MS 440

Summary

Described Thomas James 163; Stanley R. 10; Nasmith 440; James, Corpus 440; FM 117; Wilkins, Middle English, pp. 9–10; Index of Images 113.

[1]

ff. 1–2

Here bigynneþ a rule þat telliþ in whiche euagelistis [sic] ʒe mai fynde þe sondai gospels þat ben rad in þe chirche aftir þe vse of salisbery markid wiþ lettris of þe a b c ffirst is writun a clause of þe bigynnyng þerof & a clause of þe eending þerof also.

Rubric (complete) introducing the table of lections (the ‘Rule’, use of Sarum) which follows on ff. 1–2. Cf. FM IV:683–690. The table is, unusually, for Sunday gospels only, indicating that it is derived from a gospel book (cf. Peikola, p. 357).

Other texts: See MS 147 [2] above.

[2]

f. 3^ra

Matheu þat was of iudee as he is firste sett in ordre of gospellers so he wroot firste þe gospel in iudee and fro þe office of a tolgaderer he was clepid to god whanne þis matheu hadde prechid firste þe gospel in iudee …

f. 163^va

… and þer ben also manye oþir þingis þat ihesus dide whiche \if þei ben/ writun bi ech bi himsilf i deeme þat þe world himsilf shal not take þo bookis þat ben to be writun.

‘A prolog’. ‘Here bigynneþ þe gospel of iohn’ (col.). The Wycliffite New Testament containing the four Gospels only, preceded by the usual prologues, in LV. Ed. FM IV:2–681. Wells Rev. 2:547 [52]; IPMEP 119.

Other texts: Lindberg, Manuscripts, pp. 333–338, lists twelve other MSS which contain the Gospels only, in LV. One of these, no. 173 ‘Lord Lindsay’, i.e. Lord Crawford, is a ghost and identical with no. 204. The remaining eleven are (present-day shelfmarks, following FM's numbering through their 170 MSS, then continuing with Lindberg's own): BL Harley 2309 [FM 18]; BL Add 15517 [FM 40]; BodL Laud misc. 25 [FM 53]; BodL Laud misc. 36 [FM 55] (begins imperfectly); BodL Selden supra 49 [FM 68]; Oxf. St John's Col 79 [FM 104]; Camb. St John's Col N. 4 (242) [FM 131]; Lambeth Palace Libr 1366 [Lindberg 185]; British and Foreign Bible Society Eng.