Language(s): Latin
Fols. iii, iv-vi blank. On fol. viv is a contemporary table of contents.
1. (fols. 1–170)
RANULF HIGDEN,
Polychronicon Alphabetical index, Abraham—Zorobabel.
Incipit: Prima etas seculi ab Adam usque ad diluuium
Incipit: ⟨I⟩n historico namque contextu cronographorum diligencia
Incipit: Iulius Cesar diuinis humanisque rebus singulariter instructus
Explicit: mare tranquillitatem, Scocia concordiam, ecclesia libertatem. Explicit.
The ‘short version’, ed. C. Babington and J. R. Lumby (9 vols, RS, 1865–86), ending at viii. 324 (1327), as their MSS C and D; J. Taylor, The Universal Chronicle of Ranulf Higden (Oxford, 1966), pp. 97, 157.
2. (fols. 170–97v)
JAMES OF VITRY,
Historia Orientalis, abbrev. and continued to 1291 Incipit: Capitula. De uariis generibus hominum bonorum et malorum qui terram sanctam inhabitauerant. Melchisedech Dei altissimi sacerdos rex fuit Salem
Explicit: perdiderunt in terra sancta quicquid ante fuit lucratum.
Final rubric: Explicit primus liber opusculi magistri Iacobi de Vitriaco qui fuit primus episcopus Acon et postea cardinalis de historia Ierosolimitana.
Here there are 54 chapters; the text of 54 is reasonably full until 1187, after which are annalistic entries for 1188–1291.
The full text ending in 1215, with the anonymous third book ending in 1244, ed. in 102 chapters by J. Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, 2 vols in 1 (Hannover, 1611), 1. 1048–1145; P. Funk, Jakob von Vitry, Leben und Werke (Leipzig, 1909/1973), pp. 133–44.
3. (fols. 198–210)
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM,
De Compunctione Cordis Rubric: Incipit liber primus de compunctione.
Incipit: Dum te intueor, beate Demetri, frequenter insistentem michi
Explicit: uitam uero suam atque operam necligenti.
Final rubric: Expliciunt libri beati Crisostomi de compunctione cordis.
CPG 4308–9; ICO v. 565–96; G. Schmitz, Monumenta tachygraphica codicis Paris, lat. 2718, fasc. 2 (Hannover, 1883); Wilmart nos 40–41.
4. (fols. 210–17v)
HONORIUS AUGUSTODUNENSIS,
Imago Mundi Incipit: Incipit Beda de ymagine mundi
Incipit: (Capitula.) Mundus dicitur quasi undique motus
Explicit: (i. 104) cum sub illo signo ambulat. Assit ei lumen qui scripsit tale uolumen / Penna precor siste quoniam liber explicit iste. Explicit.
ed. V. I. J. Flint in AHDLMA 49 (1982), 7–153 (text 48–151). Here without the Epistle or Prologue.
5. (fols. 217v-29v)
AMBROSE (attrib.),
Sermones 5.3.
Ambrose,
Epist. 69 Incipit: Ambrosius Hyreneo ne uir muliebri ueste nec mulier uirili uti deberet. Pertulisti ad me quasi filius quesiuisse aliquos a te
Explicit: ut parentes diligamus contuli. Explicit.
CPL 160; PL 16. 1232–3.
5.4.
Ambrose,
Epist. 44 Incipit: Ambrosius Oranciano quod sex diebus fecit mundum et septimo die requieuit Deus. Diuisionem egregie aduertisti propheticam
Explicit: quia nos te diligimus. Contuli. Explicit.
CPL 160; PL 16. 1136–41.
6. (fols. 229v-40v)
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,
Sermones super Missus Est Rubric: Incipit prefatiuncula Bernardi abbatis Clareuallis in laudibus uirginis matris.
Incipit: Scribere me aliquid et deuocio iubet et prohibet occupacio
Explicit: sed spiritualiter fiat mihi secundum uerbum tuum.
Final rubric: Explicit tractatus.
Rubric: Incipit excusatio.
Incipit: Leccionem euuangelicam exposui sicut potui
Explicit: opusculum deuotissime destinaui. Explicit excusacio.
SBO 4. 13–58; Stegmüller, Bibl. 1726.
7. (fols. 241–313v; 314–18v blank)
Vitas Patrum Incipit: Inter multos sepe dubitatum est a quo potissimum monachorum heremus habitari coepta sit
Explicit: (fol. 242v) multo magis eligeret tunicam Pauli cum meritis eius quam regias purpuras cum regnis suis.
Jerome,
Vita S. Pauli (BHL 6596) PL 23. 17–28. Incipit: Benedictus Deus qui uult omnes homines saluos fieri
Explicit: (fol. 259v) et tanta nobis ostendit mirabilia, ipsi gloria ...
Incipit: Presbiter Euagrius Carino filio
Incipit: Athanasius episcopus ad peregrinos fratres
Incipit: Igitur Antonius nobilibus religiosisque parentibus Egipto oriundus fuit
Explicit: (fol. 279) et tocius corrupcionis artifices.
Athanasius,
Vita S. Antonii (BHL 609) PL 73. 125–70 Incipit: Si cuncta mei corporis membra uerterentur in linguas
Explicit: (fol. 285v) te in Bethleem conditam lector agnoscat. Explicit uita beate Paule.
Jerome,
Vita S. Paulae (BHL 6548) PL 22. 878–906 Incipit: Scipio quam genuit Paulique fuere parentes Grecorum soboles
Explicit: ne post incipiat perfidus esse tibi.
Incipit: In hoc libro quem de uita sanctorum patrum scripturi sumus
Incipit: (fol. 312v) Ancilla Dei quedam uirgo aliis uirginibus duabus cohabitans
Explicit: Omnia tibi ista dabo si me pronus uolueris adorare. Explicit Heraclidis.
Vitae Patrum (BHL 6532), PL 74. 243–342.
Secundo Folio: (table) De nithinia terra
Secundo Folio: (text, fol. 8) meum profusioribus
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 326 leaves (vi + 320)
Dimensions (leaf): 290 × 200 mm.
Dimensions (written): 230 × 160 mm.
The edges retrimmed and spattered with red. Collation
A4, 1–2612, 276; catchwords, nearly all trimmed off.
Layout
Ruled with pencil in 2 cols of 50 lines.
Hand(s)
Two proficient anglicana hands, the second writing art. 7.
Decoration
Blue initials flourished in red; red or blue paraphs; in art. 7 small plain red or blue initials.
Binding
Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on five bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii, 319–20 are paper binding leaves, the outermost from a folio copy of Coverdale’s Bible (or a derivative). On fol. iii, formerly a pastedown, is the mark of a brass chain-staple, near the foot of the foredge. On fol. 318v are marks from the large iron chain-staple.
Origin: S. XIV ex. ;
script of English appearance Provenance and Acquisition
On fol. iiiv ‘Liber domus scolarium de Mertone in Oxonia ex dono M. Roberti Stonham quondam socii eiusdem domus’, c. 1400. Stoneham (BRUO 1789–90) was fellow in 1384, until 1397, vicar of Oakham, d. 1409.
Seen at Merton by John Bale (Appendix C, no. 56).
Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a table of contents, s. xvii, and ‘K. 4. 10’, canc. Above is ‘O. 2. 1. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘H. 2. 1 (CXVIII)’ in red. Below is the College bookplate. ?’6’ is inked on the foredge.