'Meroure of Wyssdome' by John Ireland.

File

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.2.8

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The work was written in 1490 for the instruction of James IV, but this may not be the copy intended for presentation to the king.

Written in one hand throughout. The text (folio 8) is preceded by a list of contents (folio 1). The colophon (folio 358 verso) is dated 1490 but this may be the date of composition rather than of writing. R J Lyall dated the manuscript on the basis of the watermarks as circa 1492x in `Fifteenth-century Scottish manuscripts: a revised checklist`. Headings and passages in Latin, including the statement of purpose (folio 7 verso), are in red ink except on folios 236-306, 320, 335-350.

The date 1543 occurs on folios 180, 183, 192, 226. There are some scribblings and pen-trials, including a prayer (folio 1) and form of absolution (folio 358 verso), and a Latin verse (folio 360).

Dates

Creation: ?1490.

Extent

1 Volumes (361 folios.)

Language of Materials

Scots

Additional Description

Arrangement

Collation: 1⁸ (-7), 2¹² (-a leaf between 7 and 12), 3-7¹², 8¹² (-9), 9-12¹², 13-14¹² (-9), 15-18¹², 19¹² (-9), 20-22¹², 23¹² (-9), 24¹², 25¹² (-9), 26¹² (-8), 27¹², 28¹² (- 10), 29¹² (-8), 30¹², 31¹² (+1 after 12), 32² (-1), 33². Remains of catchwords on all gatherings except 14, 25, 31-33. 25-33 lines.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Paper: watermarks chalice (cf. Briquet numbers 4587, 4589) and unicorn (folios 68-69, 78-79 only).

Custodial History

The manuscript belonged to Sir Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie, whose signature occurs on several folios. There is a signed inscription recording his gift of the volume to the church of Guthrie (folio 7 verso) and a note recording his death and that of Alexander Strathachin of Balmady at Flodden in 1513 (folio 359 verso). A note in a different hand states that the gift was made by David Guthrie: `Ex honorali [sic] viro domini david guthre de eodem dedit istum Codicem cogle [collegio?] de guthre` (folio 359 verso). Sir Alexander`s son David was also killed at Flodden. The manuscript was bought by the Advocates’ Library in 1731.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.420.

Bibliography

A description of the manuscript is in Miss C R Borland`s Catalogue of Mediaeval Manuscripts (kept in the Department of Manuscripts), volume i, page 295.
‘Meroure of Wyssdome . . . by Johannes de Irlandia’, edited by C Macpherson, F Quinn and C McDonald, ‘Scottish Text Society’, new series 19 and 4th series 2 and 19 (Edinburgh and Aberdeen, 1926-1990).
Lyall, R J. `Fifteenth-century Scottish manuscripts: a revised checklist` (unpublished typescript, Glasgow, 1980).