Details

Subject(s)

• Literature, Medieval—Early works to 1800 [Browse]
• Kings and rulers—Poetry—Early works to 1800 [Browse]
• Manuscripts, English (Middle)—New Jersey—Princeton [Browse]

Former owner

• Reeds, Richard, active 16th century [Browse]
• Heber, Richard, 1773-1833 [Browse]
• Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872 [Browse]
• Garrett, Robert, 1875-1961 [Browse]

Bookseller

• Evans, R. H. (Robert Harding), 1777-1857 [Browse]
• Payne and Foss [Browse]
• Sotheby's (Firm) [Browse]
• Bernard Quaritch (Firm) [Browse]

Donor

• Garrett, Robert, 1875-1961 [Browse]

Related name

• Princeton University. Library. Manuscript. Garrett MS. 139 [Browse]

Rare books genre

• Manicules [Browse]
• Blind tooled bindings [Browse]
• Gold tooled bindings [Browse]
• Headbands [Browse]
• Gilt edges [Browse]
• Ribbon markers [Browse]

Getty AAT genre

• decorated initials [Browse]

Related work(s)

• Laurent, de Premierfait, -1418. Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes. [Browse]
• Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375. De casibus virorum illustrium. [Browse]

Medium/​Support

parchment rdamat

Summary note

A poem in 9 books by John Lydgate, who adapted Laurent de Premierfait's translation of Giovanni Boccaccio's 'De casibus virorum illustrium'.

Notes

• Incipit: "He tat whilom dide his diligence, The boke of Bochas in frensh to translate, Out of latyn he callid was laurence, The tyme truly remembred and te date, Yere when kyng John trou3 his mortal fate, Was prisoner brou3t to tis r-egioun, When he first gan on tis translatioun ..."
• Explicit: "Now on te whele now set in lowe degree, Who will encres be vertu most ascende."
• Ms. codex.
• Title from printed catalog.
• Manicules (p. 11, 54, etc.)
• Collation: Parchment ; iv folios (2 paper, 2 modern parchment) + 419 pages + iii folios (1 parchment, 2 paper) ; catchwords in banderoles ; modern pagination in pencil.
• Layout: 47 lines per page in two columns ; ruled.
• Decoration: Red initials with green penwork and red highlights.

Binding note

Later binding. England, early 19th century. Brown calf over pasteboards. Blind-stamped along perimeter and gold-tooled along board edges and turn-ins. Endbands. Marbled paper paste-downs and flyleaves of vermillion. Gilt edges. Blue silk bookmark. Spine rebacked.

Language note

Middle English;

Script

Anglicana

Provenance

Early provenance unknown. In the mid-16th century owned by Richard Reeds. Intermediate provenance is unknown. Later owned by Richard Heber until being sold on 11 February 1836 by the London bookseller and auctioneer Robert Harding Evans. Purchased by John Thomas Payne and Henry Foss for Sir Thomas Phillipps. Later sold at Sotheby's in London on 10-17 June 1896, where it was acquired by Bernard Quaritch. Purchased from Quaritch by Robert Garrett, Class of 1897 on 1 October 1905. His gift to Princeton University Library in 1942.

Source acquisition

Gift; of Robert Garrett, Princeton Class of 1897, 1942.

References

• Medieval & Renaissance manuscripts in the Princeton University Library, pages 320-321.
• Ricci, S. de. Census of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the United States and Canada, volume 1, page 893.

Other format(s)

Also available in an electronic version.

Place name(s)

England

OCLC

1091907915

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