Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17: Difference between revisions

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|Has Location=Cambridge University Library
|Has Location=Cambridge University Library
|Has Siglum=Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17
|Has Siglum=Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17
|Has Page Range=ff. 54r-63r
|Has Page Range=54r-63r
|Has Content=The Seven Sages of Rome: English 'D' text
|Has Standardised Title Of Narrative=The Seven Sages of Rome: English 'D' text
|Has Siglum Of The Version Of The Seven Sages=A (Seven Sages)
|Has Siglum Of The Version Of The Seven Sages=A (Seven Sages)
|Has Language Group Within Version=Middle English Version A
|Has Language Group Within Version=Middle English Version A
|Has Further Primary Scholarly Subgroup=Midland
|Has Narrative Or Scholarly Group Within Version=Midland Version
|Has Source For Information On Textual Relationship to Broader Tradition=Jill Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version), EETS O.S. 324, OUP, 2005
|Has Source For Information On Textual Relationship to Broader Tradition=Whitelock (2005)
|Has Place Of Production=England
|Has Place Of Production=England
|Has Date Of Production=1350-1400
|Has Date Of Production=1350-1400
|Has Source For Date Of Production=Jill Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version), EETS O.S. 324, OUP, 2005
|Has Start Date Of Production=1350
|Has End Date Of Production=1400
|Has Source For Date Of Production=Whitelock (2005)
|Has Material=Parchment
|Has Material=Parchment
|Has Language Of Manuscript=English
|Has Language Of Manuscript=English
|Has Language=Middle English
|Has Language=Middle English
|Has Source For Language=Jill Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version), OUP, 2005
|Has Source For Language=Whitelock (2005)
|Is Prose Or Verse=Verse
|Is Prose Or Verse=Verse
|Has Collation=Manuscript is divided into three volumes. The Seven Sages appears in the third volume (ff. 54ra - 63rb). A full list of the 24 other texts that make up the manuscript can be found in the source mentioned above; notably, it includes: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britannie (vol 1, ff 111-121); a Latin version of Marco Polo's travel account (vol 2, ff 38-56); texts concerning Islam, including 'Fides Saracenorum' (vol 2, ff 71), De origine et progressu et fine Machometi et quadruplici reprobatione eius (vol 2 ff 71-74), William of Tripoli, De statu Saracenorum (vol 2 ff 74-79), and a Life of Muhammad (vol 2 f 79); Langland, Piers Plowman (B text) (Vol 3 ff 1-31); Mandeville's Travels (ff. 32-53).
|Has Collation=Manuscript is divided into three volumes. The Seven Sages appears in the third volume (54ra - 63rb). A full list of the 24 other texts that make up the manuscript can be found in the source mentioned above; notably, it includes: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britannie (vol 1, 111-121); a Latin version of Marco Polo's travel account (vol 2, 38-56); texts concerning Islam, including 'Fides Saracenorum' (vol 2, 71), De origine et progressu et fine Machometi et quadruplici reprobatione eius (vol 2, 71-74), William of Tripoli, De statu Saracenorum (vol 2, 74-79), and a Life of Muhammad (vol 2, 79); Langland, Piers Plowman (B text) (Vol 3, 1-31); Mandeville's Travels (32-53).
|Has Total Pages In Manuscript=Vol. 1: ff. 261, vol. 2: ff. 93, vol. 3: ff. 87
|Has Total Pages In Manuscript=Vol. 1: ff. 261, vol. 2: ff. 93, vol. 3: ff. 87
|Has Height=440
|Has Height=440
|Has Width=305
|Has Width=305
|Has Illustrations=No
|Has Illustrations=No
|Has Modern Edition=Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version) (2005)
|Has Modern Research Literature=Brunner (1933); Whitelock (2005)
|Has Modern Research Literature=Brunner (1933); Whitelock (2005)
|Has Note=Some sages' names have been normalised; Whitelock's transcription gives the names as Lentulus, Maladas, Caton, Iesse, and Marcius.
The Midlands version, here described, is distinct from the other Middle English texts in a number of notable ways, including minor changes to the frame story (the Prince's mother dies while he is away at school, rather than before he leaves, for example), and small changes throughout. Whitelock (2005) observes that these changes tend to streamline the narrative, but also that, in the inset tales at least, they tend to make 'the fate of the female characters happy, but that of the men more unfortunate' (p. lii). Women get away with their tricks, or escape repudiation (in Vidua and Avis), while men more frequently die (including by suicide) in tales such as Canis, Puteus, and Inclusa. Conversely, this may lend gravity to the overall antifeminist bent of the text: Whitelock suggestions that 'the redactor... resists the temptation to curb these wicked women in the tales themselves', showing women to powerful, manipulative, and cunning, and thereby allowing 'the warning of the Sages [to] gain more weight' (p. liii).
}}
}}
{{EmbeddedStory
{{EmbeddedStory
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|Has Narrator=Prince
|Has Narrator=Prince
}}
}}
Some sages' names have been normalised; Whitelock's transcription gives the names as Lentulus, Maladas, Caton, Iesse, and Marcius.
The Midlands version, here described, is distinct from the other Middle English texts in a number of notable ways, including minor changes to the frame story (the Prince's mother dies while he is away at school, rather than before he leaves, for example), and small changes throughout. Whitelock (2005) observes that these changes tend to streamline the narrative, but also that, in the inset tales at least, they tend to make 'the fate of the female characters happy, but that of the men more unfortunate' (p. lii). Women get away with their tricks, or escape repudiation (in Vidua and Avis), while men more frequently die (including by suicide) in tales such as Canis, Puteus, and Inclusa. Conversely, this may lend gravity to the overall antifeminist bent of the text: Whitelock suggestions that 'the redactor... resists the temptation to curb these wicked women in the tales themselves', showing women to powerful, manipulative, and cunning, and thereby allowing 'the warning of the Sages [to] gain more weight' (p. liii).

Revision as of 07:44, 20 August 2024

Manuscript
Reference Number Eng8
Location Cambridge University Library
Siglum/Shelfmark Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17
Page/Folio range 54r-63r
Standardised title of narrative The Seven Sages of Rome: English 'D' text
Incipit or textual title
Version (siglum) A (Seven Sages)
Language Group within Version Middle English Version A
Narrative/Scholarly Group within Version Midland Version
Further scholarly subgroup (1)
Further scholarly subgroup (2)
Translated/adapted from (Version/Text)
Source for information on textual relationship to broader tradition Whitelock (2005)
Scribe
Author
Place of Manuscript Production England
Date of Manuscript Production 1350/1400
Source of date Manuscript Production Whitelock (2005)
Material Parchment
Language of Manuscript English
Regional or specific Language of Manuscript Middle English
Source for regional or specific Language of Manuscript Whitelock (2005)
Prose or Verse Verse
Other texts in the Manuscript Manuscript is divided into three volumes. The Seven Sages appears in the third volume (54ra - 63rb). A full list of the 24 other texts that make up the manuscript can be found in the source mentioned above; notably, it includes: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britannie (vol 1, 111-121); a Latin version of Marco Polo's travel account (vol 2, 38-56); texts concerning Islam, including 'Fides Saracenorum' (vol 2, 71), De origine et progressu et fine Machometi et quadruplici reprobatione eius (vol 2, 71-74), William of Tripoli, De statu Saracenorum (vol 2, 74-79), and a Life of Muhammad (vol 2, 79); Langland, Piers Plowman (B text) (Vol 3, 1-31); Mandeville's Travels (32-53).
Total pages/folios in Manuscript Vol. 1: ff. 261, vol. 2: ff. 93, vol. 3: ff. 87
Height 440
Width 305
Illustrations No
Digitisation
Modern Editions Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version) (2005)
Catalogue
Modern Research Literature Brunner (1933)Whitelock (2005)
General Notes (Internal)

Note

Some sages' names have been normalised; Whitelock's transcription gives the names as Lentulus, Maladas, Caton, Iesse, and Marcius.

The Midlands version, here described, is distinct from the other Middle English texts in a number of notable ways, including minor changes to the frame story (the Prince's mother dies while he is away at school, rather than before he leaves, for example), and small changes throughout. Whitelock (2005) observes that these changes tend to streamline the narrative, but also that, in the inset tales at least, they tend to make 'the fate of the female characters happy, but that of the men more unfortunate' (p. lii). Women get away with their tricks, or escape repudiation (in Vidua and Avis), while men more frequently die (including by suicide) in tales such as Canis, Puteus, and Inclusa. Conversely, this may lend gravity to the overall antifeminist bent of the text: Whitelock suggestions that 'the redactor... resists the temptation to curb these wicked women in the tales themselves', showing women to powerful, manipulative, and cunning, and thereby allowing 'the warning of the Sages [to] gain more weight' (p. liii).

Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript

Short StorySequence NumberNarratorName Variations
Arbor1Empress
Canis2Bancillas
Aper3Empress
Medicus4Ancilles
Gaza5Empress
Puteus6Lentulus
Senescalcus7Empress
Tentamina8MalquidrasMaladas
Virgilius9Empress
Avis10CatoCaton
Sapientes11Empress
Vidua12JesseIesse
Roma13Empress
Inclusa14MaxenciusMarcius
Vaticinium15Prince