A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

Merton College MS. 4

Former shelfmark: A. 2. 4

ORIGEN, HOMILIES ON O.T. BOOKS, VOL. II; S. XII ex.

Contents

Language(s): Latin

On the front pastedown is a table of contents, s. xv in.

1. (fols. 1–33)
Origen, Homilies on Joshua,

transl. Rufinus

Rubric: Incipit proemium expositionis Origenis in Ihesum Naue
Incipit: Ieronimus. In diuinis uoluminibus refertur
Incipit: Donauit Deus nomen quod est super omne nomen
Explicit: est uerus Israel in Christo Iesu d. n. per quem ...
Final rubric: Explicit omelia xxvi in libro Iesu Naue

CPG 1420; ed. W. A. Baehrens, GCS 29 (1920), pp. 286–463; SChr 71 (1960).

2. (fols. 33–42v)
Origen, Homilies on Judges,

transl. Rufinus

Rubric: Incipit expositio Origenis in librum Iudicum
Incipit: Lector quidem presentis lectionis ita legebat
Explicit: ab ipso uictoriam consequi mereamur in Christo Iesu d. n. cui ...
Final rubric: Explicit omelia viii. in Iudicum

CPG 1421; ed. W. A. Baehrens, GCS 30 (1920), pp. 464–522.

3. (fols. 42v-7v)
Origen, Homily on I Samuel,

transl. Rufinus

Rubric: Incipit ix. in regnorum de Helchana et Fenenna et Anna
Incipit: Non tunc tantummodo Deus plantauit paradisus
Explicit: ut in nouitate uite ambulem in Christo Iesu d. n. cui ...
Final rubric: Explicit omelia ix. in regnorum

CPG 1423; ed. W. A. Baehrens, GCS 33 (1925), pp. 1–25.

4. (fols. 47v-58)
Origen, Homilies on Isaiah,

transl. Jerome

Rubric: Incipit omelia i. in Ysaiam
Incipit: Quam diu Ozias rex uixit non potuit uisionem uidere Ysaias propheta
Explicit: et efficeris Filius Dei in Christo Iesu cui ...
Final rubric: Finit omelia ix. in Ysaiam

CPG 1437; ed. W. A. Baehrens, GCS 33 (1925), pp. 242–89; Lambert 209.

5. (fols. 58–85)
Origen, Homilies on Jeremiah,

transl. Jerome

Rubric: Incipit expositio Origenis in Ieremiam omelia prima
Incipit: Deus ad benefaciendum promptus est
Explicit: in commune populum suum omnipotentem Deum cum Christo Iesu cui ...
Final rubric: Finit omelia xiiii. in Ieremiam

CPG 1438, 1; PL 25. 585–692; Lambert 212.

6. (fols. 85–117v)
Origen, Homilies on Ezechiel,

transl. Jerome

Rubric: Incipit prologus in expositionem Origenis super Ezechielem
Incipit: Magnum quidem est amice quod postulas
Incipit: Non omnis qui captiuus est propter peccata
Explicit: iter facere glorificantes Deum omnipotentem per Iesum Christum ...
Final rubric: In Ezechiel propheta omelia xiiii. explicit

CPG 1440; SChr 352 (1989); Lambert 214.

7. (fols. 118–25; 125v blank)
Origen, Homilies on the Song of Songs,

transl. Jerome

Preceded by his letter to Damasus

Rubric: Incipit epistola Ieronomi ad Damasum papam de post Origene transferente in epithalamicis carminibus
Incipit: Beatissimo pape Damaso Ieronimus. Origenes cum in ceteris libris omnes uicerit
Incipit: Quomodo dicimus per Moysen esse quedam non solum sancta
Explicit: efficiamur sponsi sermone sapientia Iesu Christo cui ...
Final rubric: Explicit omelia ii. Origenis in Cantica Canticorum

CPG 1432; ed. W. A. Baehrens, GCS 33 (1925), pp. 26–60; Stegmüller, Bibl. 6199; Lambert 206.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: prepara tibi
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 125 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 420 × 290 mm.
Dimensions (written): 310 × 200 mm.
The edges retrimmed and stained yellow.

Collation

a pastedown at each end, 1–158, 166(6 canc.), the quires numbered at the end as far as 9; thereafter sporadic catchwords.

Layout

Ruled with plummet in 2 cols of 43 lines.

Hand(s)

One expert English protogothic bookhand.

Decoration

Large plain red, blue, green or buff initials, except for a 5-line D on f. 30v, blue on a pink ground, with foliage in yellow and orange. Red tituli , diples, and running heads on a separate ruled line.

Binding

Late medieval: square-edged oak boards with slightly projecting squares, bared and backed with modern vellum; sewn on four bands. Formerly two narrow straps from recesses in the front board to pins in the back, replaced with catches. Formerly corner bosses on both boards. Rivets and marks of the large iron chain-staple near the foot of the rear board and pastedown. Formerly brass chain-staples at the foredge of the front board, near head and foot. Rust-marks at the foot of the front pastedown and early leaves, near the foredge, may be from a chain-staple used with a previous binding.

History

Origin: S. XII ex. ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Doubtless made in an English religious house.

On the front pastedown, s. xv, ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ ex dono magistri Walteri Rommesbury inceptoris theologie, precentoris in ecclesia Herefordensi, ac quondam prefate domus consocii. Oretis igitur, &c.’. Rammesbury (BRUO 1544–5), fellow in 1360, still in 1381, canon of Hereford from c. 1368, d. before Nov. 1406. He gave new desks to the library in 1394, and MSS 5, 15, 92–3. Also ‘N. 1. 4. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘A. 2. 4’ in purple ink, s. xix, and modern ‘(IV.)’ in red; the College bookplate. At the head of f. 1 is the James no. ‘25’ (recte 251), s. xvii in. ‘4’ is inked, upside down, on the foredge.

Record Sources

R. M. Thomson, A descriptive catalogue of the medieval manuscripts of Merton College, Oxford (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer), 2009.

Availability

For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Merton College Library.

Bibliography

    Coxe, p. 4; Powicke, no. 599.

Funding of Cataloguing

Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Warden and Fellows of Merton College .

Last Substantive Revision

2018-08-01: First online publication

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