Confessio Amantis, a large and magnificent MS, much mutilated (52 leaves missing)

London, s.xv, third quarter

Contents

(fols 1ra–134vb) Confessio Amantis Prol. 1–VII.3593

Prologue (fol. 1ra); Book I (fol. 8rb) wants 3321–3446end; Book II begins imperfect at line 47 (fol. 26ra); Book III (fol. 45rb) wants 1908–2103; Book IV (Latin verse-heading, fol. 59va, English text and decoration, fol. 59vb) wants 400–575 and 3701–12end; Book V begins imperfect at line 162 (fol. 79ra) and wants 6183–6360; Book VI (fol. 118vb, Latin verse-heading, lines 1–3 only) wants Latin verse-heading lines 4–8 and English text 1–182, and also 1671–2440end; Book VII begins imperfect at line 1406 (fol. 127ra) and wants 2354–3088 and 3594–5438end; Book VIII is lost.

A leaf is lost after fol. 25, with text of I.3321–II.46; a leaf after fol. 55 (III.1908–2103); a leaf after fol. 61 (IV.400–575); a leaf after fol. 78 (IV.3701–V.161); a leaf after fol. 110 (V.6183–6360); a leaf after fol. 118 (VI. Latin verse-heading, lines 4–8, and English text 1–182); twelve leaves after fol. 126 (VI.1671 [Macaulay has 1571, a rare mistake] –VII.1405); four leaves after fol. 131 (VII.2354–3088); and about thirty leaves after fol. 134 (VII.3594–VIII end).

Text: collated by Macaulay (sigil H3): III. There is a Latin ‘nota’ at II.3243 (fol. 43v) and speech-markers at V.5497 and 5500 (fol. 107r) that are not found in Bodleian, MS Fairfax 3 as printed by Macaulay. Macaulay says that it is ‘almost certain’ that Harley 7184 is ultimately derived from the Keswick MS (Cologny, MS Bodmer CB 178, q.v.), perhaps through a common exemplar with Magdalen College, Oxford, MS lat. 213, which is very close textually (Macaulay [ed.], Works, II.clxiii). The MSS have common errors and shared readings of an unusual kind, and both omit the Latin glosses in a part of Book VII, e.g. 1641–1884 (fols 127ra–128va), 1917–2354 (fols 128vb–131vb).