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Ellesmere Chaucer

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Ellesmere Manuscript in Huntington Library

The Ellesmere Chaucer, or Ellesmere Manuscript of the Canterbury Tales, is an early 15th-century illuminated manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, owned by the Huntington Library, in San Marino, California (EL 26 C 9). It is considered one of the most significant copies of the Tales.

History

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The manuscript has long been regarded as one of the first extant manuscripts of the Tales, probably written not long after the author's death in 1400. More recently, the manuscript has been dated to c. 1405 or earlier, leading to speculation that it "was conceived as an immediate response to Chaucer's death by those eager to commemorate his memory through the appropriate preservation of his work."[1]: 60 

The early history of the manuscript is uncertain, but it seems to have been owned by John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (1408–1462). The manuscript takes its popular name from the fact that it later belonged to Sir Thomas Egerton (1540–1617), Baron Ellesmere and Viscount Brackley, who apparently obtained it from Roger North, 2nd Baron North (1530/31-1600).[2] The library of manuscripts, known as the Bridgewater Library, remained at the Egerton house, Ashridge, Hertfordshire, until 1802 when it was removed to London. Francis Egerton, created Earl of Ellesmere in 1846, inherited the library, and it remained in the family until its sale to Henry Huntington by John Francis Granville Scrope Egerton (1872–1944), 4th Earl of Ellesmere. Huntington purchased the Bridgewater library privately in 1917 through Sotheby's. The manuscript is now in the collection of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California (EL 26 C 9).

Description

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The Ellesmere manuscript is a highly polished example of scribal workmanship, with a great deal of elaborate illumination and, notably, a series of illustrations of the various narrators of the Tales (including a famous one of Chaucer himself, mounted on a horse).

The manuscript is written on 240 high-quality parchment leaves of approximately 394mm (13¾") by 284mm (11¼") in size.[1]: 59 

Illuminations

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Owing to the quality of its decoration and illustrations, Ellesmere is the most frequently reproduced Chaucer manuscript.[1]: 59 

In order of appearance in the Ellesmere Chaucer (note that not all storytellers have an illumination):[3]

Scribe and its relation to other manuscripts

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The Ellesmere manuscript is thought to be very early in date, being written shortly after Chaucer's death. It is seen as an important source for efforts to reconstruct Chaucer's original text and intentions, though John M. Manly and Edith Rickert in their Text of the Canterbury Tales (1940) noted that whoever edited the manuscript probably made substantial revisions, tried to regularise spelling, and put the individual Tales into a smoothly running order. Up until this point the Ellesmere manuscript had been used as the 'base text' by several editions, such as that of W. W. Skeat, with variants checked against British Library, Harley MS 7334.

The manuscript is believed to have been written by a single scribe, the same scribe who wrote the Hengwrt Manuscript of the Tales. The scribe has been identified as Adam Pinkhurst, a man employed by Chaucer himself; however, the attribution is controversial, with many palaeographers remaining undecided for or against.[4] If the scribe was employed by Chaucer directly, this would imply that the reconstructions hypothesized by Manly and Rickert were carried out by someone who had worked with Chaucer, knew his intentions for the Tales, and had access to draft materials.

The Ellesmere manuscript is conventionally referred to as El in studies of the Tales and their textual history. A facsimile edition is available.

  • The beginning of The Knight's Tale from the Ellesmere Manuscript
    The beginning of The Knight's Tale from the Ellesmere Manuscript
  • The opening page of The Wife of Bath's Tale from the Ellesmere Manuscript of The Canterbury Tales, circa 1405-1410.
    The opening page of The Wife of Bath's Tale from the Ellesmere Manuscript of The Canterbury Tales, circa 1405-1410.
  • Geoffrey Chaucer from the Ellesmere Manuscript
    Geoffrey Chaucer from the Ellesmere Manuscript
  • The Friar from the Ellesmere Manuscript
    The Friar from the Ellesmere Manuscript
  • Robin the Miller from folio 34v of the Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
    Robin the Miller from folio 34v of the Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
  • Roger the Cook from Ellesmere Manuscript
    Roger the Cook from Ellesmere Manuscript
  • The Summoner from the Ellesmere Manuscript
    The Summoner from the Ellesmere Manuscript

References

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  1. ^ a b c Edwards, A.S.G. "The Ellesmere manuscript: controversy, culture and the Canterbury Tales." Essays and Studies, vol. 2010, annual 2010, pp. 59+. Gale CA254401568
  2. ^ "Guide To Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library". Archived from the original on 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  3. ^ The Storytellers in order of appearance in the Ellesmere Chaucer. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
  4. ^ Kerby-Fulton, Kathryn (2024-07-01). "Adam Pinkhurst and the Baffled Jury: Assessing Scribal Identifications within the Margin of Error". Speculum. 99 (3): 664–687. doi:10.1086/730564. ISSN 0038-7134.
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