Folger Shakespeare Library
CELM

Alexander Barclay

c.1484–1552

Introduction

Apart from some lines from The Life of St George, identified in 1970 (BaA 1), none of the prolific writings of the poet and clergyman Alexander Barclay, best remembered for his translation of Sebastian Brant's The Ship of Fools, is known in manuscript today. Neither has any example of Barclay's handwriting yet been identified.

Verse

The Life of St George ('The auncyent wryters with wysdom decorate')

First published by Richard Pynson, London, 1515 (unique recorded exemplum at Trinity College, Cambridge). Edited by William Nelson, EETS 230 (London, 1955).

BaA 1

Copy of lines 1261-1323, written as a ten-stanza poem beginning Ye that are comouns obey your king and lord, on the flyleaf of a 15th century MS of John Lydgate's Fall of Princes on 191 folio leaves of vellum.

Early 16th century

Once owned by William Saunder after Lady Elizabeth Carewe of Redyngton, Thomas Lord Dacre, Dame Ann Dacre, Mistress Ellenor (sister of Lord Dacre), and others.

This MS discussed and collated in A.S.G. Edwards, A Manuscript Portion of Barclay's Life of St. George, Studies in Scottish Literature, 8 (1970), 66-7.

Documents

Will
BaA 2

Registered copies of Barclay's last will and testament, dated 10 June 1552 and 13 May 1553.

1552-3
National Archives, Kew (PROB 11/35 (f. 130r-v) and 11/36 (ff. 73v-4r))

Contents