Egerton MS 1995 – Arthur O'Dwyer – Stuff mostly about C++
Egerton MS 1995
Previously on this blog: “The Book of St Albans (1486)” (2026-05-22),<br>in which I made a table of terms of venery, a.k.a. company terms, e.g. “an exaltation of larks,”<br>as in the eponymous book by James Lipton.<br>I mentioned that the Book of St Albans actually has “an exaltyng of larkis,” and that it’s only<br>in Egerton MS 1995 (circa 1450), according to<br>Lipton, that we find “an exaltacyon of larkys” proper. But I couldn’t find any digitized copy of<br>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<br>rough transcription of the Egerton manuscript’s venereal passages. (Sadly there is insufficient communication<br>between the Library’s division who scan things for money and the division who publish things in the<br>digital online catalog; I have the scan, but the British Library’s online catalog still will not.<br>Therefore I’ve uploaded it also to the Internet Archive,<br>where — at least for now — you also may view it.)
For brief inventories of the whole contents of Egerton MS 1995, see:
The British Museum’s catalog entry
Item 2105 in an 1865<br>auction catalog of “highly important and valuable books and<br>manuscripts of a nobleman of great literary and artistic taste”
James Gairdner,<br>The historical collections of a citizen of London in the fifteenth century<br>(Camden Society, 1876)
Do you have a correction or helpful comment on this transcription?<br>Send me an email!
(Fols. 55v ff.)
Note ye the properteys that longythe to a yonge gentylle man to have knowynge of ſuche<br>thyngys that longythe unto hym that he fayle not in hys propyr termys that longythe unto hym<br>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<br>Draſſe of houndys
herde of Dere<br>kenelle of Raychys
herde of Swannys<br>Copylle of Spaynellys
herde of Cranys<br>Sowſe of a lyonas(?)
herde of Curlewys<br>lyttur of whelpys
Ny of Feſauntys<br>Cowardenys of Currys
Covaye of Parterygys<br>Synguler of Boorys
Bevy of ladyes<br>Sundyr of wylde Swyne
Bevy of Quaylys<br>Dryfte of Tame Swyne
Bevy of Roys<br>Cond Cloudyr of Cattys<br>Non dicitur a clouſter
Sege of Betowrys<br>harrys of hors
Sege of hayrynnys<br>Stoode of marys
Sege unto a Caſtelle<br>Stalyn of olde hors
a ſprynge of Telys<br>Rage of Coltys
a Fluſche of mallardys<br>Daſſe of Aſſys
a Dyſſayte of lepwynkys<br>Burdynne of mulyſſe
a monſtyr of Pecockys<br>Droffe of Nete
Falle of woodecockys<br>Tryppe of Gete
walke of Snytys<br>Flocke of Schepe
Congregacyon of Plovers<br>Drove or a huſte of Harvys(?)
Concrete of Cootys<br>Gagelynge of Geſſe
Exaltacyon of larkys<br>Broode of hennyſſe
wayche of Nyghtynggalys<br>Pype of Chekynnyſſe
Flyght of Dovys<br>Padelynge of Dookyſſe
Flyght of Swalys<br>Pontyfycalle of Preſtyſſe
Tydynge of Pyys<br>State of Pryncyſſe
Oſte of men<br>Dygnyte of Chanonnyſſe
Oſte of Sparowys<br>Trought of Barronnyſſe
Felyſchyppe of yemen<br>Carge of Curettyſſe
Swarme of Beys<br>Prudens of Vycaryſſe
Chyrme of Goldefynchys<br>Dyſcucyon of Preſtys
Caſte of hawkys of the Towre<br>Doctryne of Docterſſe
Flynght of Goſſe hawkys<br>Convertynge of Precheryſſe
Unkyndenys of ravynnys<br>Sedent of Juggyſſe
murther of Crowys<br>Eloquens of lawyers
Byldynge of Rookys<br>Dampnynge of Juryerſſe
murmuracyon of Starys<br>Execucyon of Offycers
Chatterynge of Choughys<br>Dylygens of maſſyngers
Dyſſymylacyon of alle ſmalle Bryddys<br>Faythe of marchauntyſſe
Rowte of knyghtys<br>Obedyens of Servandys
Rowte of Gentylle men<br>Prevyſyon of ſtywardyſſe
Rowte of wylde wolfys<br>Sete of huſcheryſſe
Pryde of lyons<br>kerffe of Panterſſe
lepe of lybardys<br>Draught of Buttelerys
Slouthe of Beerys<br>Temporens of Cokys
Schrewdenys of Apys<br>Savegarde of Porteryſſe
Syght of Grayys<br>Stalke of Foſterſſe
Nerthe of Foxys<br>Blaste of hunterſſe
Bery of Connys<br>Thretynge of Curtyers
Neſte of Rabettys<br>lawghtur of Oſtylerſſe
labyr of mollys<br>Promys of Tapsteryſſe
Beſynys of Ferettys<br>Gloſyng of Taverneryſſe
leſſe of Grehoundys<br>lyynge of Pardynerſſe
Here begynnythe the Termys of kervynge of Fowlys ande of Fyſchyſſe ❦
A Ryſte(?) a Dere ys Brokynne<br>Pecocke ys dyſfyguryde
Brawyn ys leyſchyde<br>Corlowe ys unrowtyde(?)
Paſtey ys brouderydde<br>Bytterne ys untachyde
Goſſe ys rerryde<br>Egrete ys y-kneyde
Swanne ys lyfte<br>Papyr ys lowryde(?)
Caponne ys Sawſyde<br>Gulle ys y-Brawynde
Henne ys ſpoylyde<br>Feſonde ys y-haylyde
Chekynne ys ffaſſyde<br>Parteryche — Alle thes benne wyngyde<br>Quayle
Mallerde ys unbraſſydde<br>Rayle ys Breſtyde
Conyng ys unlaſyde<br>Plouer ys mynſchyde
Hayryn ys dysmemberyde<br>Woodecocke — Alle thes benne y-ſchrydde<br>Perjonne(?)
Crane ys Dyſplayde<br>¶ And alle ſmalle Bryddys ben y-ſchrydde
Alle the Termys that longgythe unto fyſche ~
Samon ys...