This page provides a full transcription of the annotations left by sixteenth- and seventeenth-century readers on the Bancroft Library’s copy of the Owen Rogers Piers Plowman (Berkeley, Bancroft Library, PR 2010 .A1 1561). Lines are keyed to the Athlone edition of the B text, but juxtaposition of comment and lines should not necessarily be seen to imply a connection. All abbreviations have been expanded; when possible, letters lost to trimming have been supplied as well. Wordless pentrials have not been noted.
The notes have been linked to the following hands:
A: Hand that repeatedly drafts an address to Anthony Bate.
B: Richard Bynnyngley. A messy and quickly-written secretary, characterised by a u-like minuscule ‘e’ and tendency to sprawl horizontally. Generally written in black ink.
C: ‘Clemence Cropitone‘. A hand similar to Doughtie’s in appearance, but messier, defined by a long tail to the single-stroke minuscule ‘e’ and flattened ascender in minuscule ‘d’.
D: Robert Doughtie. A relatively careful facile secretary for English notes, while Latin is written in italic with some embellishments; both in brown ink.
I: ‘Indenture hand’. Experiments in a variety of formal styles; may be identical with one of the other hands.
N: ‘Non’ hand. May be identical with one of the other hands.
R: ‘Reformist’ hand. A careful late Elizabethan engrossing secretary in brown ink.
T: John Tynker. Responsible for a sole signature.
Folio | B text position | Hand | Nonverbal marks | Verbal notes |
*.ir | Title page | Many partial signatures, pentrials, tally marks | ||
*.iv | Title page verso | B | Richard Bynnyngley… of maye in ye yeare of our Lord god | |
T | Johannes Tynker 1561 1551 | |||
D | Robertus doughtye est verus possessor huius lybry
Finis quod. |
|||
*.iir | Rogers’s ‘brefe summe’ | R | Line follows text: ‘shamefull Simonye raigneth in the church’ | |
A.ir | Prol. 13-16 | D | Robert doughtye | |
A.iiir | Prol. 132 | D? | Sum rex | |
B.ir | 1.25 | B? | Ra | |
B.iiir | 1.167-71 | Bobbila | ||
B.ivv | 2.39-39a | B? | Three stars above Rogers’s marginal note: ‘Psalm xv’ | |
D.iiir | 3.227 and following | D | Robert Doughtye in the county | |
E.ir | 3.339-40 | Marginal scribble | Non | |
E.iiiv | 4.120 | Six lines in margin | ||
F.iiir | 5.120-45 | C | clamance cropitone of rapton in darby hrere in the conty of darby husband manne | |
F.iiiv | 5.149-65 | B | Rychard Bynnynglye of dounkaster on his bouke god giue him grace on to | |
G.ir | 5.242-62 | B | Rychard Bynnyngley of doncastar on this booke god geue him grace on it to | |
h.iir | 5.520-21
5.525-26 |
D?
D? |
W [probably a nota]
pop^u^lus |
|
h.ivr | Rogers’s ‘argument’ to passus 6 | D | of this boke yif be It loust and youe It Fynde I praye you restore to my agent Robart Doughty W | |
I.iiir | 6.158-75 | D | Robert Dought of derby in the county of conty of Darby | |
L.ir | 7.171 | D | Robert Doughty | |
L.iiir | 8.62-86 | B | sere knaue and take up your beter name is Johne name |
|
M.ivr | Close of passus 9, argument to 8 | D
R |
Robert Doughtye
Willm †Smitnish† Admund He my comasin my the Lord |
|
N.iiiir | 10.216-17 | D | W [probably a nota] | |
Q.ir | 11.238 and following | A | Comendations not omyted unto you good … Antony bayte unto unto unto you good | |
Q.iiiv | 11.396 and following | D | Robart doughty in the Is the rightye woner of this boke god him | |
R.ir | 12.28 | A | Bryte this indenture made this | |
R.iv | 12.63-78 | A | Unto you good Antony bate Unto you good Antony bate | |
R.iir | 12.92 | D | that sake | |
S.ir | 12.271 and following | D and others | Copre humfr hawsdyn White ex Abraham Abra Elizabeth illusima | |
S.iiir | 13.74 and following | B | Rychard Bynnyglye of dnc Rychard By | |
Y.iiv | 15.165 | B | you bynn | |
z.ir | 15.306-15 | B | A made | |
z.iiv | 15.386-97 | B | W binn your your your | |
z.iiiiv | 15.541-66 | R
D |
Questio oriebatur Fransis pie
Robte prufe |
|
Aa.ir | 15.570 and following | R | Lines in margin | |
Aa.iv | Beneath 15.613 | D | This bylle mayd exday | |
Aa.iiiv | 16.90-91 | D | boome | |
C[c].iiiv | 17.286-88 | Lines in margin | ||
Ee.iv | 18.251-57 | R | For he some tyme and please rene Yroye C | |
Ff.iiv | 19.39-66 | I | This Indenture made the twentye day of June This Ind | |
Ff.iiv | 19.103 following | I | … be not omise and think of the that good you this | |
Ff.iiir | 19.139 and following | B | Rych Rych | |
Ff.iiiv | Beneath 19.196 | A | Unto you good brother Antonye Bate | |
Ff.iiiiv | 19.229 and following | I | Doodle | This Indenture F Doncaster This Indenture |
Gg.iir | 19.325-26 | Lines in margin | ||
Gg.iiv | 19.359; 362; 364 | Marks in margin | ||
Hh.ir | 20.22 and following | B? | his sonne ys is | |
Hh.iiiiv | After 20.263 | B? | FIN | |
J[j].iv | 20.295-319 | R | F roger Thom Amidst the stonie rocks I say I sawe a man enclined to wickednes [heavily trimmed:] ge that ruled I null middest & Rome im kils | |
J[j].iir | 20.326-58 | D | Unto you good Robart doughtye Robertus doughty est verus possesor huius libri | |
Jj.iiv | 20.359 to end | D | Robarte Doughtye Roberte Doughtye Robarte |