Introduction

Manuscript Contents

The descriptions of items where a title is not stated are taken from the Digital Index of Middle English Verse entry. The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts has a slightly different set of names for some items, but for consistency across witnesses the DIMEV names have been used throughout. It should be noted that both the DIMEV and James Catalogue reference items by page numbers, so I have done so here. Since my internal method for marking items relies on folios for consistency both the folio and page numbers have been included on the individual witnesses.

• p.8
  • Four things that make a man a fool. One stanza rhyme royal.
• p.9
  • Four things that make man a fool. One stanza rhyme royal.
  • Italicis Olilant Lombards waymenten. Four macaronic monorhyming lines."
• p.10-15
  • John Lydgate, "Bycorne and Chychevache." Nineteen stanzas rhyme royal with introductory prose for speakers.
• p.15-19
  • John Lydgate (attr.), "A wikked tong wol alway deme amis." nineteen rhyme royal stanzas.
• p.19-25
  • John Lydgate, English paraphrase of Psalm 102. Twenty-two eight-line stanzas with Latin text preceding each.
• p.26-32
  • John Lydgate, "Thoroughfare of Woe." Twenty-four eight-line stanzas.
• p.34-35
  • John Lydgate, "A Balade of her that hath all virtues. Seven rhyme royal stanzas.
• p.38-40
  • A Mumming at Eltham