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

Merton College MS. 83

Former shelfmark: B. 1. 13

GREGORY ON THE GOSPELS; S. XII 2/4

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1–118; 118v blank)
Gregory, Homiliae XL in Euangelia
Incipit: (Beg. impf. in I. 12. 4) elementa contremiscere cum eo simul ad nuptias intrare
Explicit: in uestris mentibus loquatur qui ...
Final rubric: In hoc codice continentur omeliae de diuersis lectionibus euangeliorum Gregorii papae urbis Romae numero xl

CPL 1711; CCSL 141 (1999), pp. 85–411.

At fol. 25 are capitula to Homilies 21–40. A hand of s. xv has given running homily-numbers at the head of each recto. Pen-trials of s. xvi appear, upside-down, in some lower margins.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: (mutil.)
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 116 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 275 × 175 mm.
Dimensions (written): 175 × 115 mm.
Mutilated by the excision of many outer margins.

Collation

1–812, 98, 1012; the quires numbered at the beginning in pencil, s. ?xv. The first three quires are missing.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 31 lines; pricked in the outer margins only.

Hand(s)

A single, highly proficient English protogothic bookhand.

Decoration

Plain red or green initials.

Binding

s. xv, heavily restored and resewn in modern times. Bare oak boards, roughly chamfered, with slightly projecting foredges, cannibalized from another binding, sewn on five bands, rebacked with modern vellum. The front board, of unusually rough wood, has pins for two straps and was evidently originally at the back; the back board, of better prepared wood, was originally reversed and at the front. The binding of which it was part was sewn on four bands plus endbands, and had two thin straps, later replaced by a broad central one. Used in its present position it was stapled from the foredge, near the head. The remains of brass nails in the centre are puzzling.

History

Origin: S. XII 2/4 ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in England at a monastic house, probably coming to the College after the Reformation but before 1600.

At the head of fol. 107v is ‘Domine Deus noster quod ?Bedwrde’, c. 1500.

At the head of fol. 1 is the James no. ‘247’, s. xvii in. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with contents, s. xvii, ‘N. 7. 3. Art.’, s. xvii but pencilled and not in the usual hand, canc. and replaced with ‘B. 1. 13 (LXXXIII)’ in red; the College bookplate. ‘3’ 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, p. 45; Powicke, no. 1211.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2018-09-01: First online publication

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