Chaucer and Gower in Manuscript and Early Print

This list was created in January 2022 to support an undergraduate seminar called Material Middle English, focusing on the works of Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower. If you have come across it from outside the world of the course, note that it might not be entirely complete, particularly with respect to partial digitizations (these are marked “selected images” in parentheses), and early printed books. I am always happy to hear about anything I might have missed, as well as about broken or incorrect links. You can e-mail me at sian@mail.ubc.ca

There are separate sections for Chaucer and Gower. Within each section, there are subdivisions. In the case of Chaucer, these are by works, with a separate section for early print. In the case of Gower, where there is much less digital content available, the division is simply between manuscript and print. The order within the manuscripts sections is alphabetical, in the traditional city/ institution/ shelfmark order. For the early print, I’ve organized first by the year of the printing, and then alphabetically.

Here are a few general resources you might find helpful:

You can jump directly to the different sections using this list:

Chaucer

Anelida and Arcite

London, British Library, Harley MS 372, includes Anelida and Arcite

San Marino CA, Hungtington Library, MS HM 140 (also includes Truth)

An ABC

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc 740, see 103v – 106v

Boece

Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, Peniarth MS 393D

Book of the Duchess

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 638 (selected images)

Canterbury Tales

Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, Peniarth MS 392D (the Hengwrt Chaucer)

Austin TX, Harry Ransom Center, MS 46, fragments (selected images)

Austin TX Harry Ransom Center, MS 143

Cambridge, Cambridge University Library, MS Gg.4.27

Cambridge, Trinity College Cambridge, MS R.3.3

Cambridge, Trinity College Cambridge, MS R.3.15

Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 48

London, British Library, Additional MS 5140

London, British Library ,Additional MS 25718

London, British Library, Additional MS 35286

London, British Library, Egerton MS 2726

London, British Library, Egerton MS 2863

London, British Library, Egerton MS 2864

London, British Library, Harley MS 1758

London, British Library, Harley MS 2382, collection of Middle English verse including two of the Tales

London, British Library, Harley MS 7333

London, British Library, Harley MS 7334

London, British Library, Harley MS 7335

London, British Library, Lansdowne MS 851

London, British Library, Royal MS 17 D xv

London, British Library, Sloane MS 1685

London, British Library, Sloane MS 1686

Manchester, John Rylands Library, English MS 113

New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya MS 22

New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya MS 24

New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya MS 32

New York, Columbia University Library, Plimpton MS 253, fragment

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arch Selden B 14 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Barlow 20 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 414 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 686 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Douce d 4, Canterbury Tales (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Fairfax 16 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Hatton donat 1 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson poet 141 (fragment)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Tanner 346 (selected images)

Oxford, Christ Church, MS 152

Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 198

San Marino CA, Huntington Library, MS EL 26 C 9 (the Ellesmere Chaucer)

San Marino CA, Huntington Library, MS HM 144 (Melibee)

Romaunt of the Rose

Glasgow, Glasgow University Library, Hunter MS 409, The Romaunt of the Rose

Treatise on the Astrolabe

Cambridge MA, Harvard University, Houghton Library, MS English 920

Cambridge, Trinity College Cambridge, MS R.15.18

New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya MS 9

New York, Columbia University Library, Plimpton MS 254 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 68 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson D 3 (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson D 913 (selected images)

Troilus and Criseyde

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College Cambridge, MS 61

London, British Library, Harley MS 1239, also includes some Canterbury Tales

London, British Library, Harley MS 2280

London, British Library, HarleyMS 2392

London, British Library, Harley MS 3943

London, British Library, Harley MS 4912

Manchester, John Rylands Library, English MS 63, fragment

Manchester, John Rylands Library, English MS 113

Manchester, John Rylands Library, Petworth MS 486026

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arch Selden B 24 (selected images)

San Marino CA, Huntington Library, MS HM 114

Early Print

1476/77, Manchester, John Rylands Library, 11567, William Caxton, Canterbury Tales

1476/77, San Marino CA, Huntington Library, William Caxton, Canterbury Tales (selected images)

1476/77, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5082, William Caxton, Canterbury Tales (selected images)

1476/77 and 1483, London, British Library, Caxton’s Chaucer, side-by-side digitizations of William Caxton, Canterbury Tales

1483, Manchester, John Rylands Library, 8694, William Caxton, Canterbury Tales

1491/ 92, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Douce 218, Richard Pynson, Canterbury Tales

1492, Manchester, John Rylands Library, 10002, Richard Pynson, Canterbury Tales

1498, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5085, Wynkyn de Worde, Canterbury Tales (selected images; another from the same copy here)

1532, New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Osborn fpa5, Thomas Godfray, Workes

1532, New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, ldz +532, Thomas Godfray, Workes (selected images)

1532, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ashmole 1095, Workes (selected images)

1542, Boston, Boston Public Library, Richard Grafton, Workes

1542, New York, Columbia University Library, Phoenix P017.En1 B64 1542C, Richard Grafton, Workes (selected images)

1550?, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5071, Hill/ Bonham, Workes (selected images)

1561, Boston, Boston Public Library, Kingston/ Wight, Workes

1561, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5075 copies 1 and 2, Kingston/ Wight, Workes (selected images)

1561, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5076, copy 1, Kyngston/ Wight, Workes (selected images)

1598, Cambridge MA, Harvard University, Houghton Library, Adam Islip/ George Bishop, Workes

1598, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5079, Adam Islip/ Wight, Workes (selected images)

1602, Boston, Boston Public Library, Adam Islip, Workes

1602, New York, Columbia University Library, B822C39 1602, Adam Islip, Workes (selected images)

1602, Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 5080, copy 1, Adam Islip, Workes (selected images)

Gower

Manuscripts

Cambridge, St Catharine’s College, MS 7, Confessio Amantis

Cambridge, Trinity College Cambridge, MS R.3.2, Confessio Amantis

Chicago, Newberry Library, Newberry MS f 33 5, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Glasgow, Glasgow University Library, Hunter MS 7, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Glasgow, Glasgow University Library, Hunter MS 59, Vox clamantis (selected images)

London, British Library, Additional MS 59495 (the Trentham Manuscript), short poems in French, English, and Latin (selected images; for a complete scan from microfilm, see here)

London, British Library, Egerton MS 1991, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

London, British Library, Harley MS 3490, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

London, British Library, Harley MS 3869, includes Confessio Amantis

London, British Library, Harley MS 6291, Vox clamantis and Cronica tripertita (selected images)

London, British Library, Harley MS 7184, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

London, British Library, Royal MS 18 C xxii, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

London, British Library, Stowe MS 950, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

New Haven CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Osborn MS fa1, Confessio Amantis and other works

New York, Columbia University Library, Plimpton MS 265, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Morgan MS M.125, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Morgan MS M.126, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Morgan MS M.690, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Nottingham, Nottingham University Library, WLC LM 8, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Oxford, Balliol College, MS 54, a commonplace book including extracts from the Confessio Amantis

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Ashmole 35, Confessio Amantis

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 294, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 693, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 902, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Fairfax 3, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc. 609, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc. 719, poems (selected images)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Lyell 31, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Philadelphia, Rosenbach Library, MS 1083/29, Confessio Amantis

Princeton, Princeton University Library, Taylor MS 5, Confessio Amantis

San Marino CA, Huntington Library, MS EL 26 A 17, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

San Marino CA, Huntington Library, MS HM 150, Vox clamantis and other Latin poems (selected images)

Washington DC, Folger Shakespeare Library, V b 29, Confessio Amantis (selected images)

Early Print

1483, Boston, Boston Public Library, William Caxton, Confessio Amantis, fragment

1483, Boston, Boston Public Library, William Caxton, Confessio Amantis, fragment

1483, Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, RBC Incunabula 532.5, Willam Caxton, Confessio Amantis

1554, Boston, Boston Public Library, Thomas Berthelet, Confessio Amantis

1554, East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University Library, Thomas Berthelet, Confessio Amantis (selected images)