2r: et palpebris meis
This collation deviates from that of McKitterick and Beadle in that it identifies Quire 10 as a sexternion instead of a quinternion. It also identifies the inserted leaf in Quire 13 as f. 121 instead of f. 123, based on the presence of a folded parchment stub on f. 121 and the location of the red sewing thread between f. 122 and f. 123.
Modern quire numbers written in pencil in the lower right-hand corners of the first rectos of quires. The collation in this record agrees with the indicated collation in the manuscript.
18-1+1 (2nd missing and 1 leaf inserted after 5th) Three single leaves 28 38-1+1 (1st cancelled and replaced with a paper leaf) 4-58 612 710 8-98 10-1212 1312+1 (1 inserted after 5th)Late 17th-century blind-tooled paneled binding with a double-line blind-tooled border frame and triple-line blind-tooled central frames with blind-stamped fleuron cornerpieces; dark brown speckled leather in the outer frame, light brown speckled leather in the inner frame and dark plain leather in the central frame; gold-stamped sides; and gold-tooled and stamped spine with 5 raised bands and Red Russia leather with the gold-stamped inscription: "OLD. MVSICK. [and]. MONKISH RIMES.". Red-speckled edges.
Binding height: 190mm; width: 135mm; depth: 30mm.
The texts and music have been copied by a single hand writing in Anglicana (Formata) script, varying greatly in size throughout the manuscript.
The manuscript features various later 16th- and 17th-century additions in cursive and italic scripts.
19th or 20th-century foliation:
[i]-[ii] + 1-56, [56a], 57-58, 58+, [58+a], 59-62, [62a], 63-96, 96bis-128 + [iii]-[iv]
Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos.ff. [58+] and 96bis were probably first misfoliated as '58' and '96'; ff. [56a], [58+a], and [62a] are inserted parchment slips with additions to the music.
17th-century foliation:
Numbering in pencil at the centre of the lower margins, often cropped off.A circular diagram representing a scientific instrucment drawn in brown ink on f. 94v.
Large and small (2- and 1-line) plain initials in red or brown ink.
Large capitals in brown ink decorated with cadels, including human faces (e.g. see f. 14v).
Regular initials (1 line) highlighted with red ink.
Neumes, music staves, and text rubricated in red ink.
Owned or accessed by Thomas Keen (fl. 17th century): his name inscribed in a flourishing 17th-century script on f. 9v.
Owned or accessed by Jack Pimp (fl. 17th century): his name inscribed in a flourishing 17th-century script on f. 27r. As Charles (1962), p. 68, notes, "Pympe" was the surname of a prominent Kentish family in the 15th century.
Owned or accessed by W.W. (fl. 17th century): their initials on f. 128r; probably the same hand that added the poem "On a Crucifix" to f. 127v.
Owned or accessed by Unknown (fl. 17th century): their name inscribed in a 17th-century flourishing script on f. 128v but obscured by Pepys's bookplate. Only the last three letters "-ker" are legible.
Acquired before 1700 by Samuel Pepys (1633–1703), naval officer and diarist: f. 1r features a pasted bookplate bearing a portrait of Pepys, his motto "Mens cujusque is est Quisque", the text: "SAM. PEPYS. CAR. ET IAC. ANGL. REGIB. A SECRETIS ADMIRALIÆ.", and the initials "R.W. sculp:", referring to the London engraver Robert White (1645-1703); f. 128v features a paper pastedown with Pepys's bookplate engraved with two anchors and the motto "Mens cujusque is est Quisque". Since the manuscript is not listed in Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697), the manuscript may have come into his possession at some point after 1694.
The music in this manuscript is attributed to a number of composers who were active in or had connections with Kent during the 1460s and 1470s. These include William Corbrond and John Nesbet who were Masters of the Lady Chapel choir at Canterbury Cathedral Priory (respectively 1470-1474; and 1474-1488). The music includes unusual blessings sung by the Boy Bishop at the feast of St Nicholas. According to Bowers (1982), the prominence of these blessings and the text Stans puer ad mensam point to an intended use at the chapel of the almonry of Christ Church, Canterbury: the almonry buildings housed a boarding school for eight boys who sang in the Lady Chapel choir, and participated in services in the almonry chapel. Here, they celebrated the Boy Bishop ceremonies annually. Bowers (1982) suggests that the manuscript may have been compiled and owned by one of the priests who was responsible for the upbringing of the boys.
Acquired by Magdalene College, Cambridge upon the death of John Jackson (d. 1724): in his will (The National Archives, PROB 1/9, Will of Samuel Pepys, Codicil, 13th May 1703), Pepys left a bequest of approximately 3000 manuscripts and printed books to Magdalene College and instructed his nephew John Jackson to arrange for this but they only came to the college after Jackson died. Jackson respected the instructions given in the codicil to the will as can be evidenced from Magdalene College Archives A/41/1: an indenture between Anne Jackson, widow and executrix of John Jackson (nephew and residuary legatee of Samuel Pepys) and the Master and Fellows, being a deed of covenant as to providing a Library at the College for the reception of the collection of the books and papers bequeathed to the College by Samuel Pepys, 1 June 1724. It is here that the manuscript's current shelfmark "N.o 1236" was added in red ink to the inside of the front cover, replacing an older shelfmark "802 [? B] 665" in brown ink on f. [i] recto, now crossed out with red ink.
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2r: et palpebris meis
This collation deviates from that of McKitterick and Beadle in that it identifies Quire 10 as a sexternion instead of a quinternion. It also identifies the inserted leaf in Quire 13 as f. 121 instead of f. 123, based on the presence of a folded parchment stub on f. 121 and the location of the red sewing thread between f. 122 and f. 123.
Modern quire numbers written in pencil in the lower right-hand corners of the first rectos of quires. The collation in this record agrees with the indicated collation in the manuscript.
18-1+1 (2nd missing and 1 leaf inserted after 5th) Three single leaves 28 38-1+1 (1st cancelled and replaced with a paper leaf) 4-58 612 710 8-98 10-1212 1312+1 (1 inserted after 5th)Late 17th-century blind-tooled paneled binding with a double-line blind-tooled border frame and triple-line blind-tooled central frames with blind-stamped fleuron cornerpieces; dark brown speckled leather in the outer frame, light brown speckled leather in the inner frame and dark plain leather in the central frame; gold-stamped sides; and gold-tooled and stamped spine with 5 raised bands and Red Russia leather with the gold-stamped inscription: "OLD. MVSICK. [and]. MONKISH RIMES.". Red-speckled edges.
Binding height: 190mm; width: 135mm; depth: 30mm.
The texts and music have been copied by a single hand writing in Anglicana (Formata) script, varying greatly in size throughout the manuscript.
The manuscript features various later 16th- and 17th-century additions in cursive and italic scripts.
19th or 20th-century foliation:
[i]-[ii] + 1-56, [56a], 57-58, 58+, [58+a], 59-62, [62a], 63-96, 96bis-128 + [iii]-[iv]
Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos.ff. [58+] and 96bis were probably first misfoliated as '58' and '96'; ff. [56a], [58+a], and [62a] are inserted parchment slips with additions to the music.
17th-century foliation:
Numbering in pencil at the centre of the lower margins, often cropped off.A circular diagram representing a scientific instrucment drawn in brown ink on f. 94v.
Large and small (2- and 1-line) plain initials in red or brown ink.
Large capitals in brown ink decorated with cadels, including human faces (e.g. see f. 14v).
Regular initials (1 line) highlighted with red ink.
Neumes, music staves, and text rubricated in red ink.
Owned or accessed by Thomas Keen (fl. 17th century): his name inscribed in a flourishing 17th-century script on f. 9v.
Owned or accessed by Jack Pimp (fl. 17th century): his name inscribed in a flourishing 17th-century script on f. 27r. As Charles (1962), p. 68, notes, "Pympe" was the surname of a prominent Kentish family in the 15th century.
Owned or accessed by W.W. (fl. 17th century): their initials on f. 128r; probably the same hand that added the poem "On a Crucifix" to f. 127v.
Owned or accessed by Unknown (fl. 17th century): their name inscribed in a 17th-century flourishing script on f. 128v but obscured by Pepys's bookplate. Only the last three letters "-ker" are legible.
Acquired before 1700 by Samuel Pepys (1633–1703), naval officer and diarist: f. 1r features a pasted bookplate bearing a portrait of Pepys, his motto "Mens cujusque is est Quisque", the text: "SAM. PEPYS. CAR. ET IAC. ANGL. REGIB. A SECRETIS ADMIRALIÆ.", and the initials "R.W. sculp:", referring to the London engraver Robert White (1645-1703); f. 128v features a paper pastedown with Pepys's bookplate engraved with two anchors and the motto "Mens cujusque is est Quisque". Since the manuscript is not listed in Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697), the manuscript may have come into his possession at some point after 1694.
The music in this manuscript is attributed to a number of composers who were active in or had connections with Kent during the 1460s and 1470s. These include William Corbrond and John Nesbet who were Masters of the Lady Chapel choir at Canterbury Cathedral Priory (respectively 1470-1474; and 1474-1488). The music includes unusual blessings sung by the Boy Bishop at the feast of St Nicholas. According to Bowers (1982), the prominence of these blessings and the text Stans puer ad mensam point to an intended use at the chapel of the almonry of Christ Church, Canterbury: the almonry buildings housed a boarding school for eight boys who sang in the Lady Chapel choir, and participated in services in the almonry chapel. Here, they celebrated the Boy Bishop ceremonies annually. Bowers (1982) suggests that the manuscript may have been compiled and owned by one of the priests who was responsible for the upbringing of the boys.
Acquired by Magdalene College, Cambridge upon the death of John Jackson (d. 1724): in his will (The National Archives, PROB 1/9, Will of Samuel Pepys, Codicil, 13th May 1703), Pepys left a bequest of approximately 3000 manuscripts and printed books to Magdalene College and instructed his nephew John Jackson to arrange for this but they only came to the college after Jackson died. Jackson respected the instructions given in the codicil to the will as can be evidenced from Magdalene College Archives A/41/1: an indenture between Anne Jackson, widow and executrix of John Jackson (nephew and residuary legatee of Samuel Pepys) and the Master and Fellows, being a deed of covenant as to providing a Library at the College for the reception of the collection of the books and papers bequeathed to the College by Samuel Pepys, 1 June 1724. It is here that the manuscript's current shelfmark "N.o 1236" was added in red ink to the inside of the front cover, replacing an older shelfmark "802 [? B] 665" in brown ink on f. [i] recto, now crossed out with red ink.