Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17

Manuscript Identification

Reference Number

Eng8

Location

Cambridge University Library

Siglum / Shelfmark

Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17

Page / Folio range

54r-63r

Textual Content & Tradition

Standardised title of narrative

The Seven Sages of Rome: English 'D' text

Version (siglum)

A (Seven Sages)

Language Group within Version

Middle English Version A

Narrative / Scholarly Group within Version

Midland Version

Source for textual relationship

Whitelock (2005)

Languages

Language of text

Middle English

Digitisation & Editions

Modern Editions

Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version) (2005)

Authorship & Production

Place of Production

England

Date of Production

1350/1400

Source of Date of Production

Whitelock (2005)

Physical Description

Material

Parchment

Total pages / folios

Vol. 1: ff. 261, vol. 2: ff. 93, vol. 3: ff. 87

Height

440

Width

305

Illustrations

No

Contents & Additional Texts

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).

Catalogues & Research Literature

Catalogue

Modern Research Literature

Brunner (1933), Whitelock (2005)

Embedded Stories in This Manuscript

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator	Has Name Variation
Arbor – The Tree	1	Empress
Canis – The Faithful Dog	2	Bancillas	Hancyllas
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	3	Empress
Medicus – The Doctor	4	Anxilles	Ancilles
Gaza – The Treasure	5	Empress
Puteus – The Well	6	Lentulus	Lentilioun
Senescalcus – The Seneschal	7	Empress
Tentamina – The Test	8	Malquidras	Maladas
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	9	Empress
Avis – The Bird	10	Cato	Caton, Catoun
Sapientes – The Wise Men	11	Empress
Vidua – The Widow	12	Jesse
Roma – Rome Besieged	13	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	14	Maxencius	Marcius

Research Material

Has Research Material Title	Has Research Material Link	Has Research Material Description

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).