/ en /antient-chavcer-new-reading-early-prints-1602-1897 <div class="top-wrapper"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large_navigation/public/2025-12/New%20College%20Library%2C%20Oxford%2C%20BT1.19.2%2C%20f.%201r%20%5Bdetail%5D.jpg.webp?itok=0lCs7HKT" width="655" height="435" alt="New College Library, Oxford, BT1.19.2., f. 1r [detail]" class="img-responsive"> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2> ‘Antient Chavcer’ at New: Reading Early Prints from 1602 to 1897 </h2> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Antje G. Frotscher</div> <div class="field field--name-field-issue field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Issue number</div> <div class="field--item">(2025): 24</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-notes-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Notes category</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/244" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Chaucer</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/80" hreflang="en">Library Antiquarian</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/520" hreflang="en">The Canterbury Tales</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/245" hreflang="en">MS 314</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="middle-wrapper"> <div class="inner-middle-wrapper"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-8"> <div class="field field--name-field-summary field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h3>An impressive collection of early Chaucers at New College Library provides a happy opportunity to examine and compare these early editions side-by-side—to take a look at them from a reader’s (rather than a scholar’s, editor’s, or literary critic’s) point of view. With the actual books available to handle, put on a table in front of me, and leaf through at my leisure, my interest is in much more easily observable issues than editorial practices and principles: the collection of texts they contain, how these are presented in terms of layout, illustrations, or decoration, and what (if any) accompanying explanatory material helpful to the reader is added to the text. These are issues which actively shape the actual reading experience of Chaucer’s text in print, and as such are vocal witnesses to the changes in attitude towards reading (or studying) Chaucer over the centuries.</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>New College Library, Oxford, BT1.19.2, f. 1r [detail]</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5><strong>New College Library and Archives, Oxford</strong></h5> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-2 col-md-offset-2 col-sm-3 col-sm-offset-1"> <div class="field field--name-field-attachment field--type-file field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"><span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="/sites/default/files/2025-12/24NCN4%20%282025%29%20Frotscher%20on%20Chaucer.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=2963707" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="bottom">24NCN4 (2025) Frotscher on Chaucer.pdf</a></span><span class="file-size">2.83 MB</span></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12"> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 31 Dec 2025 10:18:18 +0000 Christopher 3500 at /pleyyng-mays-age-oxford-new-college-ms-314 <div class="top-wrapper"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large_navigation/public/2023-12/New%20College%20Library%2C%20Oxford%2C%20MS%20314%2C%20f.%2082v%20%5Bdetail%5D.jpg.webp?itok=hTSIjIeO" width="655" height="435" alt="New College Library, Oxford, MS 314, f. 82v [detail]" class="img-responsive"> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2> Pleyyng with May’s Age in Oxford, 91»Æ¹ÏÖ±²¥ MS 314 </h2> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Lucy Fleming</div> <div class="field field--name-field-issue field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Issue number</div> <div class="field--item">(2023): 20</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-notes-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Notes category</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/88" hreflang="en">Library Manuscript</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/245" hreflang="en">MS 314</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/244" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Chaucer</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/519" hreflang="en">The Merchant’s Tale</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/520" hreflang="en">The Canterbury Tales</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="middle-wrapper"> <div class="inner-middle-wrapper"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-8"> <div class="field field--name-field-summary field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h3>MS 314 (<em>c</em>. 1450–70) is something of an infamous manuscript among Chaucer scholars. At first glance, it seems like a fairly standard copy of the <em>Canterbury Tales</em>, Chaucer’s famous unfinished poem. Absent the illuminations and gilding of more celebrated manuscripts such as the Ellesmere, the simple rubrication of MS 314 might even strike readers as plain. However, it takes only a brief page-through to realise that this manuscript is hardly as tight-laced as its stiff binding would suggest.</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>New College Library, Oxford, MS 314, f. 82v [detail]</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5><strong>New College Library and Archives, Oxford</strong></h5> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-2 col-md-offset-2 col-sm-3 col-sm-offset-1"> <div class="field field--name-field-attachment field--type-file field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"><span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="/sites/default/files/2023-12/20NCN4%20%282023%29%20Fleming%20on%20MS%20314.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=383274" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="bottom">20NCN4 (2023) Fleming on MS 314.pdf</a></span><span class="file-size">374.29 KB</span></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12"> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 28 Dec 2023 20:26:58 +0000 Christopher 2922 at