General Introduction [by A. S. G. Edwards]
When work began on the Index of Middle English Prose in 1977, it was agreed that the first step toward the preparation of a comprehensive index would be a series of detailed descriptions of the Middle English prose in various major repositories.

Introduction
In 1634, Sir Kenelm Digby, a prominent Catholic nobleman and bibliophile, donated a large collection of manuscripts (two hundred thirty-three codices, five rolls, and a catalogue) to the newly built library of Sir Thomas Bodley at the University of Oxford.