Mr. Falconer Madan tells us that “in 1453 John Reynbold agreed at Oxford to write out the last three books of Duns Scotus’s Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, in quarto, for 2s. 2d. each book,” and that “a transcript in folio by this Reynbold of part of Duns Scotus on the Sentences is in both Merton and Balliol College Libraries at Oxford, one dated 1451.”[18]
Sir John Fenn quotes in illustration of one of the Paston Letters the account of Thomas, a limner or illuminator of manuscripts residing at Bury St. Edmunds, against Sir John Howard of Stoke by Neyland in Suffolk (afterwards Duke of Norfolk), dated July 1467.
| For viij hole vynets [miniatures], prise the vynett, xijd | viijs | ||
| Item, for xxj demi vynets, prise the demi vynett, iiijd | vijs | ||
| Item, for Psalmes lettres xvc and di’, the prise of C. iiijd | vs | ijd | |
| Item, for p’ms letters lxiijc, prise of a C. jd. | vs | iijd | |
| Item, for wrytynge of a quare and demi, prise the quayr, xxd | ijs | vjd | |
| Item, for wrytenge of a calendar | xijd | ||
| Item, for iij quayres of velym, prise the quayr, xxd | vs | ||
| Item, for notynge of v quayres and ij leves, prise of the quayr, viijd | iijs | vijd | |
| Item, for capital drawynge iijc and di’, the prise | iijd | ||
| Item, for floryshynge of capytallis, vc | vd | ||
| Item, for byndynge of the boke | xijs | ||
| cs | ijd | [19] | |
This list of charges is of great interest and of much value in illustrating the cost of illumination in the fifteenth century. The price of the binding seems to be very considerable as compared with the work of the illuminator, unless it included the cost of gold or other expensive decoration. Mr. Middleton gives also particulars of the cost of writing, illuminating, and binding a manuscript Lectionary, 1469-71, the total expense of which was £3, 4s. 1d. These are taken from the Parish Accounts of the Church of St. Ewen, in Bristol—
| 1468-69. | |||
| Item, for j dossen and v quayers of vellom to perform the legend [i.e. to write the lectionary on] | xs | vjd | |
| Item, for wrytyng of the same | xxvs | ||
| Item, for ix skynnys and j quayer of velom to the same legend | vs | vjd | |
| Item, for wrytyng of the forseyd legend | iiijs | ijd | |
| 1470-71. | |||
| Item, for a red Skynne to kever the legent | vd | ||
| Also for the binding and correcting of the seid Boke | vs | ||
| Also for the lumining of the seid legent | xiijs | vjd | [20] |
Among the Paston Letters is a letter from William Ebesham to his “moost worshupfull maister, Sir John Paston,” 1469 (?), asking for payment for his labours in writing, the charge for which was a penny per leaf for verse, and twopence a leaf for prose. Appended to this letter is the following interesting account:—
Folowyng apperith, parcelly, dyvers and soondry maner of writynge, which I, William Ebesham, have wreetyn for my gode and woorshupfull maistir, Sir John Paston, and what money I have resceyvid and what is unpaide.
| First, I did write to his maistership a littlebooke of Pheesyk, for which I hadpaide by Sir Thomas Leevys in Westminster | xxd | ||
| Item, I had for the wrytyng of half the Prevyseale of Pampyng | viijd | ||
| Item, for the wrytynge of the seid hole prevyseale of Sir Thomas | ijs | ||
| Item, I wrote viij of the Witnessis in parchement,but aftir xiiijd a peece, for whichI was paide of Sir Thomas | xs | ||
| Item, while my seide maister over the see inMidsomertime. Calle sett me a warketo wryte two tymes the prevy seale inpapir, and then after cleerely in parchement | iiijs | viijd | |
| And also wrote the same tyme oon mo ofthe largest witnessis, and other dyversand necessary wrytyngs, for which hepromisid me xs, whereof I had of Callebut iiijs viijd. car. vs iiij | vs | iiijd | |
| I resceyvid of Sir Thomas at Westminsterpenultimo die Oct. anno viiij | iijs | iiijd | |
| Item, I did write to quairs of papir of witnessis,every quair conteyning xiiij levesafter ijd a leff | iiijs | viijd | |
| Item, as to the Grete Booke—First, forwrytyng of the Coronacion, and othertretys of Knyghthode, in that quairewhich conteyneth a xiij levis and moreijd a lef | ijs | ijd | |
| Item, for the tretys of Werre in iiij books,which conteyneth lx levis aftir ijd aleaff | xs | ||
| Item, for Othea pistill, which conteynethxliij leves | vijs | iid | |
| Item, for the Chalengs and the acts ofArmes which is xxviijti less | iiijs | viijd | |
| Item, for De Regimine Principum, whichconteyneth xlvti leves, aftir a peny aleef, which is right wele worth | iijs | ixd | |
| Item, for Rubrissheyng of all the booke | iijs | iiijd | [21] |