Cambridge, Trinity College R.9.17 (819) Ælfric's "Grammar"; Richard de Bury, "Philobiblon"; Alain de Lille, "De Planctu Naturae"; papal decretals

Abstract

83. Cambridge, Trinity College R. 9. 17 (819)

Ælfric's "Grammar"; Richard de Bury, "Philobiblon";

Alain de Lille, "De Planctu Naturae"; papal decretals

[Ker 89, Gneuss 182]

HISTORY: A composite manuscript comprising four booklets, the first (A) added to supply material missing at the beginning of Booklet B in the 16c. Booklet B dates from the 11/12c, Booklet C from the 14/15c, Booklet D from the 12/ 13c. From the fact that f. 131 is a 16c cancel having a paper pastedown (now lifted) imprinted with part of a statute relating to wages in Southampton (5 Eliz. 4, §15), it would seem probable that the booklets were brought together for the first time in the 16c. In Booklet C, a marginal annotation in red ochre crayon occurs in Matthew Parker's hand on f.48bi'v, and the whole manuscript may have been owned by him before it came in to the possession ofJohn Parker, his son; quire letters (A, B, C etc.), underlining and marginal lines in red ochre crayon in Booklet B may be the work of either the father or the son. It is no. 40 in the list of John Parker's books (Strongman 1977-80: 16). Several of John Parker's books came to Trinity via Thomas Neville (d.1615), whose brother Alexander was a member of the Parker household (Strongman 1977-80: 6-7), but there is no evidence to confirm this line of passage in this instance. The binding is of the early 19c, and is very tight, so that the frame rule and text go right in to the spine; there was heavy cropping so that in Booklet B the quire letters in red ochre crayon and some marginal additions only survive in part.