Thomas Hoccleve: A Facsimile of the Autograph Verse Manuscripts

The facsimile reproduces three manuscripts containing all of Thomas Hoccleve's known poetry except his Regiment of Princes (of which no autograph copy survives). It gives a rare opportunity to read the writings of a medieval English poet in copies made by the poet himself.

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Thomas Hoccleve was a scribe in royal service from ca. 1386 to 1426, as well as a 'Chaucerian' poet who has attracted much interest, especially for his autobiographical poems. This facsimile reproduces three manuscripts containing all of his known poetry except his Regiment of Princes [of which no autograph copy survives]. It provides a rare opportunity to see how a medieval English poet presented his own work in copies which he made himself, meticulously spelled and metred. Although these manuscripts have attracted much scholarly attention, only a few pages have been previously reproduced in published studies. The Introduction includes the first full description of the contents and structure of the three volumes, with discussions of the author's handwriting, use of abbreviations and punctuations based on advances in palaeographical study and historical knowledge of Hoccleve's context.

J. A. Burrow is Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. A. I. Doyle is Honorary Reader in Bibliography at the University of Durham.