Confessio amantis (extensively defective)

London, s.xv, first quarter

Contents

(fols 1ra–155vb) Confessio Amantis I.787–VIII.2403

Prologue missing; Book I begins line 787 (fol. 1ra); Book II (fol. 14vb); Book III (fol. 32rb) wants 1665–1848; Book IV (fol. 45vb, Latin verse-heading; English text begins in next column) wants 1–190, 559–932; Book V (fol. 62vb) wants 4606–4983; Book VI (fol. 102vb); Book VII (fol. 115va) wants 3071–3268*; Book VIII (fol. 144rb) wants 1440–1632, 2404–end.

At least ten leaves are lost at the beginning, with text of Prol. 1–I.786; one leaf after fol. 45 (IV.1–190); two leaves after fol. 47 (IV.559–932); two leaves after fol. 86 (V.4606–4983); one leaf after fol. 131 (VII.3071–3268*); one leaf after fol. 151 (VIII.1440–1632); and at least five leaves after fol. 155 (VIII.2404–end, plus any concluding Latin texts, etc.). Omission of text at III.1665–1848 without loss of leaf (1849 follows 1664 two lines from the bottom of fol. 40vb) is attributable to loss of leaf in an exemplar. Macaulay notes (II.cliv) that the omitted passage corresponds exactly with text supplied on a leaf replacing a lost leaf (fol. 50) in the Huntington MS (San Marino, Huntington Library, MS EL 26 A 17, q.v.). The inference would be that Add. 12043 was copied from an exemplar related to the unamended version of the Huntington MS.

Text: collated by Macaulay (sigil Ad): IIb. From about V.6280, Additional 12043 is especially close to Bodleian, MS Bodley 294 and Cambridge, Trinity College, MS R.3.2 within its group (Macaulay [ed.], Works, II.cxxxv). ‘In correctness and spelling the MS is very fair, but not good in regard to final –e’ (Macaulay, II.cliv).

Illustration

No illustration survives. Such a richly decorated MS most probably had miniatures, and their presence in the usual positions in the Prologue and Book I may have occasioned the mutilation of that part of the MS Book IV may also have had an initial miniature. The loss of other leaves does not correspond with any known programme of illustration.