Merton College MS. 122
Former shelfmark: M. 2. 6
MARTIN OF TROPPAU, MODEL LETTERS; S. XIII, XIV
Contents
fols. iv-ii blank.
Three originally separate books, together by an uncertain date. fol. 105v was clearly the last leaf in an unbound book for some time.
Physical Description
Collation
Binding
Standard Merton s. xvii; sewn on five bands; formerly chained from the usual position. An earlier binding had two foredge straps.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
At the head of fol. 123v is an erased inscription, possibly a cautio.
On fol. iiv, in a large formal hand, s. xv, ‘Orate pro anima Iohannis Bohun qui istum donauit huic Collegio s. Mertone’, and ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton in Oxonia ex dono predicti Iohannis’. John Bohun (BRUO 220) was perhaps the man of that name who was monk and prior of Bury, at Gloucester College in 1429, d. by Feb. 1470.
Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a table of contents, s. xvii, much corrected in a slightly later hand; the College bookplate.
On fol. i is ‘O. 2. 6. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘M. 2. 6 (CXXII)’ in red. ‘6’ is inked on the foredge.
Merton College MS. 122 – Part I (fols. 1–33v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Ed. L. Weiland, MGH Scriptores 22 (1872), pp. 377–482; Kaeppeli 2975; A. D. van den Brincken in Deutsches Archiv 41 (1985), 460–531.
Common in manuscript; beg. as the version pr. H. R. Luard in Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora (RS, 1872–82), VI, pp. 446–61, at 449.
The genre is studied and classified by H. Börsting, Das Provinciale Romanum mit besonderer Berücksichtigung seiner handschriften Überlieferung (Lengerich i. Westfalen, 1937), not mentioning this copy.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with pencil in 2 cols (art. 2 in 5) of 60 lines.
Hand(s)
A proficient English gothic rotunda bookhand of university type
Decoration
On fol. 1 a large red and blue flourished initial; blue initials flourished in red; red or blue paraphs. Red highlighting in art. 2.
History
Merton College MS. 122 – Part II (fols. 34–105v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Ed. S. Sichard (Basel 1566); copies listed by H. M. Schaller, Deutsches Archiv 12 (1956), 114–59. Preceded by capitula on fol. 34rv. The lower half of fol. 97 is excised, the verso blank; capitula on fol. 98. At the foot of fol. 105v, in an early Italian hand, is ‘p(recium) di(midia)mar(ca)’.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with fine pencil in 35 long lines.
Hand(s)
In Italian littera cancellaresca
Decoration
On fols. 82v, 96v and 98v handsome 7-line initials with curling foliage in blue, purple, green and gold; blue initials flourished in red, red initials flourished in violet; red or blue paraphs in the capitula. Some major initials and all rubrication omitted.
History
Merton College MS. 122 – Part III (fols. 106–123v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Formulary of 72 letters originally written at St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury, between 1307 and 1350, circulating as ‘Epistole fratris Iohannis Mason’.
Followed by three added letters, each labelled ‘Wortham’ in the margin.
On this collection, found in two other copies, see W. A. Pantin, ‘The letters of John Mason: a fourteenth-century formulary from St Augustine’s, Canterbury’, in Essays in Medieval History presented to Bertie Wilkinson, ed. T. A. Sandquist and M. R. Powicke (Toronto, 1969), pp. 192–219. Pantin prints select letters at pp. 205–17.
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
Ruled with pencil in 38 long lines.
Hand(s)
An anglicana hand.
Decoration
None; unfilled spaces for coloured initials and rubrics.
History
Provenance
Presumably originated at St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Merton College Library.
Bibliography
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
2019-06-04: First online publication