Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 471: John of Howden, Rossignos

Description

Alternative title
Ioh. Hoveden, le Rossignol
Type of resource
mixed material
Extent
ff. 2 + 112
Date created
[ca. 1375-1399]
Language
French, Middle (ca. 1400-1600), Latin, English
Material
Vellum
Layout
24 lines to a page
Height (mm)
150
Width (mm)
109
Collation
a(2) 1(12)-9(12) 10(4).
Writing
in a clear current hand
Foliation
ff. a-b + i-ii + 1-112 + c-d
Additions
Flyleaves from a late document, grant of probate by William (Warham) Archbishop of Canterbury.
2 fo.
quant fuites

Abstract/Contents

Summary
CCCC MS 471, contains the unique copy of the devotional poem in Anglo-Norman by John of Howden (d. 1275), Rossignos, the manuscript dating to the late fourteenth century, some hundred years after the poem's original composition. Howden's exact identity is uncertain, but he was probably a royal clerk in the household of Queen Eleanor of Provence, consort of Henry III and the mother of Edward I. The poem is dedicated to Eleanor and is a reworking of Howden's earlier Latin work, Philomena. The manuscript was probably in Parker's possession by 1564, as revealed by a scribbled note bearing that date. Other notes record the name of 'Franciscus Aldriche', but it seems unlikely that this is the same man who attended Clare College in the 1580s and rose to be Master of Sidney Sussex College in 1608.
Contents
Rossignos

Bibliographic information

M.R. James Date
xiv late
Downloadable James Catalogue Record
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:rj192ww7101/MS_471.pdf
Superseded Interim Catalogue Record
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:mq796rv7381/471.pdf
Contains
  • John of Howden, Rossignos. 1r-112r
    Author
    John of Howden
    Incipit
    (1r) Ci comence la pensee Iohan de Houedene clerc la roine dengleterre mere le roi Edward de la neissance e de la mort e du relieuement e de lascencion ihesu crist e de lassumpcion nostre dame. Et a non ceste pensee. Rossignos, etc
    (1r) Ceste oeure comence. Ci comence li rossignol.Alme lesse lit de peresseE ta langor e ta tristesseApreng damour la parfondesseE a penser damour tadresse
    Note
    Ends
    Explicit
    (111r) A la roine lesmereeMere au roi Edward la seneeVa chanzon e se li agreeLi soiez leue e recordee
    Rubric
    (111r) Ci finist li Rossignos Johan de Houdene
    Note
    This copy is mentioned by Tanner. The text has not been printed. John Hoveden died in 1275. This may be a French version by another hand of his Latin poem Philomela
    On ff. 111v, 112r are Parker's name and the date 1564 written several times in set hand, I suppose by a secretary
TJames
76
Stanley
G. 16
Repository
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Location
MS 471

Access conditions

Use and reproduction:
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License:
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