Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19
Devotional texts in Middle English
Physical Description
ff. 1-242, and 259 are parchment; and ff. 243-258 are paper.
19th- or 20th-century foliation:
[i]-[ii] + 1-2 | 3 + 4-162 + 163 | 164-165 | 166-169 + 170-193 | 194-203, 204*, 204-241 | 242 | 243-258 | 259 | [iii]
Written in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the recto of each leaf.
Folio 204* is an inserted strip of parchment between f. 203 and f. 204.
ff. [i]-[ii] and [iii] are unfoliated modern paper flyleaves at the beginning and end of the manuscript that have been allocated Roman numerals betweeen square brackets for reference purposes in this electronic edition. Folios 164 and 165 are shown first in their current state and then with the portions along the fore-edge unfolded.
Collation
This collation deviates from that of M.R. James (1900) and that supplied in the manuscript in that it uses a single continuous number sequence for the manuscript's different parts. It also deviates from the collation by James (1900) in that it states that Quire 1 is a quinternion with 2 (and not 1) cancelled leaves; and that Quire 30 consists of 16 leaves (instead of 18 leaves).
- Two leaves (Part 1, first section) (ff. 1-2)
- Quire 110-2 (ff. 4-11)
- Quires 2-178 (ff. 12-139)
- Quire 1812 (ff. 140-151)
- Quire 1910-1 (ff. 152-160: 10th leaf cancelled)
- Quire 206-3 (ff. 161-163: 4th-6th leaves cancelled) |
- Two leaves (Part 1, second section) (ff. 164-165 |
- Four leaves (ff. 166r-169v)
- Quires 21-238 (ff. 170-193) |
- Quires 24-298 (ff. 194-241) |
- One leaf (Part 5, first section) (242) |
- Quire 3016 (ff. 243-258) |
- One leaf (Part 5, second section) (f. 259)
Two leaves | 110-2 (9-19th leaves cancelled) 2-178 1812 1910-1 (10th leaf cancelled) 206-3 (4th-6th leaves cancelled) | Two leaves | Four leaves 21-238 | 24-298 | One leaf | 3016 | One leaf
Additions
A table of contents for all the manuscript's parts has been added by a 17th-century hand to f. 3r: ‘In hoc volumine continentur’.
Quire signatures ('1-20, a-c, 1-7') in the bottom right-hand corner of the recto side of the first leaf of each quire, written in pencil by a hand of the 19th/20th century.
Binding
Late 16th- or early 17th-century binding: dark leather over wooden boards with blind-tooled frames and the arms of John Whitgift gold-stamped at the centres of the upper and lower covers; two brass anchor plates on the upper cover and two catch plates at matching height on the lower cover indicate that the binding originally had two straps and clasps. The spine with six raised bands and three paper labels with the printed classmark: ‘B’, ‘14’, ‘19’.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Stephan Batman [Stephen Bateman] (1541-1584) , Church of England clergyman and author: his name inscribed on f. 162v: ‘Batman’; purchased the manuscript on 4 October 1584 as is indicated by a note in his hand on f. 3r: ‘this booke cost me 18d the yere anno 1578 / the 4 October’ his extensive comment, signed ‘S.B.’ on the spiritual value of a work such as Stimulus Amoris to Protestant readers on f. 67; and his note highlighting a short tract on how to discern wordly and spiritual thoughts on f. 149r: ‘This is a special good notae’.
John Whitgift (1530/31?–1604) , Master of Trinity College (1567–1577) and archbishop of Canterbury (1583-1604): his heraldic arms impaled with those of the Diocese of Canterbury gold-stamped at the centres of the outsides of the front and rear covers.
Presented to Trinity College in (?)1604 by John Whitgift (1530/31?–1604) , Master of Trinity College (1567–1577) and archbishop of Canterbury (1583-1604): the College's previous and current classmarks ‘R.15.14’ (crossed out) and ‘B.14.19’ inscribed on the inside of the upper cover; its printed ex libris (with the text: ‘Collegium S.S. et Individuae Trinitatis in Academia Cantabrigiensi’) pasted on the inside of the front cover; its library stamp on ff. 162v, 170r, 191r, 194r, 241r, 243r, and 258r.
Part 1 (first section) [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 1-2, 164-165]
Contents
Language(s): Latin
The original order of these four leaves was ff. 164r-164v; ff. 1r-2v; and ff. 165r-165v.
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
185 × 125 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame and line ruling. Double columns. At least 44 lines to the page (but the final 1-2 lines have been cropped off on ff. 1-2), writen below top line.
Hand(s)
The Chastising of God's Children on ff. 4r-66r was copied by a single hand in a Textualis script with anglicana features.
The Middle English texts on ff. 68r-162v were copied by a single hand in a Textualis script with anglicana features.
Decoration
Large (2 lines) initials in blue or red with penwork decoration inside the letter and pen-flourishing extending into the margins in the opposite colour.
A "J"-border in blue and red ink in the inner margin of f. 164r.
Headers consising of Roman numerals and initials in blue and red in the upper margins.
Paraphs alternately in blue or red ink.
Additions
A 17th-century hand has added the title: ‘Stimulus Amoris’ in brown ink to the upper margin of f. 1r, referring to the contents of the manuscript's second part.
History
Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 4r-162v]
Contents
Language(s): Middle English and Latin
Full transcription. Copied by Stephan Batman [Stephen Bateman] (1541-1584).
The header was added by a later hand; that of Bateman according to James.
The word ‘Dextra’ and words (?) ‘dinch murchkng’ are probably written by two different 15th-century hands.
Not transcribed.
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 110-2 (ff. 4-11)
- Quires 2-178 (ff. 12-139)
- Quire 1812 (ff. 140-151)
- Quire 1910-1 (ff. 152-160: 10th leaf cancelled)
- Quire 206-3 (ff. 161-163: 4th-6th leaves cancelled)
Condition
Layout
150 × 105 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame only. Single columns. 31-32 lines to the page, written below top line.
Hand(s)
Copied by a single hand in a Textualis script.
Decoration
Large (2 to 3 lines) blue initials with penwork decoration and pen-flourishing extending into the margins in red ink.
Small (1 line) plain initials in blue or red ink.
Titles and subheadings in red ink.
Paraphs in blue or red ink.
Additions
The Middle English texts, especially The Chastising of God's Children, feature marginal annotations: 15th-century corrections and 16th-century comments and highlights.
History
Part 1 (second section) [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 1-2, 164-165]
Contents
Language(s): Latin
The original order of these four leaves was ff. 164r-164v; ff. 1r-2v; and ff. 165r-165v.
The original order of these four leaves was ff. 164r-164v; ff. 1r-2v; and ff. 165r-165v.
Physical Description
Condition
Layout
185 × 125 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame and line ruling. Double columns. At least 44 lines to the page (but the final 1-2 lines have been cropped off on ff. 1-2), writen below top line.
Hand(s)
The Chastising of God's Children on ff. 4r-66r was copied by a single hand in a Textualis script with anglicana features.
The Middle English texts on ff. 68r-162v were copied by a single hand in a Textualis script with anglicana features.
Decoration
Large (2 lines) initials in blue or red with penwork decoration inside the letter and pen-flourishing extending into the margins in the opposite colour.
A "J"-border in blue and red ink in the inner margin of f. 164r.
Headers consising of Roman numerals and initials in blue and red in the upper margins.
Paraphs alternately in blue or red ink.
Additions
A 17th-century hand has added the title: ‘Stimulus Amoris’ in brown ink to the upper margin of f. 1r, referring to the contents of the manuscript's second part.
History
Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 166r-193v]
Contents
Full transcription.
No other copies identified.
Physical Description
Collation
- Four leaves (ff. 166r-169v)
- Quires 21-238 (ff. 170-193)
Layout
150 × 90 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame only. Single columns. 31-39 lines to the page, written below top line.
Hand(s)
The medical recipe added to f. 170r-191r has been copied by a single hand working in a cursive Gothic script with both anglicana and secretary features.
Folios 170r-191r have been copied by a single hand working in a cursive Gothic script.
Decoration
Large (3 to 4 lines) plain blue initials.
Headings written in red ink.
Paraphs in red ink.
Plain initials highlighted with red ink.
Catchwords written inside decorative banderols of dark ink.
History
Part 4 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 194r-241v]
Contents
The title was added by a 17th-century hand.
Full transcription. This short text is added by a 15th-century hand to The Lay Folk's Catechism. It lists the five negative consequences of swearing (oaths) by parts of Christ's body. The idea that such oaths re-enact Christ's torments in the Passion was commonly expressed in late medieval textual and visual culture (e.g. see Melissa Mohr, Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 112-128).
Physical Description
Collation
- Quires 24-298 (ff. 194-241)
Leaf signatures consisting of combinations of letters ‘A’-‘F’ and Roman numerals (‘j’-‘iiij’) written in the lower outer corners of the rectos in the first halves of quires (but sometimes cropped off).
Catchwords written in the lower inner corners of the last versos of quires.Layout
150 × 90 mm. Ruled in ink, frame and line ruling. Single columns. 31 lines to the page, written below top line.
Hand(s)
The Lay Folk's Catechism (ff. 194r-237v) and the Exposition on the Psalms (ff. 237v-241r) were copied by a single scribe working in an anglicana script with occasional use of the secretary single-compartment ‘a’.
The text swearing on folio 204* recto was copied by a a hand in a cursive script with both anglicana and secretary features.
Decoration
Large (2 to 3 lines) plain blue initials.
Headings copied in red ink.
Line-fillers consisting of 'stitching' motifs in red ink.
Regula initials higlighted with red ink.
Underlining in red ink.
History
Part 5 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 242, 259]
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Contains the personal names of ‘Walter de Brandon’ and ‘Symon de Hedirset’.
Contains the personal names of ‘Symon de Hederset’ [also spelled: ‘Hedirset’] , ‘Johannis Rolfus’, ‘Johannis Curszon’, ‘Ricardus de Brandon’, ‘Wilhelmus Munping’, and ‘G de Brandon’; religious titles: the priors of Pentney Priory, Norfolk (‘Penteneye’) and Wymondham Priory, Norfolk (‘Wymondham’) and the vicar of Ketteringham, Norfolk (‘Keteringham’); the aristocratic title of Stanfield, Norfolk (‘domine de Stanfelde’); and the place name of ‘Lingholdelond’
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled in leadpoint, frame only. Single columns. The dimensions of the original text space, the number of lines to the page, and the position of the first line above or below the top ruled line cannot be established from these fragments. The text is orientated at a 90 degree angle because the account roll's leaves were turned vertically when they were repurposed as flyleaves for this part of the manuscript.
Hand(s)
Copied by a single hand in an anglicana script.
Decoration
This part of the manuscript does not feature any significant decorative features.
History
Part 6 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19, ff. 243r-258r]
Contents
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 3016 (ff. 243-258)
Layout
165 × 110 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, inner and outer margins of the frame only. Single columns. 29-35 lines to the page.
Hand(s)
Copied by a single scribe working in a script with both anglicana and secretary features.
Decoration
1 large (2 lines) plain red initial on f. 243rwith, inside the letter, a human face in brown ink and penwork decoration in brown ink outside the letter featuring the head of a [?] wolf. These decorative features almost certainly were added at a later stage, most likely by a non-professional.
Large (2 lines) plain red initials.
Headings written in red ink.
Underlining in red ink.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
Visitors to Trinity College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Trinity College: Information for Readers.
Bibliography
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Meditations on the Supper of the Lord, and the Hours of the Passion by Cardinal John
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the Seraphic doctor. Drawn into English Verse by Robert Manning of Brunne (about 1315-1330.)
Edited from the
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The Lay Folks Mass Book, or, The Manner of Hearing Mass: With Rubrics and Devotions
for the
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The Chastising of God's Children. And The Treatise of Perfection of the Sons of God, (Oxford, Blackwell, 1957)
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A New Manuscript of the Chastising of God's Children with an Ascription to Walter
Hilton Medium Ævum, Sargent, Michael G. (46, 49-65, 1977)
Stephen Batman’s Manuscripts Medieval Heritage: Essays in Honour of Tadahiro Ikegami, Parkes, M. B. (Tokyo, 125–156, Yushodo, 1977)
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Proceedings, Powell, Sue (Woodbridge, 67-84, Brewer, 1994)
Magdalene College MS. Pepys 2498 and Stephen Batman's reading practices Transactions
of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Mcloughlin, Catherine (10, 525-534, 1994)
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Editing and Ideology: Stephen Batman and the Book of Privy Counselling Chaucer in
perspective Middle English essays in honour of Norman Blake, Edwards, A. S. G. (Sheffield, 267-, Sheffield Academic Press, 1999)
The Journey of a Book: Bartholomew the Englishman and the Properties of Things, Keen, Elizabeth (Canberra, The Australian National University E Press, 2007)
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Medium Ævum, Da Costa, Alexandra (79, 1, 47-67, 2010)
Meditations on the Supper of Our Lord and the Hours of the Passion Geographies of
Orthodoxy: Mapping English Pseudo-Bonaventuran Lives of Christ, 1350-1550, Westphall, Allan F. (2010, https://geographies-of-orthodoxy.qub.ac.uk/resources/?section=corpus&id=2)
Cambridge, Trinity College MS B.14.19, Perry, Ryan (2010, https://geographies-of-orthodoxy.qub.ac.uk/resources/?section=manuscript&id=23)
Stephan Batman and His Manuscripts of Piers Plowman The Review of English Studies,
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Prickynge of
Love in Post-Reformation England Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Perry, RyanWestphall, Allan F. (48, 2, 301-340, 2018)
Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.14.19 Digital Birgitta, Saetveit Miles, Laura (, https://birgitta.uib.no/s/birgitta/item/863)
Funding of Cataloguing
Wellcome (cataloguing). All images provided by Trinity College, Cambridge.
Digital Images
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
