| Description | (1, ff1-30.) 'Historia et Figurae animalium'
An incomplete bestiary written around 1300. An example of a 'second family' bestiary, as classified by M R James. With 55 pen drawings of animals featured, some coloured, perhaps later. Identified as work of two artists. Spaces for 33 drawings not filled. Begins with 'cervus' (the stag); ends with great fish ('aspidochelone'). Incomplete, with first gathering and other single leaves missing. Traces of earlier foliation. Animal subjects listed in Sandler, as below, pp188-90. 30 vellum leaves. Now bound with later pieces, as below. Described in Kerr, Medieval Manuscripts, p280, and as below.
(2.) A Treatise on the keeping and ordering of accounts called `Dare and Habere.'
Written in English in a hand of the first quarter of the 16th century. The prologue commences "Forasmoche as it behovith to every discrete merchant to have the knowledge and conyng of redyng, writing, and also to be prompt and redy in his accompts makyng, and specially that he have the experiens and practise of the science of arithmetique wt pen or wt countoris ... I have of good entent and mynd ordeyned this commodious treates", &c.
(3.) The Times Whistle, or a newe Daunce of seven Satires, whereunto are annexed divers other poems comprising things natural, morall, and theologicall. Compiled by R. C. Gent. 54 paper leaves.
Printed by the Early English Text Society in 1871. Mr. J. M. Cowper, the editor, inclines to the belief that the letters R C stand for Richard Corbet, and that the poem was written between the years 1614-1616.
(4.) The names of archbishops, bishops, dukes, marquises, earls, and king's counsel of Spain and Portugal.
A note of all the ambassadors of Spain with their allowances by the year in Rome, Germany, France, England, Portugal, Geneva, Venice. A note of the King of Spain's revenues by the year. A note of the Universities of Spain and Portugal with the number of students to them belonging. Geographical particulars relating to Spain and Portugal. 10 leaves paper.
(5.) A vocabulary relating to a system of cryptography. 10 leaves paper.
Provenance unclear. Included in H.J. Todd's catalogue of 1793 but not in the 1630 and 1634 listings of manuscripts. Binding dating from the late 18th/early 19th century. |
| Publication Note | Bestiary described and illustrated in W B Clark, 'A medieval book of beasts' (2006), p230 and, figs 8- 9. Also in L F Sandler, A survey of manuscripts illuminated in the British Isles, vol 5, 1285-1385 (1986), pp 28-9, as no 20. Exhibited in Brussels in 1973: see 'English illuminated manuscripts 700-1500' (Brussels, 1973, pp94-95, as no 62. |