The Prince and the Plunder

A book on how Britain took one boy and piles of treasures from Ethiopia

Category: Manuscripts

Manuscript including Didascalia Apostolorum, with flyleaves and margins covered in deeds (OR 799)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century manuscript including the Didascalia Apostolorum; the Mashafa Megbarat Sanayet or ‘the Book of Good Works,’ on the Services of the Church and the Duties of the Priest; the Faus Manfasawi, or Epitome of Canon Law; and the Fetha Nagast. The flyleaves and margins are covered with deeds (originals and copies) in Ge’ez and Amharic, including a deed of gift by Bakafa to the priests of the church of Raphael.

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings (OR 800)

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What: An 18th century copy of the Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings. “Part second is slightly imperfect at the beginning, owing to a defect in the manuscript from which this copy was taken.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings (OR 802)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A copy of the Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings, “written in a fine hand, between 1708 and 1711”. “On f. 138 b are lists of lands, in Amharic.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings (OR 803)

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What: An copy of the Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings, dated 1681. F. 149 a is a leaf from another, unfinished, manuscript of the Feika Nagast corresponding to f. 147 of this copy.

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings (OR 805)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century copy of the Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings. “It belonged at one time to the ‘Echage Walda Maryam, who gave it at his death to the chief priest of the church of Takla Haimanot.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings (OR 807)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A copy of the Fetha Nagast, or Justice of Kings, dated 1835. “In the original boards, covered witli stamped leather and lined with flowered cloth.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript