Merton College MS. 51

Former shelfmark: P. 1. 6

Jerome ; S. XII 3/4

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1–24)

Jerome, Quaestiones Hebraicae in Genesin

Rubric: Incipit prologus sancti Ieronimi presbiteri in libro questionum Hebraicarum

Incipit: Qui in principiis librorum debebam secuturi

Incipit: In principio ...; Plerique aestimant sicut in altercatione

Explicit: uiuant de altari

Final rubric: Explicit liber questionum hebraicarum sancti Ieronimi in Genesi

CPL 580; CCSL 72 (1959), pp. 1–56; Lambert 200.

2. (fols. 24–34v)

Jerome, De Mansionibus Filiorum Israel (Epist. 78)

Rubric: Incipit eiusdem qui supra de mansionibus filiorum Israel

Incipit: In septuagesimo septimo Psalmo quem iuxta euangelistam Matheum ex persona Domini dictum credimus

Explicit: praeuaricatores autem corruent in illis

CPL 620; CSEL 55 (1912), pp. 49–87; Stegmüller, Bibl 3319.

3. (fols. 34v–50v, 50v–66v)

Ps.-Jerome, Quaestiones Hebraicae in libros Regum et Paralipomenon

Rubric: Incipit liber beati Ieronimi presbiteri de questionibus Regum

Incipit: Fuit uir unus de Ramathaim Sophim ...; Ramathaim interpretatur excelsa duo

Explicit: sescentis aureis emissae

Final rubric: Explicit ...

Rubric: Incipit liber eiusdem de questionibus Paralyppomenon

Incipit: In diebus eius diuisa est terra. Quia in diebus eius facta est turris

Explicit: ut ruinas templi restauraret

Final rubric: Explicit liber de mansionibus filiorum Israhel (corr. in the margin by a slightly later hand)

PL 23. 1329–66, 1365–1402; Stegmüller, Bibl. 3414–15, 3417–18; Lambert 412.

4. (fols. 66v–90v)

Eusebius, De Situ et Nominibus Locorum Hebraicorum (transl. Jerome)

Rubric: Incipit liber beati Ieronimi presbiteri de distantiis locorum

Incipit: Eusebius qui a beato Pamphilo martyre cognomentum sortitus est

Explicit: immolauit uictimas iuxta fontem Rogel

CPL 581a (prol.); PL 23. 859–928; ed. E. Klostermann, GCS 11/1 (1904); Stegmüller, Bibl. 3304; Lambert 202.

5. (fols. 90v–2)

Ps.-Jerome, De Decem Temptationibus

Rubric: Incipit de decem temptationibus

Incipit: Hec sunt uerba quae locutus est Moyses ad omnem Israel in transitu Iordanis ...; Haec sunt uerba quibus corripuit Moyses filios Israel

Explicit: ad terram considerandam

Final rubric: Finit de decem temptationibus

PL 23. 1319–22; Stegmüller, Bibl. 3411; Lambert 409.

6. (fol. 92–v)

Ps.-Jerome, De Sex Ciuitatibus ad quas Homicida fugit

Rubric: De sex ciuitatibus ad quas homicida fugit

Incipit: Prima ciuitas est cognitio uerbi

Explicit: Iacob duodecim tribus Israel decem

unpr.; Stegmüller, Bibl. 8940; Lambert 408.

7. (fols. 92v–5)

Ps.-Jerome, In Canticum Deborae

Rubric: Incipit canticum Debbore

Incipit: Cecineruntque Debbora et Barach filius Abinoem. Baruch uir Debbora prophetidis fuisse traditur

Explicit: sicut habes in Ieremia propheta

Final rubric: Finit canticum Debbore

PL 23. 1321–8; Stegmüller, Bibl. 3413; Lambert 411.

8. (fols. 95–9)

Ps.-Jerome, In Lamentationes Ieremiae

Rubric: Incipiunt lamentationes Ieremiae

Incipit: Et factum est postquam in captiuitatem ductus est Israel ...; Sicut inter omnia cantica uaeteris et noui testamenti

Explicit: et sequendo uoluptatem carnis

Final rubric: Explicit expositio super alfabeto Hebreo

CPL 630; PL 25. 787–92; Lambert 460; Stegmüller, Bibl. 3423.

9. (fol. 99r–v)

Ps.-Jerome, Ad Dardanum de Diuersis Generibus Musicorum (Epist. 23)

Rubric: Ieronimus ad Dardanum

Incipit: Cogor a te ut tibi Dardanae de aliis de generibus musicorum

Explicit: in manu Iudeorum

PL 30. 213–15, here ending four sentences before the conclusion of the printed text; Lambert 323.

10. (fols. 99v–105v)

Jerome, Ad Rusticum Monachum (Epist. 125)

Rubric: Incipit epistola beati Ieronimi ad Rusticum monachum

Incipit: Nichil Christiano felicius cui promittuntur regna caelorum

Explicit: sed magna sunt praemia

Final rubric: Explicit ...

PL 22. 1072–85.

11. (fols. 105v–18)

De Sphaera Caeli

Rubric: Incipit de spera caeli et de diuersis scripturis

Incipit: Affirmatur caelum rotundum iuxta Aecclesiasten

Incipit: (fol. 106) Paulus apostolus non ab hominibus neque per hominem ...; Apostolus interpretatur missus

Incipit: (fol. 116v) Abraham pater excelsus. Vocabitur nomen eius admirabilis consiliarius

Explicit: quod perpetratum est per eam

eTK 0070E

12. (fols. 118–20; 120v blank)

Interpretations of biblical words

Incipit: In Genesi. Sintagma doctrina, Oeconicon dispensatorem uel secretum

Explicit: (De Iohannis epistola tercia) Diotrepes heresiarcha temporis illius aliquis superbus

Also in e.g. Alençon, Bibl. mun. 2, 15, CUL Gg. 1. 5, Madrid, Bibl. naz. 91 (and see below).

Arts 1–2, 4, 3, 5, 7–9, 12 (titled ‘De partibus minus notis ueteris testamenti’), and 11, are found in that order in Cambridge, Trinity Coll. B. 2. 34 (s. xii in., Christ Church, Canterbury), and O. 4. 7 (s. xii in., Rochester). Cambridge, Emmanuel College 57 (s. xii in., provenance unknown), has arts 1–2, 4, 3, 5–8, 12, 11.

On the rear pastedown is a table of contents, s. xv. There are also faint notes in pencil, one beginning ‘Willelmus Asaha[?m]’ . Toward the end of the book are large, unattractive profile faces as nota-marks in the margins.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: de me

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 120 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): 295 × 190 mm.

Dimensions (written): 190 × 130 mm.

The edges lightly retrimmed and stained yellow.

Collation

1–15⁸; the quires numbered, sometimes at the beginning, sometimes at the end.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 34 lines. Pricked in the inner (and therefore originally both) margins. Flyleaves and the pastedown are lost from the front.

Hand(s)

An expert English protogothic bookhand of ‘west country’ type.

Decoration

Arabesque initials in 2–3 of red, blue and green. On fol. 1 is a 9-line redQenclosing foliate ornament in the colours. Otherwise plain red or green initials.

Binding

Similar to MS 46 (12th century, reworked c. 1500); tawed skin over flush, square-edged oak boards, sewn on three bands; plain headband, blue and plain tailband. A central strap from a recess in the front board to a pin replaced by a catch at the rear, all lost. The mark of a large brass chain-staple, succeeded by a smaller one, near the foot of the foredge of the front board. On the front cover is written ‘Hieronymus’, s. xvii.

History

Origin: S. XII 3/4 ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Probably made at a religious community in south-west England, at the College by 1600. At the head of fol. 1 is ‘N. 4. 12. Art:’, s. xvii, canc., and the James no. ‘266’. ‘12’ is inked on the foredge. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a table of contents, s. xvii, and two modern shelfmarks in red ink, ‘A. 1. 12 (LI)’, and ‘E. 1. 5’, both canc. in favour of ‘P. 1. 6’. The College bookplate.

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, pp. 35–6; Powicke, no. 1209.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2018-08-01: First online publication

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