Egerton MS 1995
Previously on this blog: “The Book of St Albans (1486)” (2026-05-22), in which I made a table of terms of venery, a.k.a. company terms, e.g. “an exaltation of larks,” as in the eponymous book by James Lipton. I mentioned that the Book of St Albans actually has “an exaltyng of larkis,” and that it’s only in Egerton MS 1995 (circa 1450), according to Lipton, that we find “an exaltacyon of larkys” proper. But I couldn’t find any digitized copy of Egerton MS 1995 to verify that claim.
Well, I wrote to the British Library and got the relevant folios digitized; so I can now present a rough transcription of the Egerton manuscript’s venereal passages. (Sadly there is insufficient communication between the Library’s division who scan things for money and the division who publish things in the digital online catalog; I have the scan, but the British Library’s online catalog still will not. Therefore I’ve uploaded it also to the Internet Archive, where — at least for now — you also may view it.)
For brief inventories of the whole contents of Egerton MS 1995, see:
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Item 2105 in an 1865 auction catalog of “highly important and valuable books and manuscripts of a nobleman of great literary and artistic taste”
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James Gairdner, The historical collections of a citizen of London in the fifteenth century (Camden Society, 1876)
Do you have a correction or helpful comment on this transcription? Send me an email!
(Fols. 55v ff.)
Note ye the properteys that longythe to a yonge gentylle man to have knowynge of ſuche thyngys that longythe unto hym that he fayle not in hys propyr termys that longythe unto hym as hyt ſhalle folowe hereynne wrytynge ❦
The Condyſcyons of a grehounde ande of hys propyrnyng ~ propyrteys ~
Thy grehounde moſte be heddyd lyke a ſnake
y-neckyd lyke a drake
y-breſtyde lyke a lyon
y-fotyd lyke a noymon
y-ſyded lyke a noynon
y-fotyde lyke a catte
y-taylyd lyke a ratte
Thenne ys the grehounde welle y-ſhapte ~
Termys of venery ❦
| A herde of hertys | Draſſe of houndys |
| herde of Dere | kenelle of Raychys |
| herde of Swannys | Copylle of Spaynellys |
| herde of Cranys | Sowſe of a lyonas(?) |
| herde of Curlewys | lyttur of whelpys |
| Ny of Feſauntys | Cowardenys of Currys |
| Covaye of Parterygys | Synguler of Boorys |
| Bevy of ladyes | Sundyr of wylde Swyne |
| Bevy of Quaylys | Dryfte of Tame Swyne |
| Bevy of Roys | Non dicitur a clouſter |
| Sege of Betowrys | harrys of hors |
| Sege of hayrynnys | Stoode of marys |
| Sege unto a Caſtelle | Stalyn of olde hors |
| a ſprynge of Telys | Rage of Coltys |
| a Fluſche of mallardys | Daſſe of Aſſys |
| a Dyſſayte of lepwynkys | Burdynne of mulyſſe |
| a monſtyr of Pecockys | Droffe of Nete |
| Falle of woodecockys | Tryppe of Gete |
| walke of Snytys | Flocke of Schepe |
| Congregacyon of Plovers | Drove or a huſte of Harvys(?) |
| Concrete of Cootys | Gagelynge of Geſſe |
| Exaltacyon of larkys | Broode of hennyſſe |
| wayche of Nyghtynggalys | Pype of Chekynnyſſe |
| Flyght of Dovys | Padelynge of Dookyſſe |
| Flyght of Swalys | Pontyfycalle of Preſtyſſe |
| Tydynge of Pyys | State of Pryncyſſe |
| Oſte of men | Dygnyte of Chanonnyſſe |
| Oſte of Sparowys | Trought of Barronnyſſe |
| Felyſchyppe of yemen | Carge of Curettyſſe |
| Swarme of Beys | Prudens of Vycaryſſe |
| Chyrme of Goldefynchys | Dyſcucyon of Preſtys |
| Caſte of hawkys of the Towre | Doctryne of Docterſſe |
| Flynght of Goſſe hawkys | Convertynge of Precheryſſe |
| Unkyndenys of ravynnys | Sedent of Juggyſſe |
| murther of Crowys | Eloquens of lawyers |
| Byldynge of Rookys | Dampnynge of Juryerſſe |
| murmuracyon of Starys | Execucyon of Offycers |
| Chatterynge of Choughys | Dylygens of maſſyngers |
| Dyſſymylacyon of alle ſmalle Bryddys | Faythe of marchauntyſſe |
| Rowte of knyghtys | Obedyens of Servandys |
| Rowte of Gentylle men | Prevyſyon of ſtywardyſſe |
| Rowte of wylde wolfys | Sete of huſcheryſſe |
| Pryde of lyons | kerffe of Panterſſe |
| lepe of lybardys | Draught of Buttelerys |
| Slouthe of Beerys | Temporens of Cokys |
| Schrewdenys of Apys | Savegarde of Porteryſſe |
| Syght of Grayys | Stalke of Foſterſſe |
| Nerthe of Foxys | Blaste of hunterſſe |
| Bery of Connys | Thretynge of Curtyers |
| Neſte of Rabettys | lawghtur of Oſtylerſſe |
| labyr of mollys | Promys of Tapsteryſſe |
| Beſynys of Ferettys | Gloſyng of Taverneryſſe |
| leſſe of Grehoundys | lyynge of Pardynerſſe |
Here begynnythe the Termys of kervynge of Fowlys ande of Fyſchyſſe ❦
| A Ryſte(?) a Dere ys Brokynne | Pecocke ys dyſfyguryde |
| Brawyn ys leyſchyde | Corlowe ys unrowtyde(?) |
| Paſtey ys brouderydde | Bytterne ys untachyde |
| Goſſe ys rerryde | Egrete ys y-kneyde |
| Swanne ys lyfte | Papyr ys lowryde(?) |
| Caponne ys Sawſyde | Gulle ys y-Brawynde |
| Henne ys ſpoylyde | Feſonde ys y-haylyde |
| Chekynne ys ffaſſyde | Parteryche — Alle thes benne wyngyde Quayle |
| Mallerde ys unbraſſydde | Rayle ys Breſtyde |
| Conyng ys unlaſyde | Plouer ys mynſchyde |
| Hayryn ys dysmemberyde | Woodecocke — Alle thes benne y-ſchrydde Perjonne(?) |
| Crane ys Dyſplayde | ¶ And alle ſmalle Bryddys ben y-ſchrydde |
Alle the Termys that longgythe unto fyſche ~
| Samon ys Chynyde | |
| Gounarde Chynyde | Chevynne ys vynnydde |
| lampray ys cordyde | Barbule ys y-Tuſkydde |
| Pyke ſplayde | Ele ys Trowſyde or ellys y-colpynnyd |
| Tenche ſowſyde Or ellys he may be take yn a jollye(?) |
Trowght y-colpynnyde or ellys he ys Chevernyd or ellys ynundate(?) ~ |
| Playſſe ys ſawſyde | Roche y-Bonyde or rybbyde |
| Haddocke ys Sydyde | Crabbe ys mynyde(?) |
| Breme ys Splayde | Crawys ys unmaylyde |
Explicit ❦
There follows a poem, “Litylle chyldrynne here may ye lere,” which is transcribed in F. J. Furnivall’s Early English Meals and Manners (Early English Text Society #32, 1868). Picking up again at folio 60r:
Here endythe the boke of Curteſy that ys fulle neceſſary unto yonge chyldryn that muſte nedys lerne the maner of curteſy ~
Explicit; Amen.
There was a man that hadde nought,
There come thevys & robbyd hỹ & toke nought,
He ranne owte and cryde nought,
Why ſhulde he crye, he loſte nought,
Here ys a tale of ryght noughte.
Cronica ſi pences ſi certant oxonienſes
Poſt paucos menſes pugnabũt & angliginences
A “Leonine” witticism also attested elsewhere: “The chronicles tell us that when Oxford men contend / in months all England wars from end to end.”
There follows (fols. 60v–61v) a 2.5-page treatise on prophesying by the first windy night after Christmas: Si ventus fuerit in prima nocte Natalis dm̃ in illo anno Reges et Principes Pontifices et ceteri domines(?) vel potentes per universum orbem peribunt… For an 11th-century variation on this text, see BnF NAL 873, fol. 200r ff.
There follows (fols. 61v–62v) some Latin commentary on the twelve months.
Here benne alle the namys of the byſcheppe richys of alle yngelonde and thoo that longythe unto Yngelonde ~
Canntyrbury, Yorke, Exceter, Bathe, Salyſbury, Wyncheſtye, Worceter, Rocheſter, Cheſter, Lyncolle, Lonndon, Chicheſter, Ely, Syndavy,(?) Synt Aſfe, Bangor, Herforde, Cardeaffe, Northewiche, Carlylle, Dyrham [Later addition in a blacker ink: Peterborow] — Non plura(?)
Smii anñ XXIV(?)Deo gracias &(?) Hylle ~
(“Syndavy” might be St David’s, in Wales; I’m surer that “Synt Aſfe” is St Asaph’s. I can’t hazard a guess on the Latin abbreviations, except to note that if “annum 24” is a regnal year, the 24th year of Henry VI’s reign would have been 1448.)
(Fols. 63r ff.)
For a yong gentylle man to knowe the termys of venery and the crafte whyche the iiij beſtys of venery ~ The herte, the hare, the wolfe, and the wylde Bore — Of venery there bynne nomore.
The Beſtys of the Chaſſe~ as hyt apperythe ~ The Bucke, the Doo, the Roobucke, the Roodoo, the Bere,(?) and the rayne dere.
The Elke that ys to ſay a herte of II wyntyr age. ¶ The ſpycurde that ys to ſay a herte of III wyntyr of age.
The Fulmer,(?) the Fechewe,(?) the Catte of the mountynne, the Gray, the Fox, the Weſylle, the martoun, the ſquyrelle, the Ottyr, the Polkatte — Alle thes benne of the ſtynkyng Fute or ſtynkying Chaſſe, for the wylle bothe clym and crepe as for the ſubſtance of hem ❦
There ben Grehoundys for game and many othyr dyvers houndys ſum(?) honeſte & ſum profytabylle as hit ſhalle folowe here in wrytynge ❦
Fyrste a Grehounde, a Baſtarde grehounde, a mongrelle, a maſtowe,(?) aloundys, lymoire — Alle thes ben take in to the leſſe. ¶ Spaynellys, Rangys, Kenellys, Trerors — Alle thes wylle range for to rayſſe uppe the game. ¶ Bocherhoundys, Dunghylle Currys, and ſmalle Popys for ladys Chambers.
Aloundys ben cuſte, lymors drawyn, a Blode hounde or a dogge for the bowe drawythe, kenettys rennyn, ſpaynellys retryvyn. The Terer gothe undyr the gounde for to feſtyn the Fox or the Graye ❦
A hunt caſtythe of a copylle of Alundys unto an herde of hertys. Then he browythe comfortỹg hys houndys. ¶ The herte takythe the water then the herte ſevſythe(?) [perhaps fuite? cf. Hare’s The Language of Field Sports p16]. Whenne the he ſwỹmythe downe thanne he fletythe. ¶ Whenne that he ſwỹmythe up on the water thenne he brekythe, or brethythe. ¶ When that he ſwỹmythe ovyr thenne he croſſythe. ¶ Whenne he retornythe thenne he croſſythe.(?) ¶ Whenne that he takythe dry londe thenne he fleythe. ❦
| A herte at nyghte ben herborowde | A hare ys Formyde |
| A Bucke ys loggyde | A Conyng ſyttythe |
| A Roobucke ys Beddyde | A Parterygge lythe |
| A yeman ys Beddyde | A Feſaunt ſtalkythe |
Explicit.
The namys of hawkys and to what maner of Perſonys that they longe unto every man aftyr hys ownd degre and ordyr ❦
There longyn unto an Empour thre maner of hawkys ~ That ys to ſay: an Egylle, a vature,(?) a melounde.(?)
And the ſympylyſte of thes wylle ſlee an hynde Calfe by hym ſelfe, or a doys Fawyn, or a Roo, or a crane or a Buſtarde other wyſe namyde a derefoule. Or a ſtorke or a Fox.
¶ And thes hawkys benne not namyd or callyd unto the lewre; the cauſe ys for they ben ovyr hevy & ponderos for any man to bere. ¶ But they ben made unto the Perke portatyf(?) and ther by they benne governyde.
¶ Ther ben hawkys of the Towre ❦
A Gerfaukyn, a Terſelle, a Grfaukyn — for a kynge; a Faukyn Gentylle and a Taſſelle gentylle — For a Prynce; a Faukyn of the Rooke — For a Duke; a Faukyn Peragryne — for an Erle; a Baſtarde — for every lorde; a Saker and a ſakerette — for a knyght; a laner or a lanerette(?) — for a ſquyer; a Merlyon — for a lady; a Hobby — for a yong ſquyer. Alle thes ben hawkys of the Towre ~ And alle thes fleyn fro the lewre.
¶ The Goſhawke ys for a yeman; a ſperhawk for a preſte; a muſkette for a clerke. Ande thes ben made unto the fyſte ande fle wt hyr fre wylle yf they benne in ther proſpyte for to make game unto hyr mayſter more þen for any gredynys of mete for they ben noo Rayvyners. ¶ And ſum of the hawkys a fore ſayde wylle be made unto the fyſte welle y-nowe, but they moſte gave grete labyr to bryng them there to. ❦
Explicit.
Gret huntyng by ryvers and wode
Makythe a man ys here to growe thorowe hys hoode.
There follows (fols. 65r ff.) “a nobylle tretys of medyſyns for mannys body.”