Merton College MS. 54

Former shelfmark: B. 3. 5

BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX; S. XIV ex.

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1–9)

Incipit: Multi multa sciunt

Explicit: cum sponsa perspicies unum eundemque Dominum glorie qui ...

PL 184. 485–508; Bloomfield 3126. At the foot of fol. 1 is an informal table of contents in an anglicana hand little later than the main text.

2. (fols. 9v-171v)

Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermones super Cantica

Incipit: Vobis f. alia quam aliis de seculo aut certe aliter dicenda sunt

Explicit: ut filii lucis inquit ambulate

SBO 1–2.

3. (fols. 172–84v)

Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermones super Missus est

Rubric: Prefacio Bernardi abbatis super euangelium missus est Gabriel exposicio

Incipit: Scribere me aliquid et deuocio iubet

Incipit: Missus est Gabriel ...; Quid sibi uult euangelista tot propria nomina rerum

Explicit: fiat michi secundum uerbum tuum

Final rubric: Explicit tractatus incipit excusacio. Lectionem euangelicam exposui sicut potui ... deuotissime destinaui

SBO 4. 13–58; Stegmüller, Bibl. 1726.

4. (fols. 184v-210v)

Bernard of Clairvaux, De Consideratione

Rubric: Incipit liber Bernardi abbatis Clareuallis de consideracione ad Eugenium papam

Incipit: Subit animum dictare aliquid

Explicit: non finis querendi

Final rubric: Explicit ...

SBO 3. 393–493.

5. (fols. 210v-19)

Bernard of Clairvaux, De Diligendo Deo

Rubric: Incipit liber Bernardi abbatis Clareuallis de diligendo Deo

Incipit: Viro illustri domino Armerico

Incipit: Oraciones a me et non questiones

Incipit: Multum quippe meruit de nobis

Explicit: poterit miseracionis affectus

Final rubric: Explicit ...

SBO 3. 119–54.

6. (fols. 219–31; 231v blank)

Bernard of Clairvaux, De Praecepto et Dispensatione

Rubric: Incipit liber Bernardi abbatis Clareuallis de precepto et dispensacione

Incipit: Dompno abbati Columbensi frater B. abbas

Incipit: Rescriptum memini ad epistolas duorum Carnotencium monachorum

Incipit: Qua mente iam tacebo

Incipit: Prima igitur questio circa regulam nostram uersatur

Explicit: et studui satisfacere uoluntati

Final rubric:

SBO 3. 253–94.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: quisque suorum

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 231 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): 325 × 240 mm.

Dimensions (written): 250 × 170 mm.

The edges retrimmed with loss of early marginalia and stained yellow.

Collation

1–14¹², 15¹⁰, 16–19¹², 20⁴(+ 1 after 4); catchwords.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 39 lines.

Hand(s)

A single large, formal, English gothic rotunda bookhand.

Decoration

Handsome and distinctive red and blue flourished initials with long borders, enclosing designs of oak and other leaves and wyverns; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour.

Additions: Some early marginal annotation, including profile monks’ faces.

Binding

s. xv, probably College, heavily restored in modern times: reverse-bevelled bare oak boards, with slightly projecting squares, rebacked with modern vellum; sewn on five bands; original blue and plain endbands; formerly two broad straps from recesses in the front board to catches at the back. Formerly a chain-staple at the foredge of the front board, near the foot.

History

Origin: S. XIV ex. ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Probably the book with 2ºfº quisque assigned to Richard Friendship in the electio of 1519 (UO63. 321). Certainly at the College by 1556 (UO65. 87). At the head of fol. 1 is the James no. ‘237’, s. xvii in. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a table of contents, s. xvii, ‘N. 4. 15 Art.’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘B. 3. 5 (LIV)’ in red. ‘15’ is inked 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, pp. 36–7; Powicke, no. 1223; Alexander & Temple, no. 335.

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