Merton College MS. 139

Former shelfmark: L. 1. 10

RICHARD MIDDLETON; S. XIV in.

Language(s): Latin

At the head of fol. i ‘Doctor de Media uille’, s. xiv.

A table of quaestiones in an anglicana hand, s. xiv, begins on fol. 1v, finishing on 1r.

1. (fols. 2–156)

RICHARD MIDDLETON OFM, Quaestiones XLV Disputatae

Incipit: (Running head Pars prima.) Queritur utrum Deus sit summe simplex

Explicit: (fol. 115v; q. 37) et inuestigandi et intellectum excitandi.

Final rubric: Expliciunt questiones prime partis fratris R.

Incipit: (fol. 116; running head Pars II) Postquam quesitum est de Deo et angelis primo de angelis quantum ad eorum naturalia que communia sunt bonis et malis et postea de angelis malis

Explicit: (fol. 156; q. 7) que autem de ista questione dicta sunt sine temeraria assercione dicta fuit. Explicit.

At the foot of fol. 116 is pencilled ‘Secunda pars questionum fratris R. de Mediauilla’.

Individual questions pr. and discussed in De Humanae Cognitionis Ratione Anecdota Quaedam (Quaracchi, 1883), pp. 221–48; Glorieux, Théol. 324c.

(fols. 156v-60)

Subject-index to art. 1, accidens – ymaginatiua.

Fols. 160v-1v blank.

2. (fols. 162–220v)

RICHARD MIDDLETON OFM, Quodlibeta I-III

Incipit: In nostra disputacione de quolibet quedam fuerunt que sit de Deo et quedam de creaturis

Explicit: et obscura explanata prout scirem et possem

At the foot of fol. 162 is pencilled ‘Primum quodlibet fratris Ricardi de Media uilla de ordine fratrum minorum’ and ‘De quolibet R. 17 pecie’. Another hand has written ‘tria quodlibet fratris R. de Meneuile’.

Fols. 221–3v blank except for fol. 221v which is covered with early pencil-notes, effaced at the beginning, apparently a quaestio (sections begin ‘Dico breuiter quod ...’). Faint words in stylus on fol. 222.

Pr. Venice 1509, Brescia 1591; Glorieux, Théol. 324d.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: probo sic

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 225 leaves (i + 223, incl. 14A)

Dimensions (leaf): 300 × 205 mm.

Dimensions (written): 230 × 140 mm.

The edges savagely retrimmed, with loss of running heads and marginalia, and spattered with red.

Collation

A bifolium at each end, 1–9¹², 10⁸, 11–13¹², 14¹⁰, 15–19¹²; catchwords, red leaf-numbers.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 43 lines.

Hand(s)

Proficient English gothic rotunda bookhands of university type.

Decoration

Red and blue flourished initials; blue initials flourished in red; red or blue paraphs; running heads in the colours.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on six bands; formerly chained from the usual position. The outermost leaves were pastedowns in an earlier binding. On fol. i are marks of two straps, with nails of both brass and iron.

History

Origin: S. XIV in ; England, Oxford

Provenance and Acquisition

Probably professionally made in Oxford.

At the head of fol. 223v, in the same hand as the inscription on fol. i, is ‘Liber Willelmi de Haryngtone ex empt’ prec’ x. s. In quo continentur 47 Quodlibete Ricardi de Media uille de ⟨… 3 … de …⟩’. Harington (BRUO 874) was fellow 1320–1 until 1335, d. by Aug. 1349.

At the foot of fol. 1v, in the usual hand (see above, MS 69), is ‘Liber collegii ex dono Magistri Thome Bloxham’. For Bloxham, fellow c. 1449–61, see MS 41.

On fol. i^v is ‘B li^er .7.^us’, in the usual hand (see above, MS 60), and a table of contents, s. xv. ‘11’ is inked on the foredge.

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with ‘D. 8, 6’ (canc.) and a title, s. xvii, ‘O. 3. 11. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘L. 1. 10 (CXXXIX)’ in red; 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, p. 60; Powicke, no. 980.

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

2019-06-18: First online publication

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