Confessio Amantis (sixteen leaves lost), ‘Explicit iste liber’

London, s.xv, mid-century

Contents

1

(fols 1ra–165va) Confessio Amantis

Prologue (fol. 1ra); Book I (fol. 7vb) wants an eight-leaf quire after fol. 8, with I.164–1624; Book II (fol. 19ra); Book III (fol. 38rb); Book IV (fol. 53rb) wants six leaves after fol. 57 (with IV.879–1985) and one after fol. 59 (with IV.2362–2542); Book V (fol. 66rb) wants one leaf after fol. 88 (with V.4382–4572); Book VI (fol. 106rb); Book VII (fol. 119rb); Book VIII (fol. 148rb) has part of the outer column of fol. 165 (the last leaf) torn or cut away, with loss of ends of lines 3131–64 on fol. 165rb (greater losses further down the column) and loss of first words or letters of lines 3165–72 on fol. 165va, as also in ‘Explicit iste liber’ (see below). Replacement parchment was inserted in s.xvii, with lost words and letters (and sometimes duplicating text still present at edge of tear) supplied in a hand of s.xvii imitating s.xv script.

Text: MS not known to Macaulay, but it would belong to his third recension, with Richard II now cast as a tyrant and Henry of Derby as England’s saviour (see ‘Explicit’ below).

For further information about the following item, see Appendix III.

2

(fol. 165va) ‘Explicit iste liber’

Missing text supplied in s.xvii (see above) in square brackets.

Illustration

No miniatures.