YALE UNIVERSITY BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND
MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE MANUSCRIPTS
Beinecke MS 1195
England, 1579.
Savile, Robert, The [lock] off loue, to be opened withe the [key] of constancye : compiled by the moste carefull caytyfe in christendom, and in lieu off a laste farewell.
Spine title: Lock of love.
Almost entirely in English; quotations from the Bible and some mottos and notes are
in Latin.
203 l. : paper ; 180 x 120 mm.
This material is open for research.
Manuscript, on paper. in a single hand, of a lengthy religious poem in eleven books
of varying meters (f1-90 in contemporary foliation). The poem is preceded by a verse
dedication to Master John Fitzjames, with a dedicatory epistle and verse prologue.
The poem is followed by "A Godly Meditatyon upon the 51 psalme...approchynge neare
the latyne texts of Mr. Hyeronyme Savanarola" (f1-47 in contemporary foliation); followed
by a series of shorter prayers, and acrostic poems addressed to the author's friends.
Previously owned by John Fitzjames (1548-1625) of Lewiston, Dorset and his descendants
in the Strode and Thynne families; Elizabeth Seymour Percy, Duchess of Northumberland
(1716-1776); subsequent Dukes of Northumberland. Purchased from Richard Linenthal
(Sotheby's London sale, 15 July 2014, lot 505) on the Lathrop Colgate Harper fund,
2014.
Full spine title: The Lock off Love. Meditatyon upon the 51st Psalme &c. MS.
Layout: single columns of varying lengths.
Script: almost entirely in secretary script; a few passages, headings and mottos in
italic.
Decoration: some rubrication. Three highly decorated title pages with wide ornamented
borders. The title page for The Lock of Love is a rebus title with drawings for the
lock and the key. The second and third title pages are in red and black ink. The manuscript
also contains a variety of initials, headings and tailpieces with decorative penwork
in black ink.
Binding: nineteenth-century full brown calf, gilt, with armorial centerpiece of the
Dukes of Northumberland; compartmented spine, gilt; red leather shelfmark tag: MS
469.
Robert Savile, The Lock of Love. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript
Library, Yale University.
Subjects:
Savile, Robert.
Miserere -- Early works to 1800.
Conduct of life -- Early works to 1800.
Devotional literature, English -- Early works to 1800.
English literature -- 16th century.
English literature -- 16th century.
Manuscripts, Medieval -- Connecticut -- New Haven.
Manuscripts, Medieval -- England -- 16th century.
Manuscripts, Renaissance -- England -- 16th century.
Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library.
Fitzjames, John, 1548-1625
Northumberland, Elizabeth Seymour Percy, Duchess of, 1716-1776