Regiment of Princes

Manuscript in Middle English in Anglicana Formata on parchment, copied by the 'Selden Scribe' [ex inf.: Professor Sebastian Sobecki] containing Thomas Hoccleve's ‘Regiment of Princes’. Marginal glosses in Latin. Probably written in London, based on the Anglicana Formata hand. Imperfect: Collation of perfect manuscript was presumably originally: A-M8,N2 (with N2 a final blank, probably now the rear flyleaf?). Contains lines 113 to line 4893, but with considerable imperfections: wanting opening two leaves (sigs A1-A2) containing lines 1-112; three leaves (sigs. A8 and B1-B2) containing lines 393-560; two leaves (sigs. B8 and C1) containing lines 841-952; two leaves (sigs. C7-C8) containing lines 1233-1344; one leaf (sig. E5) containing lines 2017-2072; one leaf (sig. E7) containing lines 2129-2184; one leaf (sig. G5) containing lines 2927-2982; two leaves (sigs. H2-H3) containing lines 3207-3318; one leaf (sig. J1) containing lines 3599-3654; one leaf (sig. J3) containing lines 3711-3766; two leaves (sigs. J5-J6) containing lines 3823-3934; one leaf (sig. L5) containing lines 4726-4781; 11 leaves (sigs. L7-L8 and quires M-N) containing lines 4894-5463. The following leaves have had initials roughly excised with a knife: sigs. E8, F1, G6. Sigs. F3, F4 and K2 have been cut during the excision of initials, with portions of text wanting. Sig. L6 is torn with portions of text wanting. Sigs. E1, E2, E3, E4, E6, E8, F1, F2, F8, G7, G8 and H1-H4 have been cut during excision of initials, but without loss of text. Decoration: One major illuminated decorative initial on sig. H6v; remains of a second similar initial on sig. K2v; alternating small red/blue, blue/gold initials opening each verse; occasional larger initials (cf. sigs. C3r, F8r, F8v, G1v, H5r); marginal glosses in red ink, with small red and blue initials throughout. Contemporary signatures in red ink and catchwords in black ink. Annotations: Early MS to sig. A3r: Our English poet. Later MS to sig. A3r: Occleve’s Complaint. MS at foot of sig. A3r: Phillipps MS 8267. A line missed by the original scribe has been added in a mid-fifteenth-century hand to sig. G4v. Ruled to form a text frame; pricking visible. Leaf size: 277 x 186 mm; text frame: 186 x 104 mm.

Referenced in: Private pleasures : illuminated manuscripts from Persia to Paris: the collection of Denys Spittle (Cambridge : Fitzwilliam Museum, [2007]) pp. 52-53. Potten, Edward, 'From Byzantium to Alberto Sangorski: Treasures from the Thomas Edward Watson Collection at the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds', The Book Collector, Autumn 2023, pp. 1-16 (pp. 8-10).