Later Version Wycliffe New Testament

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 133 Eng MS 75
  • Dates of Creation
      End 14th/beginning 15th century
  • Physical Description
      1 volume. iii + 195 + iii folios, foliated 1-195 (modern foliation). Dimensions: 160 x 112 mm. Collation: 18 lacking 1 and 2, 2-58, 68 lacking 4-6 after f. 41, 78, 88 lacking 5 (except a scrap) after f. 63, 98 lacking 1 (except a scrap) after f. 66, 108, 118 lacking 3-5 after f. 83, 12-148, 158 + 1 leaf after 2 (f. 112) lacking 7 after f. 116, replaced by a bifolium, ff. 117-18, in a larger contemporary hand (25 lines long), 16-208, 218 lacking 7 after f. 165, 228 lacking 3 after f. 168, 238 lacking 8 after f. 180, 248, 258 lacking 8. Quires signed (a)-t, w, x, y, þ, z, ȝ. Condition: f. 61 is torn, the upper third of the leaf missing; ff. 83v-84 are badly stained; some initials have been cut or torn out and there are seven gaps where leaves are missing. Medium: vellum; paper flyleaves. Binding: dark blue morocco, 19th century.

Scope and Content

Later Wycliffite version of the New Testament from the end of the Prologue to Romans (beginning 'accordinge wiþ') to Apocalypse 15: 3 ('moyses þe'). There are names of numerous owners in the margins.

Contents: Forshall and Madden, no. 167. Usual prologues, two (2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy) missing. There are seven gaps where leaves are missing: (1) f. 41v ends 'I am her-' (1 Corinthians 16: 19) and f. 42 begins 'of israel' (2 Corinthians 3: 3); (2) f. 63v ends 'reproue' (Ephesians 5: 11) and f. 64 begins 'of ȝoure' (Ephesians 6: 5); (3) f. 66v ends 'i ȝou hoþe' (Philippians 2: 13) and f. 67 begins 'israel' (Philippians 3: 5); (4) f. 83v ends in 1 Timothy 1: 4 and f. 84 begins 'by tymes' (2 Timothy 1: 9); (5) f. 165v ends 'honourid' (1 Peter 2: 5) and f. 166 begins 'Also' (1 Peter 3: 1); (6) f. 168v ends 'Vertu' (2 Peter 1: 3) and f. 169 begins 'of pardicion' (2 Peter 2: 1); (7) f. 180v ends 'stire to pa-' in the prologue to Apocalypse and f. 181 begins 'golden' (Apocalpyse 1: 13).

Script: Gothic textura. Written space: 110 x 75 mm. 26 long lines.

Secundo folio: accordinge wiþ (f. 1r; the first quire lacks the first two leaves).

Decoration: 5-line initials of burnished gold on red and blue grounds with white penwork, at the beginning of each book on ff.1r, 52v, 59r, 65r, 69r, 73v (damaged), 78r, 80v (damaged), 87v, 91v (damaged), 107v, 159v, 164v, 171r, 176r, 177r and 177v; initials on ff. 22v and 168v have been excised. Numerous 3-line initials in blue ink with red penwork flourishes; some damaged.

Description derived from N.R. Ker, Medieval manuscripts in British libraries, vol. III, Lampeter-Oxford (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983), p. 403. By permission of Oxford University Press.

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Mrs Enriqueta Rylands from Henry Yates Thompson in 1897, and later transferred to the John Rylands Library. Accession no. R4989.

Custodial History

(1) Members of the Forster family. James Forster signed several neatly written verses on ff. 20v, 50v, 55v, 61r, 64v (dated 1593), 71v, 112v, 113v (dated 1600), 126v, 127r, 187v and 188v, and he wrote many calligraphic scribbles. George Forster: incription on f. 136v, signed and dated 1591. Arthur Forster: calligraphic inscription on f. 68v, signed and dated 1600. 'Phillis Forster': inscription on f. 125r.

(2) Other early marks of ownership: 'George Forbes', f. 105r; 'Margere Hamiltone owith this book god hir ge...' (incomplete or illegible), f. 105r; 'Frances Ireton', f. 137r.

(3) Rev. Charles Fletcher of Southwell, Nottinghamshire. Seen by Forster and Madden in his possession; his sale at Sotheby's, 22 July 1850, lot 69, sold to Lord Ashburnham for £13 5s.

(4) Bertram, 4th Earl of Ashburnham. Appendix no. 23.

(5) Henry Yates Thompson. He purchased the Ashburnham Appendix in May 1897 and almost immediately resold the manuscript to Mrs Rylands.

Bibliography

Josiah Forshall and Frederic Madden, The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books, in the earliest English versions made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and his followers (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1850), vol. 1, MS no.167.

N.R. (Neil Ripley) Ker, Medieval manuscripts in British libraries, vol. III, Lampeter-Oxford (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983), p. 403.

G.A. (Godfrey Allen) Lester, The index of Middle English prose. Handlist 2, a handlist of manuscripts containing Middle English prose in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester and Chetham's Library, Manchester (Cambridge: Brewer, 1985), pp. 2-3.