Ffeil NLW MS 21242C [RESTRICTED ACCESS] - Lydgate's Life of Our Lady

Lydgate's Life of our Lady, 'O thoughtful! herte plunged indistresse ...' (ff. 2-102 verso). The text includes 'The white lillie of the chosen vale' (f. 3 verso), 'That al maydens myzte ensample take' (f. 4), 'The beutee causith to be of more delyte' (f. 25 verso), and 'Amydeys this welle from fylthe of synne cold ...' (f. 26). The text is defective at two points due to the loss of leaves. It breaks off in ch. I (after f. 3) and resumes near the end of ch. 2; it breaks off again in ch. 19 and resumes in ch. 20. The tags follow the text in the hand of the scribe. It has not yet been possible to compare the text with the edition of J. A. Lauritis, R. A. Klinefelter and V. F. Gallagher.
Written in one hand, an Anglicana formata with Secretary influence, professional-looking. On f. 2 is a 10-line historiated initial O (birth of the Virgin, the picture somewhat rubbed) with a full page frame and border of foliage, flowers and sprays (gold, maroon, blue, white, green, orange), reproduced in the Christie's catalogue (see below). Blue initials for chapters, with red penwork, mostly 2-line, a few 3 or 4-line. Alternating red and blue paragraphs marks with contrasting penwork. Chapter numbers in red at the head of each page, with blue paragraph mark and red penwork. Sidenotes in red with blue paragraph marks.