Paper, small folio, ff. 8 + 98, 4 stanzas of 7 lines to the page.  Late 15th or early 16th cent., clearly written.

Donor, T. Baker.       “Liber olim Tho: Wagstaff”, in T. B.’s hand.

Collation : a⁴ (parchment) : 1¹⁶ 2¹² 3¹² (wants 8-12) 4¹⁶ 5²⁰ 6²⁰ 7⁸ (wants 8) : b⁴ (parchment).

At the bottom of f. 1 (xv-xvi) is:

                                            Thys boke hys myne George lord Bergevenny.

Contents :

Hoccleve de Regimine Principum.

        Musing vpon the resteles besynesse.

Stanza 288 of Furnivall’s ed. (E. E. T. S. 1897) is omitted.

It is the last of the Proem.

The text appears to be complete down to 93b, which ends with st. 767 : and {th}er lete hym lye.

Instead of stanzas 772-80, which end the poem, we have on f. 94a sqq. what I suppose to be an extract from Lydgate’s Bochas:

In this chapitle Bochas reprevith and blameth not oonly princis but al them that ouer lightly geuith credence to euery tale and fable whiche is reported vnto hym.

                        Al though so be in euery maner age

                        ffolkes ben dyuers of condicyounes.

Story of Hippolytus and Theseus, ending 98b:

                        Next neighboure vnto Repentaunce

                        To alle that trust and haue in hir plesance.

Then follows:

The lenuoye of this tragedye, 98b.

                        Princes considerith hough in euery age

                        ffolkes ben dyuers of ther condicyoun

                                                        …

                        and yeueth no credence without avisement.

99b:                 What is more stronge than is lyoun

                        or more soot than hony in tastyng.

The 4th and last stanza on this page ends:

                        And alle husbandes pray god geve {th}em sorew

                        That to them telle {th}er councelle….or morewe(?).