Accession number
MS M.126
Object title
Confessio amantis.
Created
England, perhaps London, ca. 1470.
Binding
Rebound by Deborah Evetts. Formerly in 18th-century English full brown Russia tooled in gold, 6 elephants on back (device of Andrew Fountaine), lettered: Gower MS.; in green levant morocco solander case lettered: Gower - Confessio amantis - MS. on vellum saec. XV, now preserved separately.
Credit line
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), 1903.
Description
213 leaves (2 columns, 46 lines), bound : vellum, ill. ; 440 x 320 mm
Provenance
Possibly commissioned for Elizabeth Woodville, queen of England and wife of Edward IV, or for her and Edward; on fol. 78r: Grace Seyton made thys (15th-16th century) [she was the daughter of John Seyton of Maidwell Hall in Northamptonshire and Isabel, daughter of Thomas Mallorye of Saddington in Leicestershire]; in 1693 owned by Sir Richard Mauleverer (d. 1713) of Allerton Mauleverer, Yorkshire (inscription on first leaf); ca. 1700 in the library of Peter le Neve (1661-1729), Norroy King-at-Arms and Norfolk antiquarian; then to his executor, Thomas Martin of Palgrave (1697-1771), well-known book collector, who married Frances, le Neve's widow ca. 1732; purchased after Martin's death by Thomas Worth, chemist of Diss, Norfolk, ca. 1771; purchased by Briggs Price Fountaine (or Fountain) of Narford, Norfolk before 1777 (signature on fol. 204v); Fountaine Collection (Catalogue 1777, no. 37); Fountaine sale (London, Sotheby's, July 12, 1902, no. 378) to Quaritch; purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) from Quaritch in 1903. Thomas Worth cut out 9 of the miniatures and sold them to Sir John Fenn (1739-1794); Arthur Frere; his sale (London, Sotheby's, Dec. 14, 1926, no. 379) to Maggs; purchased by J.P. Morgan (1867-1943) from Maggs in 1927 and restored to M.126 (on fols. 26v, 54v, 65r, 122r, 141r, 143v, 165v, 169r, and 171A). Four other miniatures were excised at an unknown time and restored (on fols. 146r, 172r, 173r, and 187v).
Notes
Ms. moralizing verse; written and illuminated in England, perhaps London, ca. 1470.
Alphabetical index: fols. 207r - 212r. (Missing one folio between fols. 208v - 209r).
Scribe: Ricardus Franciscus.
Decoration: 79 miniatures with figures and scenes illustrating the text, 12 small oblong miniatures illustrating the zodiac, 15 small oblong landscape miniatures illustrating the stars.
Thirteen miniatures were cut out and restored. 9 were cut out in the 18th century by Thomas Worth; 4 others at an unknown date and were restored prior to its sale to J. Pierpont Morgan. The restored folios are 26v, 54v, 65r, 122r, 141r, 143v, 146r, 165v, 169r, 171ra, 172r, 173r, and 187v.
Two gaps exist in the manuscript for excised miniatures yet to be found, on fols. 48v and 171r.
The folio(s) missing between fols. 72v - 73r (containing lines IV.841 - IV.991) might also have had at least one miniature.
Artists: 2 unidentified artists for the miniatures; 4 border artists of which one (Border Artist A) has work identified in 13 manuscripts by Kathleen Scott in her book Later Gothic manuscripts, 1390-1490.
Inscriptions: faint inscription on the margin of fol. 42r ("A boy he is that..."). Signature or inscription, not medieval, on fol. 179v ("? aene Dodson").
Revised: 2017
Alphabetical index: fols. 207r - 212r. (Missing one folio between fols. 208v - 209r).
Scribe: Ricardus Franciscus.
Decoration: 79 miniatures with figures and scenes illustrating the text, 12 small oblong miniatures illustrating the zodiac, 15 small oblong landscape miniatures illustrating the stars.
Thirteen miniatures were cut out and restored. 9 were cut out in the 18th century by Thomas Worth; 4 others at an unknown date and were restored prior to its sale to J. Pierpont Morgan. The restored folios are 26v, 54v, 65r, 122r, 141r, 143v, 146r, 165v, 169r, 171ra, 172r, 173r, and 187v.
Two gaps exist in the manuscript for excised miniatures yet to be found, on fols. 48v and 171r.
The folio(s) missing between fols. 72v - 73r (containing lines IV.841 - IV.991) might also have had at least one miniature.
Artists: 2 unidentified artists for the miniatures; 4 border artists of which one (Border Artist A) has work identified in 13 manuscripts by Kathleen Scott in her book Later Gothic manuscripts, 1390-1490.
Inscriptions: faint inscription on the margin of fol. 42r ("A boy he is that..."). Signature or inscription, not medieval, on fol. 179v ("? aene Dodson").
Revised: 2017
Script
Bastard Secretary
Language
Middle English and Latin
Resources
Century
Catalog link
Classification
Department