Osborn a11

          Titus and Vespasian (Middle English poem). England; early
     fourteenth century. Parchment, interleaved with thick paper. 39 ff. 247
     x 161 mm. ff. 1-24: 1 column, 39-42 lines; ff. 25-38: 2 columns, 50-53
     lines.

          I-III (12), IV (2); two flyleaves bound in at end. Catchwords on
     every page.

          Anglicana script. Blue capitals with red penwork. Bound in
     nineteenth century, brown morocco with gilt Derby Crest.

          One of the flyleaves has name Thomas Redyng in a late sixteenth
     century hand. Bought from Lord Kingsborough by Lord Derby (Edward Smith
     Stanley, 13th earl) in Dublin, Nov. 1, 1842. Purchased from Laurence
     Witten (from Quaritch) in 1955. Bequest of James M. Osborne in 1976.

          Comment: The text is incomplete, ending at line 4902 of 5166
     lines. A note by R. W. Chapman (April 22, 1953) on the first flyleaf
     reads, "This is the poem called "Titus and Vespasian," edited from MSS
     in the B. Museum and Bodleian by J. A. Herbert 1905 for the Roxburgh
     Club. Herbert evidently did not know of the Knowsley MS."

     Bibliography:

     Brown, C. and R. H. Robbins. Index of Middle English Verse. New York,
     1943. no. 1881

     Herbert, J. A. Titus and Vespasian. Roxburgh Club, 1905.



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