Five leaves are lost (apart from blanks at the beginning and end), as follows.
After f. 2 one leaf containing chapter-headings of Vox Clamantis Lib. ii. cap. ii-Lib. iii. cap. xxii. After f. 5 two leaves, containing chapter-headings Lib. vii. cap. xix to the end, the lines ‘Ad mundum mitto,’ probably with a picture of the author, and Vox Clamantis Lib. i. Prologus, ll. 1-18. After f. 13 one leaf (Vox Clamantis i. 766-856). After f. 131 one leaf (De Lucis Scrutinio 93-103; probably some other short piece, and the French Traitié, to iii. 3).
This MS. was certainly written and corrected under the direction of the author, and remained for some time in his hands, receiving addition from time to time. From the Epistola at the beginning, which occurs here only and seems to relate to this volume in particular, we may gather that it was eventually presented to Abp. Arundel. It is possible that it passed from him to his successor Chichele, and so to the College of All Souls, where it now is, but there seems to be no definite evidence to confirm this suggestion.
The text of S in the Vox Clamantis agrees in the main as regards revised passages with that of the other original manuscripts C, H and G, but in some respects it is peculiar. In Lib. iii. cap. i. S has a rewritten version which differs from that of the other revised copies, and the same is the case with regard to the lines ‘Quicquid homo scribat’ (p. 365). There are also some places, as iv. 1072, 1197-1232, v. 450, where S retains the original text in company with TH_2 or even with H_2 alone. A few possibly right readings are peculiar to S, as in i. 1788, 2073, ii. 300, iii. 380 (margin), 1642, v. 325, vi. 555, while some others are common to S with G alone, some few small mistakes remain uncorrected, as in i. 106, 953, 1212, 1591, 1662, iii. 176, 989, 1214, 1541, 1695, iv. 273, 336 &c., and in some cases, where the headings of chapters have been rewritten, as vi. cap. xviii, xix, the original headings are left standing in the Table of Chapters at the beginning.
At least five hands are distinguishable, as follows:
(1) the original text of the Vox Clamantis.
(2) the original text of the succeeding poems, French and Latin, and the rewritten text or corrections on ff. 15 vo (i. 1019), 90 vo (vi. 545), 97 (vi. 1159), 115 vo (vii. 1454 f., 1469 f.), 116 (last lines of Vox Clamantis).
(3) the original text and (probably) the corrections of the Epistola, f. i, and the corrections or rewritten text on ff. 36 vo (iii. 2 ff.), 39 (iii. cap. iv. heading), 97 vo (vi. 1189), 98 (vi. 1219 ff.), 115 ro (vii. 1409 ff.), 116 (first lines of Cron. Trip.), 126 vo, 127 vo, and the text of ‘Quicquid homo scribat.’
(4) marginal note on f. 40 vo, ‘Nota de bello Cleri’ &c. (iii. 375).
(5) marginal note on f. 66, ‘Nota quod Genius’ &c. (iv. 587).