Finding Fynes: Moryson's Biography and the Latin Manuscript of Part One of the Itenerary (1617).

Abstract

Fynes Moryson’s Itenerary (1617) is an important source work which is used to substantiate studies in a range of different fields. Despite its wide reception, little is known of either Moryson or the intended purpose of his work. There are a number of unexplored sources which can add to academic understanding of the Itenerary, and contribute new insights which will add to Moryson’s life history. Amongst these are letters, documents, archival material and two extant Latin manuscripts that represent versions of parts one and two of the Itenerary. I examine the Latin manuscript version of part one to the Itenerary, the Itinerarium Pars Prima. This takes the form of a preliminary investigation, which will make the manuscript accessible for future scholarship. I compare the sections of the manuscript to parallel content in the printed Itenerary, and investigate differences between them. This investigation of the manuscript is supported and contextualised by a biographical study, which examines new sources for Fynes Moryson’s life history. This study explores archival records, letters and documents in combination with the printed Itenerary in order to revise elements of Moryson’s biography. Together the two parts of the thesis contribute analyses of new documents to the study of Moryson and the Itenerary, and take a preliminary step towards making the Itinerarium Pars Prima accessible to scholars.