Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1, Auchinleck Manuscript
| Manuscript | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference Number | Eng1 | ||
| Location | Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland | ||
| Siglum/Shelfmark | 'Auchinleck' MS, Advocates MS 19.2.1 | ||
| Page/Folio range | 85r-99v | ||
| 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) | ||
| Scribe | |||
| Author | |||
| Place of Manuscript Production | London | ||
| Date of Manuscript Production | 1331/1340 | ||
| Source of date Manuscript Production | Wiggins, The Auchinleck Manuscript (2003) | ||
| Material | Parchment | ||
| Language of Manuscript | English | ||
| Regional or specific Language of Manuscript | Middle English | ||
| Source for regional or specific Language of Manuscript | |||
| Prose or Verse | Verse | ||
| 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) | ||
| Script style/form | |||
| Total pages/folios in Manuscript | 331 | ||
| Height | 250 | ||
| Width | 190 | ||
| Illustrations | No | ||
| Digitisation | https://auchinleck.nls.uk/index.html | ||
| Modern Editions | Brunner, The Seven Sages of Rome (Southern Version) (1933), Wiggins, The Auchinleck Manuscript (2003) | ||
| Catalogue | |||
| Modern Research Literature | Brunner (1933), Heltveit (1964), Whitelock (2005), Wiggins (2003) | ||
Note
'Roma' is fragmentary; text is missing final stories and conclusion.
Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript
| Short Story | Sequence Number | Narrator | Name Variations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arbor | 1 | Empress | |
| Canis | 2 | Bancillas | |
| Aper | 3 | Empress | |
| Medicus | 4 | Ancilles | |
| Gaza | 5 | Empress | |
| Puteus | 6 | Lentulus | Lentilioun |
| Senescalcus | 7 | Empress | |
| Tentamina | 8 | Malquidras | |
| Virgilius | 9 | Empress | |
| Avis | 10 | Cato | Catoun |
| Sapientes | 11 | Empress | |
| Vidua | 12 | Jesse | Not named in text - presumed 'Jesse' from analogues |
| Roma | 13 | Empress |
