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Manuscript Description
London, University College Library, Special Collections MS frag. Angl. 1
 
MS Appellation:olim Phillipps 22914
Title:Confessio Amantis
Author:Gower
Contents:Confessio Amantis (B version)
Language:English and Latin
Date Range:1400-1425
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Material:Parchment
No of Folios:2 bifolia, not connected to one another:1 paper flyleaf matches pastedown + 1-4 + 1 heavy paper flyleaf + 2 brown paper flyleaves + 1 paper flyleaf matches pastedown
Pagination:Modern pencil usual place 1-4, signature 'f4' in medieval arabic on f3r, lower right corner.
Page Size:398 x 275
Frame:8 x vertical creating four columns, those in margins narrower than the main text columns, 4 xhorizontal, ruled within all in fine grey lines.
Writing Space:266 x 148 in two columns with two more narrow columns in margins either side for glosses.
Running Titles:Running titles, 'liber' on verso and 'Quintus' on all four versos, preceded by gold (liber) or blue (Quintus) paraphs.
Illuminated Initials:5-line gold initial with parti-coloured red and blue ground with white highlights, the ground following shape of letter, and only a few spare tendrils into margins drawn in blue.
Paragraph Marks:Alternating blue and gold paraphs before the marginal glosses (Latin prose).
Flourished Initials:Frequent one-line initials alternating blue with red flourishing and gold with blue or purple flourishing.
Other Names (not owners):First brown flyleaf at back, recto, has pasted in a printed notice 'GOWER'S CONFESSIO AMANTIS, fragment of a very fine manuscript of the xv century, consisting of four leaves from the fifth book, folio [erased price]. Also handwritten: 'MS 501' and pasted on square of paper with number 496 on it. Front pastedown has handwritten, 'Given to the Library of University College, London, by Walter W. Seton & R. W. Chambers. April 1911. First folio recto in bottom margin, 'Phillipps MS 22914'.
Further Information:1ra begins: Wher of may wel be iustifyed þat þei may nought be deified' 1v ends They clepen him þe god of fire 2ra begins In which þe trouþe is comprehended Wher of þat we ben alle amended' 2vb ends Schal maken on vs þanne but a mowe 3ra begins þat him was schape such a fate Sibele his wyf bygan to hate 3vb ends In euery place wher þei dwelle 4ra begins They ben alredy obeissant As Damoiseles entendant 4vb ends And of Ninus king of Assire I rede how þat in his Empire' Begins and ends incomplete
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP