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

Merton College MS. 213

Former shelfmark: N. 2. 10

GOSPELS, GLOSSED; S. XIII1

Contents

Language(s): Latin

fol. iv blank

1. (fols. 1–83; fol. 83v blank)
Matthew, glossed
Incipit: Matheus ex Iudea sicut in ordine primus
Incipit: Liber generacionis ... ; Modus tractandi talis est
Incipit: In principio satis declarat se agere de humanitate Christi
Explicit: quemadmodum uidistis eum euntem in celum.

Stegmüller, Bibl. 11827.

2. (fols. 84–133; fol. 133v blank)
Mark, glossed
Incipit: Marchus euuangelista Dei electus
Incipit: Inicium euuangelii Iesu Christi ... ; Primum expulsio demonis in synagoga; Ier. Quattuor euangelia unum sunt
Explicit: per totum orbem seminauerunt.

Stegmüller, Bibl. 11828.

3. (fols. 134–207; fol. 207v blank)
Luke, glossed
Incipit: Lucas Syrus natione et Anthyochenus arte medicus
Incipit: Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ... ; Lucas de omnibus que fecit Iesus et docuit
Explicit: et benedictione concludit.

Stegmüller, Bibl. 620, 11829.

4. (fols. 208–53; fols. 253v-4 blank)
John, glossed
Incipit: Hic est Iohannes euuangelista unus ex discipulis
Incipit: In principio erat uerbum ... ; Aug. Omnibus diuine scripture paginis euuangelium excellit
Incipit: In principio omnium creaturarum uel temporum
Explicit: plerumque uerba uideantur excedere fidem per yperbolem.

Marginal annotation in a small neat bookhand little later than the main text.

Stegmüller, Bibl. 624, 11830.

(fol. 254v)

Notes of loan, see under Provenance.

Language(s): Hebrew and Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: (glo.) Dauid
Secundo Folio: (text) Abraham autem
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 260 (iv + 256) leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 360 × 235 mm.
Dimensions (written): 230 × 125–35 mm.
The edges heavily retrimmed, affecting running heads, marginalia and decoration in the lower margins, and spattered with red. The lower 2/3 of fol. iv is excised.

Collation

A singleton (mutil.), 1–710, 814(lacks 14), 9–1610, 17–1812, 19–2410, 256, a singleton.

Layout

Ruled with fine pencil in 4 cols of equal and constant width, for 55 lines of gloss; the text, in larger script, on every second line. Text and gloss occupy 1–2 cols as required. Running heads between specially ruled lines.

Hand(s)

A single expert gothic bookhand of the type used for glossed books, probably English.

Decoration

On fol. 209 is an I slightly longer than the written space, in blue, pink, green and brown, with curling foliage; large red and blue initials flourished in both colours; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; red or blue paraphs; running heads and marginal chapter-numbers in capitals of both colours. The minor initials and paraphs have long extensions in both colours into the lower margin.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, repaired and rebacked, sewn on five bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i and 255–6 are modern paper blanks. Fols. ii-iii are paper binding leaves of s. xvii, fol. ii from the same printed book as in MS 19.

History

Origin: S. XIII1 ; script of English appearance.

Provenance and Acquisition

On fol. ivv: ‘Liber Magistri Ricardi Fitzjames sacre theologie professoris emptus per eundem xvi. die Februarii anno Christi m.cccc.lxxxiiii; prec’ xxvii s.’; ‘Communis glosa super euangelia ex dono domini Ricardi Fitz James nuper Cicestrensis episcopi et custodis istius colegii cuius anime propicietur Deus amen’; ‘Liber bibliothecae collegii Merton. Oxon’’, s. xvi. At the foot of fol. 1 is a strip of parchment with Fitzjames’ arms and ‘Communis glosa super euangelia ex dono Domini Ricardi Fitz James nuper Cicestrensis episcopi et custodis istius collegii.’ This was probably once a label on the back cover of an earlier binding. For Fitzjames, warden 1483–1507, see MS 9.

On fol. 254v are many notes of loan, mostly in Hebrew, s. xiii or xiv, naming one Gilbertus ?Pyrson or Fyrson. The ones in Latin include ‘Willelmus ?Blundus die ueneris ante festum beati Martini viii libras’, ‘Willelmus in uigilia Sancti Bartholomei Centum s.’, ‘Item in uigilia assumptionis beate Marie sex libras cum decreta magistri R. totum’, ‘Item in crastino sancte Luce quinquaginta et iiii s.’

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with ‘F. 7, 10’ (canc.) and the contents, s. xvii, and ‘P. 1. 10. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘N. 2. 10 (CCXIII)’ 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. 82; Powicke, no. 1185; Alexander & Temple, no. 239.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2019-08-01: First online publication

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