The Index of Middle English Prose: Handlist XXV : Manuscripts in Trinity College Library, Dublin

Handlist to manuscripts in Trinity College Dublin, covering all 79 Middle English prose manuscripts and indexing more than 539 separate items The manuscripts in Trinity College Dublin are predominantly from the library of Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656). A well-known bibliophile of the sixteenth century, he was also primate of All Ireland and fellow and professor of Trinity College. Following some movement of the collection, it was eventually returned to Trinity College after the Restoration, at the behest of Charles II. It is a significant collection, both in national and international terms, with over 600 manuscripts, 79 of which contain Middle English prose. Among the manuscripts in the collection are several Wycliffite Bibles, and collections of sermons and tracts, some of them unique copies. The collection also contains writings by Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and William Flete, and copies of Thomas à Kempis's Imitation of Christ, as well as the Pore Caitif and The Cloud of Unknowing, both of which are anonymous. There are several copies of the Brut chronicle, two of which (MSS 489 and 505) are illuminated, translations of Giraldus Cambrensis's Expugnacio Hibernica, and a copy of Robert Bale's Chronicle of London, 1189-1461. Also of note are the various collections of recipes - medical, culinary and alchemical. Dictionary-style items demonstrate the trilingual nature of the Medieval period, with single words being offered in English alongside Anglo-Norman and/or Latin words, or as marginal glosses. Fifteenth-century instructions for the coronation of a King or Queen, hidden among some later material, as well as other unidentified heraldic pieces, suggest that some of the manuscripts may be associated with the office of the Ulster King of Arms. The current handlist covers 79 manuscripts, and indexes more than 539 separate items, offering a significant contribution to the understanding of the cultural world of the Medieval period. The Index of Middle English Prose 3 General Introduction 7 Acknowledgements 9 Introduction 21 Summary List of Contents 33 Concordance of Old and New MS Shelfmarks 43 Trinity College Library, Dublin 45 MS 44 45 MS 66 45 MS 67 47 MS 69 50 MS 70 56 MS 71 70 MS 72 73 MS 73 78 MS 74 78 MS 75 79 MS 76 86 MS 92 89 MS 97 90 MS 122 90 MS 154 92 MS 155 95 MS 158 99 MS 159 101 MS 172 101 MS 178 101 MS 195 102 MS 201 103 MS 211 115 MS 213 116 MS 224 117 MS 241 118 MS 244 143 MS 245 155 MS 246 169 MS 270 171 MS 271 172 MS 277 173 MS 278 173 MS 281 175 MS 318 175 MS 319 175 MS 321 184 MS 351 185 MS 352 185 MS 353 188 MS 365 189 MS 369 192 MS 389 194 MS 392 200 MS 423 203 MS 424 205 MS 428 205 MS 430 213 MS 432 213 MS 459 215 MS 461 216 MS 484 216 MS 488 220 MS 489 222 MS 490 224 MS 505 225 MS 506 226 MS 509 227 MS 513 229 MS 516 230 MS 517 237 MS 518 237 MS 520 239 MS 537 246 MS 592 253 MS 593 255 MS 604 255 MS 605 257 MS 633 260 MS 636 261 MS 657 262 MS 661 263 MS 678 270 MS 849 271 MS 852 280 MS 1207 282 MS 1334 282 MS 1477 283 MS 5895 283 Macaronic Index 285 Index of Incipits 295 Index of Acephalous Incipits 308 Index of Reverse Explicits 309 Index of Atelous Reverse Explicits 321 Index of Rubrics, Titles and Colophons 322 General Index 335 Index of Manuscripts Cited 349 Previous volumes 371