Contents

Data Source: Parker on the Web

• Résumé : CCCC MS 542 is a tiny prayerbook which Archbishop Parker’s second son, Matthew, gave to his wife Frances as a New Year’s gift at some point between their marriage in 1569 and his early death in 1574. It contains an acrostic on her name, as well as a number of “most necessary prayers and comfortable meditations”, and the opening page has an illuminated border containing flowers like those found in earlier sixteenth-century Books of Hours. Simpler gold borders are on several other pages. Only the first few pages have been imaged because of the great fragility of the contemporary binding, which is embroidered with pansies and chrysanthemums, in a similar style to the decoration within. Frances was a renowned embroiderer, so may have made the binding herself. As a result of the fragility of this binding it has only been possible to image the exterior and interior of the front cover, the exterior of the back cover, and part of the text pages, ff. 1r-7v. The manuscript later belonged to the Huth library, founded by Henry Huth (d. 1878) and continued by his son Alfred. It was sold at auction in 1917, and was bought by Lord Queenborough (1861-1949) to give to Corpus Christi College, perhaps at the instigation of the then librarian, Sir Geoffrey Butler. Frances was the daughter of William Barlow, bishop of Chichester, who had assisted in Archbishop Parker’s enthronement. At the time of her husband’s death Frances was pregnant with a child who did not survive infancy. In 1578 she married Tobie Matthew, later Archbishop of York. She later founded York Minster library with the books of her second husband, and was renowned for her views on girls’ education.

  
  

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  Langue(s) des textes : anglais

  
  

  2r-82r - Book of Prayers and Meditations

  rubric : (2r) A Booke wherein is conteined most necessary prayers and confortable meditations to be used with ernest zeale often to be said of a godly and christian person

  Note : This text is written in gold, red and black. There is an illuminated framed border, decorated with flowers and leaves in the manner of Flemish sixteenth-century Books of Hours. This border is somewhat rubbed and damaged, as also are the final illegible words of the text in gold referring to the compilation of the texts

  Note : (2v) A list of thirteen lines of advice, each beginning with a gold capital which spell out the name of the owner, Francis Parker. The text block is framed with a thin line gold frame which is used for almost all the text pages of the book Feare God with true hart / Remember the ende / Acknowledge thy sinns / Never ceace praying / Condemne thy self / Imitate Christ / Serve God devoutly / Persist to do well / And reverence thy mate / Rejoye in his love / Kepe still thy good name / Embrace thou vertu / Remember thes sayings

  rubric : (3r) To his welbeloved wyf Frauncis Parker Mathew Parker wisheth many happy new yeres with continu all encrease of health

  Note : This text is written in gold, red and black, and is followed by a prayer with an ornamental initial in gold set on a red ground. Similar gold initials on red, dark blue or grey blue grounds are used at the beginning of all the prayers and meditations

  incipit : (3r) Being desirous that above all thinges you should have greatest respect to God

  explicit : (5r) eternall salvation in the worlde to come with God the father and his sonne Iesu christ to whome be all honoure and glorye. AMEN. Your loving husband Mathew

  Note : 5v-6v blank

  rubric : (7r) Meditation for the morning when one ariseth

  incipit : Muse a while how muche the light and eye of the mind and soule is better then of the body

  explicit : (7v) have eyes of the minde, and that such as godly wise

  rubric : A prayer at the same tyme

  incipit : O Almighty and most gracious God, we hartely thanke thee for the sweete sleepe and confortable reste which thou have geven us this night past

  explicit : (8v) that may be found acceptable before thy divine maiestie through Jesus Christe our Lord. So be it

  rubric : (8v) A Meditation when we go to bed and before we slepe

  incipit : Thinke that as we do willingly put of(f) our garments

  explicit : (9r) shall receave them againe in the resurrection of the just

  rubric : A prayer at the same tyme

  incipit : The day nowe ended men give them selves to rest in the night

  explicit : (10r) I will lay me downe in pece and take my rest. Psal. 4

  rubric : (10v) A Confession of sinnes

  incipit : O Eternall God and most mercifull father, we confesse and acknowledge here before thy divine maiestie that we are miserable sinners

  explicit : (12v) be all honor and glory world without ende. So be it

  rubric : A Meditation of the blessed state and felicitie of the lyfe to come

  Note : This meditation is in three sections

  incipit : This body is but a prison wher in the soule is kept

  explicit : (17v) Oh God the creatour, Oh Lorde Iesu the redemer, O holy Spirite the conforter

  incipit : In recordation of this, oh how thy children rejoice: how conttemne they the pleasure of this worlde

  explicit : (19v) Come ye blessed of my father posesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning

  incipit : Then shall they be lyke to thy Angels. Then shall they be lyke to the Sunne in thy kingdom

  explicit : (20r) but see that immortable and incorruptible inheritance which they shall enjoy for evermore. Amen

  rubric : A prayer for the desire of the lyfe to come

  incipit : This my bodye is the very darke and filthye prisone

  explicit : (21r) and most fervently desire the sweteness of thy familiaritye in the which all goodnesse is conteined. To the(e) be glory for ever

  rubric : (21v) A prayer for present helpe in tentation

  Note : This is in three sections

  incipit : Deare Father, to whom it is more easi to do all things then for me to thinke any one good thing

  explicit : (22r) and thy holy spirite against my sinfull flesh and old man

  incipit : Thou art faithfull O father who hast promised that I shall not be tempted further than thou wilte make me able to beare

  explicit : (23v) and praise thy holy name for the victory through Iesus Christe our Lord. Amen

  incipit : My sonne if thou wilt come into the service of the Lord

  explicit : and feare and prepare the soule to tentation. Eccles. 2

  rubric : (24r) A prayer for the peace of the Church

  Note : This prayer greatly exceeds in length any other text in the book

  incipit : Lorde Iesus Christe which of thy almightinesse madest all creatures visible and invisible

  explicit : (37r) which, after the most perfect example of concorde, be distincted in property of persons and one in nature, to whom be prayse and glory eternally. Amen

  rubric : (37v) A Psalme to be saide in the tyme of any common plague, sikness, or other crosse and visitation of God

  incipit : O come let us humble our selves and fall downe before the Lord with reverence and feare

  explicit : (42r) and will always be shewing forth thy prayse from generation to generation. Glory be to the Father ...... world without end. Amen

  rubric : A Meditation of death and the commodities it bringeth

  incipit : What other thing do we daily in this present life but heape sinne upon sinne

  explicit : (45r) into a much more large and faire place, even into heaven

  rubric : A prayer at the houre of death

  incipit : O Lord Iesus Christ which art the only health of all men living, and the everlasting life of them

  explicit : (48r) Lord into thy hands I commend my soule, Lord receive my spirite

  rubric : The Litany

  incipit : O God the father of heaven have mercy upon us

  Note : (58v) The Litany ends

  Note : (59r) Prayers following the Litany, ending 67r

  rubric : (59r) A Prayer for the Queenes maiestie

  incipit : O Lord our heavenly father, high and mighty King of Kings

  rubric : (60r) A Prayer for pastoures and ministers of the church

  incipit : Almighty and everlasting God, which onely workest great marvailes, send down upon our pastoures

  rubric : (60v) For rayne

  incipit : O God heavenly father, which by the same Jesus Christ hath promised to all them that seek thy kingdom

  rubric : (61r) For fair weather

  incipit : O Lord God which for the sinne of men

  rubric : (62r) In the tyme of dearth and famine

  rubric : (62v) In the tyme of Warre

  rubric : (63v) A prayer for obtaining the Holy Ghost

  rubric : (64v) For the true knowledge of God and his worde and a life agreable to the same

  rubric : (65r) A Prayer for the gift of faith

  rubric : (66r) For a godly life

  rubric : (66v) A Prayer for true perseverance and assured hope of eternall lyfe

  rubric : (67r) A Prayer of Chrisostome

  rubric : (68r) The maner of our redemption purchased by Jesus Christ

  rubric : (73r) A forme of thankes giving for our redemption

  rubric : (75r) A fruitful prayer to be said at all times

  rubric : (78r) Prayer for a maried woman

  Note : (80r) At the end of this prayer are the initials M.P., presumably for Matthew Parker

  rubric : (81r) A Table of this present Booke

  Note : A meditation for the morning when you arayse 1A prayer for the same tyme 1A meditation when we go to bed and before we slepe 2A prayer at the same tyme 3A confession of synnes 4A meditation of the blessed state and felicite of the lyfe to come 6A prayer for the desire of the lyfe to come 14A prayer for present helpe in tentation 15A prayer for the peace of the churche 18A Psalme to be said in the tyme of any comon plague 31A meditation on death and the comedities it bringeth 36A prayer at the houre of death 39The Litany 42The maner of our redemption 62A forme of thanksgiving for our redemption 67A fruitful prayer to be sayd at all tyme 69A prayer for a maried woman 71

  Note : 82v blank