Edinburgh National Library of Scotland MS. 16500, Asloan Manuscript

Manuscript Identification
Reference Number	Scots1
Location	Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland
Siglum/Shelfmark	Asloan Manuscript, MS 16500
Page/Folio range	167-210

Textual Content and Tradition
Standardised title of narrative	The Seven Sages of Rome
Incipit or textual title	The Buke of The Sevyne Sagis
Version (siglum)	A (Seven Sages)
└ Language Group within Version	Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis
└ Narrative/Scholarly Group within Version
└ Further scholarly subgroup (1)
└ Further scholarly subgroup (2)	Text As
Translated/adapted from (Version/Text)	Old French Version A
Source for information on textual relationship to broader tradition	NLS Catalogue website: https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/resources/18684

Languages
Language of text	Scots
Regional or specific Language of text	Middle Scots
Source for regional or specific Language of text	NLS Catalogue website: https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/resources/18684

Digitisation and Editions
Digitisation	https://digital.nls.uk/235163104
Modern Editions	Van Buuren, The Buke of the Sevyne Sagis (1982)

Note
There is a lacuna between Sapientes (the 11th story, told by the Empress) and Inclusa; according to Catherine van Buuren (1982), this likely included the sixth sage's tale, and the Empress's reponse to it. Unlike the Middle English versions, the Older Scots text includes the gender-reveal at the end of the text.

Authorship and Production
Scribe	John Asloan
Author
Place of Manuscript Production	Scotland
Date of Manuscript Production	1513/1542
Source of Date of Manuscript Production	NLS Catalogue website: https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/resources/18684

Physical Description
Material	Paper
Total pages/folios in Manuscript	308
Height	406.5
Width	304.8
Script style/form
Prose or verse	Verse
Illustrations	No

Contents and Additional Texts
Other texts in the Manuscript	Over 100 Scottish texts dating from around 1400 to 1700; poetry, drama, and prose by major Scottish writers such as John Barbour, William Dunbar, Gavin Douglas, and George Buchanan. Contents: Of penance and confession. The buke of the chess. The cart of the warld. The porteous of noblenes. The Scottis originale. Part of the Ynglis cronikle. Ane schort memoriale. The Scottis cronikle. The spectacle of luf. The sex weekdayis and agis. The buke of the sevyne sagis. The justis betuix the talzeour and the sowtar. Off the fenzeit fals frere of Tungland. The buke of the howlat. The talis of the fyve bestis. The tale of the twa mys. The maner of the crying of ane playe. The tale of Orpheus and Eurdices his quene. The buke of the thre prestis of Peblis. The contemplacioun of synnaris. The passioun of Jhesu. Ane ballat of Our Lady. The maying and disport of Chauceir. Divers ballatis of Our Ladye.

Catalogues and Research Literature
Catalogue	https://digital.nls.uk/235163104
Modern Research Literature	Cragie (1923), Van Buuren (1982)

Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript