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

Merton College MS. 189

Former shelfmark: M. 1. 4

JOHN LATHBURY ON LAMENTATIONS; 1413?

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fols. i-v)
Administrative documents

Written on one side only, as follows:

fols. i and iv, ii and iii (upside down), from the same roll, v (sideways), part of a single sheet.

fols. i, iiv-iii are blank, as originally were ivv and vv.

On fol. ivv, after it was mounted in this book, was written (probably by Hammond Haydok) a list in 3 cols of Lathbury’s sources (some 140 titles).

On fol. vv is a title, s. xvii.

(a) fols. i + iv contains the last few lines of one document, and the whole of another, cropped right and left, dated 1387, concerning a presentation to the living of Puddletown (Dors.), held by Cerne Abbey, witnessed by the notary John Wyse, clerk of Wells diocese.

(b) fols. ii + iiiv a single document, apparently that of which the end is preserved at the head of (a), concerning the presentation to an unnamed church held by Cerne Abbey, all edges cropped. (c) fol. v, much of the text of a single document, the head and right-hand edge cropped, concerning a collation to a prebend of Salisbury Cathedral, s. xiv ex. Witnessed by John Wratting, clerk of Norwich diocese, with his notarial mark. After the leaf was mounted in its present position someone wrote on it ‘Criklade super Plinium de naturis 194. ?Talmuth’. The reference is to Robert of Cricklade, Defloratio Historiae Naturalis Plinii (Sharpe, Handlist, p. 533).

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: baptismi
A single main book, to which II was added as a supplement early on.
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 212 leaves (v + 207)
Dimensions (leaf): 215 × 220 mm.
Dimensions (written): 230 × 150 mm.
The edges retrimmed and spattered with red.

Collation

A4(+ 1 after 4), 112(12 canc.), 2–238, 244 / 25–68; catchwords.

Layout

Ruled (I with pencil, II with ink) in 2 cols of 47 lines.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii; sewn on seven bands; formerly chained from the usual position. fol. i was a pastedown in an earlier binding which was sewn on eight bands.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

On fol. v is ‘Hamundus Haydok’, presumably autograph. At the head of fol. vvis ‘Liber domus scolarium de Mertone ex dono magistri Hamundi Haydok incathenatus in libraria anno Domini M. CCCC. lxviii.’ For Hammond Haydok, fellow c. 1421, still in 1432, d. 1465, see MS 16.

Seen by John Bale at Merton (Appendix C, no. 21). Inside the front board are two sheets of paper, one with a title, s. xvii, the other with a title and ‘O. 8. 4. Art:’, s. xvii, the latter canc. and replaced with ‘M. 1. 4 (CLXXXIX)’ in red.

Merton College MS. 189 – Part I (fols. 1–190v)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1–190v)
JOHN LATHBURY OFM, Commentary on Lamentations
Rubric: Lectura super Trenos Ieremie prophete ...
Incipit: In nomine Patris ...; Iuxta morem modernorum necnon et patrum antiquorum
Explicit: (fol. 11) tota substantia mea donec intrem in gaudium Domini mei qui ....
(fol. 11v blank.)
Incipit: Aleph. Quomodo sedet sola ciuitas plena populo. Sub ista forma sic incipit liber Trenorum
Explicit: (fol. 132) a facie tua hec ille.
Final rubric: Explicit primum alphabetum scriptum anno Domini millesimo CCCC. XIII’.
Rubric: Incipit secundum alphabetum.
Incipit: Aleph. Quomodo obtexit caligine furore suo ...; Hoc capitulum secundum sicut in primum principaliter diuiditur in 22 partes
Explicit: habenda respectum ad Deum et hominem. Tradidit Dominus obprobrio in indignacione furoris sui regem et pontificem.
Final rubric: Explicit secundum alphabetum et sic totum opus est completum anno Domini millesimo cccc. sexto.

On fol. 190v a slightly later hand (probably Haydok’s) has written ‘Quo tempore istius operis auctor erat uide fo. 172 co. 4’.

Pr. Oxford 1482; Stegmüller, Bibl. 4762; Sharpe, Handlist, p. 273.

(fols. 190v-1)
Quaestio
Incipit: Sed numquid dicta poetarum gentilium et philosophorum assumenda sunt ad sacrum usum theologorum
Explicit: et sicut tradit Iustinus lib. 2 &c.

As in London, Middle Temple Anc. 1 (MMBL 1. 154); fol. 191v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment

Hand(s)

A single proficient anglicana hand, writing running heads and much marginal material.

Decoration

On fol. 1 a red and blue initial flourished in red and violet; otherwise plain blue initials and red paraphs, highlighting and underlining.

History

Origin: 1413? ; script of English appearance.

Merton College MS. 189 – Part II (fols. 192–207v)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

2. (fols. 192–205; 205v-7v blank)
‘Tabula super opus Trenorum compilata per Iohannem Lathebury fratrem minorum’
Incipit: A est prima littera in latino alphabeto
Explicit: Zona torridi est mundus ... .
Final rubric: Explicit tabula super opus Trenorum compilatus per Lathbury.

Followed by a table of ‘Textus expositi preter librum’

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment

Hand(s)

A proficient secretary hand. Another annotating hand may be Haydok’s. On fol. 176 he writes ‘Hoc capitulum alii libri non habent’.

Decoration

Blue initials flourished in red.

History

Origin: 1413? ; script of English appearance.

Additional Information

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. 75–6; Powicke, no. 964.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2019-07-25: First online publication

See the Availability section of this record for information on viewing the item in a reading room.