National Library of Scotland MS. 16500, Asloan Manuscript
| Manuscript | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference Number | Scots1 | ||
| Location | Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland | ||
| Siglum/Shelfmark | Asloan Manuscript, MS 16500 | ||
| Page/Folio range | 167-210 | ||
| Standardised title of narrative | The Seven Sages of Rome: English/Scots 'As' text ("The Buke of The Sevyne Sagis") | ||
| Incipit or textual title | |||
| Version (siglum) | A (Seven Sages) | ||
| └ Language Group within Version | Older Scots Version A | ||
| └ Narrative/Scholarly Group within Version | |||
| └ Further scholarly subgroup (1) | |||
| └ Further scholarly subgroup (2) | |||
| 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 | ||
| Scribe | John Asloan | ||
| Author | |||
| Place of Manuscript Production | Scotland | ||
| Date of Manuscript Production | 1513/1542 | ||
| Source of date Manuscript Production | NLS Catalogue website: https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/resources/18684 | ||
| Material | Paper | ||
| Language of Manuscript | Scots | ||
| Regional or specific Language of Manuscript | Middle Scots | ||
| Source for regional or specific Language of Manuscript | NLS Catalogue website: https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/resources/18684 | ||
| Prose or Verse | Verse | ||
| 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. | ||
| Script style/form | |||
| Total pages/folios in Manuscript | 308 | ||
| Height | 406.5 | ||
| Width | 304.8 | ||
| Illustrations | No | ||
| Digitisation | https://digital.nls.uk/235163104 | ||
| Modern Editions | |||
| Catalogue | |||
| Modern Research Literature | Cragie (1923), Van Buuren (1982) | ||
Note
There is a lacuna between Sapientes (the 10th story) 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.
Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript
| Short Story | Sequence Number | Narrator | Name Variations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arbor | 1 | Empress | |
| Canis | 2 | Bancillas | Bantillas |
| Aper | 3 | Empress | |
| Medicus | 4 | Maxencius | Maxillas, Ancillas, (Some confusion in the text) |
| Gaza | 5 | Empress | |
| Puteus | 6 | Lentulus | |
| Senescalcus | 7 | Empress | |
| Tentamina | 8 | Malquidras | Maucundas |
| Virgilius | 9 | Empress | |
| Avis | 10 | Cato | |
| Sapientes | 11 | Empress | |
| Inclusa | 14 | Cratone | |
| Vaticinium | 15 | Prince |
