoration: decorated border on opening leaf of text incorporating coat of arms of the Norton family of Yorkshire; a few initials in blue ink with red penwork., Four leaves preceding the Mandeville text contain numerous pen trials, a Latin prayer, medical advice organized by month, and a list of the archbishops of York. Two leaves following the text contain pen trials and Latin notes on the life of St. Wilfrid?., Layout: single columns of 20-23 lines., Previously owned by the Norton family of Yorkshire; Brockman family. Ex libris J. P. R. Lyell; H. L. Bradfer-Lawrence. From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., and Script: English bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Bradfer-Lawrence, H. L.--(Harry Lawrence)--Bookplate., Lyell, James P. R.--(James Patrick Ronaldson),--1871---Bookplate., and Mandeville, John,--Sir.
Subject (Topic):
English prose literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library., and Voyages and travels--Early works to 1800.
Manuscript, on vellum, in two scribes' hands, of this collection of verse saints' lives.
Description:
Binding: eighteenth-century full calf., Decoration: numerous initials in blue with red penwork., Ex libris Thomas Weld. On deposit from the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., Layout: single columns of 42 and 39 lines, respectively., Script: English cursive bookhand (two scribes)., and Text is substantially complete, lacking two leaves at the beginning, one in the middle, and probably several at the end.
Subject (Name):
Weld, Thomas--1750-1810--Bookplate.
Subject (Topic):
English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., English poetry--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library.
In addition to the Speculum Christiani (ff. 64r-100v), the manuscript contains an unidentified Latin alphabetical preacher's manual (ff. 1r-62v), compiled for the purpose of composing sermons. It is incomplete at the beginning, starting with the entry Amor, and continues with 149 entries to Christi acensio (under X)., Manuscript on paper in Anglicana (Scribe 1, ff. 1-62v) and Secretary script (Scribe 2, 64r-100v), produced in England in the mid-fifteenth century., and Spine title: "MS Loci qm Theologi Ord: Alpho 80."
Description:
Binding: limp vellum., Headings and various names and phrases in the Speculum Christiani are rubricated., and Spiritual diagram on f. 85v: two ladders are drawn, one for "Celum," one for "Infernum." On the rungs are written the virtues and vices pertaining to each, eight for heaven and nine for hell. The uprights are inscribed Spes and Fides for heaven, and Superbia and Larga Conscientia for hell.
Subject (Name):
Wotton, Johannes
Subject (Topic):
Catholic Church--Spiritual life--Early works to 1800, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, Preaching--Early works to 1800, and Preaching--History--Middle Ages, 600-1500
Manuscript, on vellum, in a single hand, of a version of this fourteenth-century pastoral manual. The text is in eight sections, or Tabulae, in Latin, with extensive passages in Middle English prose and interpolated Middle English verse.
Description:
Binding: nineteenth-century morocco., Decoration: red and blue initials with contrasting penwork., Ex libris Alfred Henry Huth; Sir Leicester Harmsworth; William and Christina Foyle. From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya., Layout: single columns of 32 lines., and Script: written in an English bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church--Clergy--Early works to 1800., Catholic Church--Handbooks, manuals, etc., Foyle, William Alfred,--1885---Bookplate., Harmsworth, R. Leicester--(Robert Leicester),--Sir,--1870-1937--Ownership., and Huth, Alfred Henry,--1850-1910--Bookplate.
Subject (Topic):
Christian life--Early works to 1800., English poetry--Middle English, 1100-1500., English prose literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., and Medieval and Renaissance Ma
Manuscript, on vellum, in several hands, containing several Middle English devotional texts. The Abbey of the Holy Ghost is followed by The Meditation of St. Anselm; The Five Sorrows of the Virgin; and an explanation of how to say the Psalter of the Virgin. These are followed by a poem to the Virgin ("Mari moder well [th]e bee"); a six-line political poem referring to Edward IV ("The lyon sens thre days"); and a recipe for a medicine for pestilence, in a later hand.
Description:
Binding: modern full red morocco., Decoration: Abbey of the Holy Ghost has initials in blue with red penwork., Ex libris Henry Huth; Walter Wilson Greg; H. L. Bradfer-Lawrence (MS 8). From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., Script: several hands., and Text preceded by 14 binder's blanks; concludes with 11 binder's blanks.
Subject (Name):
Bradfer-Lawrence, H. L.--(Harry Lawrence)--Bookplate., Edward--IV,--King of England,--1442-1483--Poetry., Greg, W. W.--(Walter Wilson),--1875-1959--Autograph., Greg, W. W.--(Walter Wilson),--1875-1959--Bookplate., Huth, Henry,--1815-1878--Bookplate., and Mary,--Blessed Virgin, Saint--Poetry.
Subject (Topic):
Allegory--Early works to 1800., Devotional literature, English (Middle), English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., English poetry--Middle English, 1100-1500., English prose literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library., and Women--Conduct of life--Early works to 1800.
Manuscript, on vellum, in a single hand, of portions of Books I, VII, and VIII of this long narrative poem.
Description:
Binding: modern wrappers; modern case., Decoration: illuminated initial on f. 1; numerous penwork initials., Formerly owned by John Hayword; John Du Pont. From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., Layout: double columns of 98 lines., and Script: English bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Lydgate, John,--1370?-1451?
Subject (Topic):
English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., English poetry--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library., and Narrative poetry, English (Middle)
Manuscript fragment, on vellum, in a single hand, of Book III, verses 1717-1913, of this long narrative poem.
Description:
Decoration: two initials in burnished gold on colored grounds, with foliate sprays., Ex libris Sir Thomas Phillipps (MS 23554). From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., Layout: double columns of 49 lines., and Script: cursive English bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Lydgate, John,--1370?-1451?
Subject (Topic):
English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., English poetry--Middle Engish, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Fragments in Beinecke Library., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library., and Narrative poetry, English (Middle)
Manuscript fragment, on vellum, in a single hand, containing Book I, verses 455 and following of this long narrative poem.
Description:
Decoration: two large initials in gold; numerous smaller initials in red or blue., From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., Layout: double columns of 56 lines., and Script: cursive English bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Lydgate, John,--1370?-1451?
Subject (Topic):
English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., English poetry--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Fragments in Beinecke Library., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library., and Narrative poetry, English (Middle)
Manuscript, on vellum, in a single hand, of a complete version of this long narrative poem.
Description:
Binding: early nineteenth-century vellum; leather spine labels, gilt., Decoration: decorated borders at the beginnings of Books II-IX; numerous gold initials., Ex libris Lords Mostyn of Gloddaeth; Arthur A. Houghton. From the collection of Toshiyuki Takamiya, 2013-., Layout: double columns of 35 lines., and Script: English bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Houghton, Arthur Amory,--1906-1990--Bookplate., Lydgate, John,--1370?-1451?, Lydgate, John,--1370?-1451?--Fall of princes., and Mostyn, Llewelyn Nevill Vaughan Lloyd-Mostyn,--Baron,--1856- 1929--Bookplate.
Subject (Topic):
English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500., English poetry--Middle English, 1100-1500., Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven., Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library., and Narrative poetry, English (Middle)