Manuscript, on parchment, in a single hand, containing the text of William of Nassington's poem. The Speculum vitae is followed by several other devotional texts in prose and verse, including Walter Hilton's prose commentary on Qui habitat and Bonum est; and poems on Purgatory, the evils of covetousness, a prayer to Jesus, and two dialogues, one between Christ and Man, and the second between Christ and a sinner
Description:
In Middle English, with rubrics in Latin., Ownership inscription for the Francisan convent at Lichfield?, dated 1486., Layout: double columns of 50-58 lines., Script: English bookhand., Decoration: initials in red and blue penwork., and Binding: original wooden boards, rebacked.
Subject (Geographic):
England., Connecticut, and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
William, of Nassington, -1354. and Franciscans
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, English (Middle), English literature, English poetry, English prose literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Purgatory
In English., Script: Articles 1 and 2 written by a single person in a careful secretary script; other items added by several contemporary and later hands., One loose leaf, presently tipped in between ff. 1 and 2, has pen and ink sketch of falconer, with bird and dog. Inscription above drawing: "Lorde let me not, in Vanitie/Delight more, then I should in thee.", and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Limp vellum case with title lettered on spine.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
English literature, Falconry, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of George Waymouth (fl. 1587-1611), The jewell of artes, an unfinished technical handbook of navigation, inventions, fortifications, surveying, gunnery, etc., consisting of short textual parts and extremely numerous full-page technical drawings and diagrams of high quality
Description:
About the author, a somewhat mysterious navigator, scholar and engineer, see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, v. 51 (2004), pp. 777-778. He returned in 1602 from his unsuccesful expedition to discover the Northwest Passage, presented the King in 1604 with two versions of his treatise The Jewell of Artes and undertook in 1605 a new expedition to the American East coast, landing in Maine., In English., Script: Written by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary)., and Binding: Original armorial (rebacked). Brown calf over cardboard, both covers gold-tooled with a seme pattern of flowerets, corner pieces and a central piece with the arms of King James I. Spine with six raised bands and red title-label with inscription "JEWELL OF ARTES".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Waymouth, George.
Subject (Topic):
English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Military art and science, and Navigation
Manuscript, on vellum, in a single hand, of the treatise on hunting by Edward Plantagenet, second Duke of York
Description:
In Middle English., Presentation inscription from John Shirley to Richard Halsham follows the text., Ownership inscription of Sir Gregory Page-Turner on f. 1., Layout: single columns of 34 lines., Script: English bookhand., Decoration: full illuminated border on f. 1, with small illuminated initials at chapter openings (six of these have been cut away)., and Binding: nineteenth-century full blind-tooled diced russia.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Edward, of Norwich, 1373?-1415.
Subject (Topic):
English literature, English prose literature, Hunting, and Manuscripts, Medieval
In Middle English., Script: Anglicana., and Decoration: large initial "H" in red and blue penwork and other smaller initials in alternating red or blue.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Edward, of Norwich, 1373?-1415.
Subject (Topic):
English literature, English prose literature, Hunting, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle, attributed to Dame Juliana Berners
Description:
In Middle English., Watermarks: unidentified hand., Script: Written by a single scribe in a bold English secretary script., Simple flourishes and initial strokes, in red., Stains throughout, some obscuring text. Severe trimming has resulted in loss of marginalia., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Russia leather, gold-tooled, by C. Lewis in 1823. Rebacked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Berners, Juliana, b. 1388?
Subject (Topic):
English literature, Fishing, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment, composed of 2 parts, both of uneven quality. Part I of the codex written in the 15th century. The final quire, written probably in the 14th century, was bound in with the first 186 ff. in the 16th or 17th century. Contains excerpts of historical tracts, medical recipes, charms, prayers, notes on parliament, philosophy, and dream interpretation, proverbs, poems, notes on horses and hunting, and excerpts from astronomical and religious tracts
Description:
In English and Latin., Script: Part I (ff. 1-186): Written in Anglicana, by 2 main scribes, with abundant notes and texts added in margins and blank spaces by other hands. On ff. 179r-181r the scribe begins in Anglicana formata but lapses into a more cursive grade. Initials (3- and 2-line), underlining, rubrics and slashes at ends of sentences in red. From ff. 103r-140v, 3- and 2-line initials in blue with red penwork and long flourishes; on ff. 30r-31v (on the exchequer), checkerboards in blue, red and black in upper and lower margins. Water stains on ff. 1-2, only affecting a few words of the text. Part II (ff. 187-193): Written by one scribe in an uneven 14th-century Anglicana. Three-line initial on f. 187r not filled in. Outer column of f. 187 cut off., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Limp, flush boards are made up of fibrous, felted material (paper?) sandwiched between two layers of vellum, which extend across the spine. This case is glued and tacketed to the bookblock with three tackets consisting of at least six threads each. Stitches go through the spine linings around three threads at head and tail. Covered with tawed skin, originally pink, the turn-ins glued over the pastedowns. The cover extends in fore-edge and envelope flaps. Some rodent damage on the upper board and part of the envelope cut away. Discoloration and traces of adhesive on three outer edges of envelope flap.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Charms, English literature, Hunting, Manuscripts, Medieval, Medicine, and Medicine, Medieval