Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1, Auchinleck Manuscript

Manuscript Identification
Reference Number	Eng1
Location	Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland
Siglum/Shelfmark	'Auchinleck' MS, Advocates MS 19.2.1
Page/Folio range	85r-99v

Textual Content and Tradition
Standardised title of narrative	The Seven Sages of Rome
Incipit or textual title
Version (siglum)	A (Seven Sages)
└ Language Group within Version	Middle English Version A
└ Narrative/Scholarly Group within Version	Y Group
└ Further scholarly subgroup (1)	Southern English
└ Further scholarly subgroup (2)	Text A
Translated/adapted from (Version/Text)
Source for information on textual relationship to broader tradition	Whitelock (2005), Brunner (1933)

Languages
Language of text	English
Regional or specific Language of text	Middle English
Source for regional or specific Language of text

Digitisation and Editions
Digitisation	https://auchinleck.nls.uk/index.html
Modern Editions	Brunner, The Seven Sages of Rome (Southern Version) (1933), Wiggins, The Auchinleck Manuscript (2003)

Note
'Roma' is fragmentary; text is missing final stories and conclusion.

Authorship and Production
Scribe
Author
Place of Manuscript Production	London
Date of Manuscript Production	1331/1340
Source of Date of Manuscript Production	Wiggins, The Auchinleck Manuscript (2003)

Physical Description
Material	Parchment
Total pages/folios in Manuscript	331
Height	250
Width	190
Script style/form
Prose or verse	Verse
Illustrations	No

Contents and Additional Texts
Other texts in the Manuscript	The Seven Sages text appears in fols 85 r - 99 v; fragmentary: missing c. 1400 lines. MS contents: The Legend of Pope Gregory (1r-6v) The King of Tars (7ra-13vb) The Life of Adam and Eve (1ra-2vb; 14ra-16rb) Seynt Mergrete (16rb-21ra) Seynt Katerine (21ra-24vb) St Patrick's Purgatory (25ra-31vb) þe Desputisoun Bitven þe Bodi and þe Soule (31vb-35ra stub) The Harrowing of Hell (35rb-?37rb or 37va stub) The Clerk who would see the Virgin (37rb or 37va stub-38vb) Speculum Gy de Warewyke (39ra-?48rb stub) Amis and Amiloun (?48rb stub-?61va stub) The Life of St Mary Magdalene (?61Ava stub-65vb) The Nativity and Early Life of Mary (65vb-69va) On the Seven Deadly Sins (70ra-72ra) The Paternoster (72ra-?72rb or ?72va stub) The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (?72rb or ?72va stub-78ra) Sir Degare (78rb-?84rb stub) The Seven Sages of Rome (?84rb stub-99vb) Floris and Blancheflour (100ra-104vb) The Sayings of the Four Philosophers (105ra-105rb) The Battle Abbey Roll (105v-107r) Guy of Warwick (couplets) (108ra-146vb) Guy of Warwick (stanzas) (145vb-167rb) Reinbroun (167rb-175vb) Sir Beues of Hamtoun (176ra-201ra) Of Arthour & of Merlin (201rb-256vb) þe Wenche þat Loved þe King (256vb-256A thin stub) A Peniworþ of Witt (256A stub-259rb) How Our Lady's Sauter was First Found (259rb-260vb) Lay le Freine (261ra-262) Roland and Vernagu (?262va stub-267vb) Otuel a Knight (268ra-277vb) Kyng Alisaunder (L f.1ra-vb; S A.15 f.1ra-2vb; L f.2ra-vb; ff.278-9) The Thrush and the Nightingale (279va-vb) The Sayings of St Bernard (280ra) Dauid þe King (280rb-280vb) Sir Tristrem (281ra-299A thin stub) Sir Orfeo (299A stub-303ra) The Four Foes of Mankind (303rb-303vb) The Anonymous Short English Metrical Chronicle (304ra-317rb) Horn Childe & Maiden Rimnild (317va-323vb Alphabetical Praise of Women (324ra-325vb) King Richard (326; E f.3ra-vb; S R.4 f.1ra-2vb; E f.4ra-vb; f.327) þe Simonie (328r-334v)

Catalogues and Research Literature
Catalogue
Modern Research Literature	Brunner (1933), Heltveit (1964), Whitelock (2005), Wiggins (2003), Bonsall (2024), Bonsall and Piercy (2025)

Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript