Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 5966

DIMEV 5966

IMEV 3748

NIMEV 3748

To call Clio my dullness to redress

John Lydgate, Life of St. Alban and St. Amphibal — 4724 lines generally in rhyme royal

Note: Cf. 3833.

Author(s): John Lydgate

Title(s): Life of St. Alban and St. Amphibal

Subjects: saints’ lives; Alban, saint, life of; Amphibal, saint, life of

Versification: — seven-line — ababbcc

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Oxford, Trinity College 38, f. 1

2.Source: London, British Library Lansdowne 699, ff. 96-175

First Lines:

To calle Clio my dulnesse to redresse
With alle hir sustren dwellyng at Elicon…

Last Lines:

…Worthi bi vertu & bi Roial lyne
To be registred a mong the worthi nyne

Attributed Author: written by Iohn Lidgate at the request of Mr Iohn Whetchamsted abbot of St Albons in the yeare 1439 (f. 96, later hand)

Attributed Title: The legend of Saint Alban written (f. 96, later hand); Heer endith the livis & passiouns of seynt Albon & seynt Amphibal translatid out of frenssh & latin bi dan Iohn lidgate at the request of Mastir Iohn Whetehamstede abbot of seynt Albon the yeer of our lord M CCCC XXIX (f. 176v)

Editions:

Westhuizen, J. E. van der, and Siegfried Wenzel, eds. John Lydgate, The Life of St. Alban and St. Amphibal. Leiden: Brill, 1974.

3.Source: Lincoln, Lincoln Cathedral Library 129, ff. 1-67v

Note: Begins imperfectly.

4.Source: London, Inner Temple Petyt 511.11 (Part XI), ff. 1-65

First Lines:

TO call Clio My dulnesse to Redresse
With all her Sustres dwellyng at Elicon…

Last Lines:

…Like an Ymage voyde of all dyvisoun
O prothomartir of Brutus Albioun

Attributed Title: Thus endeth the gloryous lyff and Passoun of the / blessid Martyr Seynt Alboun and seynt Amphiball / Which glorious lyves were translatyd oute of ffrenssh / and latein by Dan Iohn Lidgate Monke of Bury / att the Request and prayer of Maister Iohn / Whethamstede the yere of oure lord Ml CCCC and / xxxix and of the seid Mayster Iohn Whethamstede / of his Abbesye xix yere (f. 65v)

5.Source: San Marino, CA, Henry Huntington Library HM 140 [olim Phillipps 8299], ff. 1-67

First Lines:

TO call Clio my dulnesse to redresse
With all her susters dwelling at Elicon…

Last Lines:

…Like an ymage voide of divisioun
O prothomartir of Brutis Albioun

Attributed Title: Here endith the glorious lyf and passyon of the blessid martir Seint Albone and seint Amphiball which glorious livis were translatid oute of ffrenssh and latyn by dane Iohn Lydgate Monke of Bury at þe request and prayer of Master Iohn Whethamstede the yere of oure lord Ml CCCC xxxix and of the said Master Iohn Whethamstede of his Abisse xix (f. 67)

Print Witnesses:

1.Source: STC 256. Here begynnethe the glorious lyfe and passion of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande, and also the lyfe and passion of saint Amphabel whiche conuerted saint Albon to the fayth of Christe, [[St. Albans: J. Herford] the .xxvi. yere of our soueraigne lorde kyng Henry the eyght. and in the yere of our lorde God. M.D.xxx.iiii.], [1534] , sigs. A2-?

First Lines:

TO call Clio my dulnesse to redresse
with all systers dwellyng at Elicon…

Last Lines:

…All where nowe reigneth pride and deusion
O prothmartyr of Brutis Albion.
Finis.

Note: Edition from London, British Library Lansdowne 699.

Editions:

Horstmann, Carl. S. Albon und Amphabel, ein Legendenepos in 3 Büchern, nach der editio von S. Albans 1534. Berlin, 1882, 1883.