English MS 51

Pricke of Conscience; Richard of Maidstone's commentary on Psalms, beginning of 15th century

Size: 177 x 120 mm. viii + 119 + iii + 8 + iv folios.

The manuscript contains two works. The first is an imperfect copy of the Pricke of Conscience, a long devotional poem written about 1350 in the North of England, comprising about 10,000 lines. The second is a commentary on the twelve penitential psalms, usually attributed to Richard of Maidstone, a late 14th-century Carmelite friar of Aylesford and a native of Kent.

There are numerous 2- , 3- and 4-line initials in red ink, and manicules throughout.

Former owners include John Hardy (1679/80-1740), Presbyterian minister and Church of England clergyman, and Maurice Johnson (1688-1755), one of the founders of the Spalding Society.

Related links

• Catalogue entry for English MS 51
• Conservation report

Manuscript Index