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

Merton College MS. 215

Former shelfmark: N. 1. 9

BRIDGET OF SWEDEN; c. 1400

Contents

Language(s): Latin

At the head of fol. iii are a few early notes, including a word in English; fols. iiiv-iv blank; on fol. ivv are scribbles of s. xvi.

1. (fols. 1–211v)
BRIDGET, Revelationes
Rubric: Incipit prologus in libris celestibus reuelacionum Dei beate Brigide principisse Nericie de regno Suecie diuinitus reuelatus.
Incipit: Stupor et mirabilia audita sunt in terra nostra
Incipit: Ego sum creator celi et terre unus in deitate
Explicit: inter manus predictarum personarum emisit spiritum.
Final rubric: Explicit ultimus liber celestis reuelacionum Dei domine Brigide principisse Nericie de regno Suecie diuinitus reuelatus &c.

Pr. Lübeck 1492 (GW 4391), &c.; bk. I ed. C.-G. Undhagen, Svenska Fornskriftällskapets Samlingar 7/1 (Uppsala, 1977; III ed. A.-M. Jönsson, SFSS 7/3 (Stockholm, 1998); IV ed. H. Aili, SFSS 7/4 (Göteborg, 1992); V-VII ed. B. Bergh, SFSS 7/5–7 (Uppsala 1971; Arlöv, 1991; Uppsala, 1967).

2. (fols. 212–20)
ALPHONSO OF JAEN, Epistola Solitarii ad Reges
Rubric: Incipit epistola solitarii cuiusdam ad reges
Incipit: O serenissimi reges et utinam ueri reges
Explicit: (c. 7) multipharie diffuseque loquencium.
Final rubric: Explicit epistola solitarii ad reges &c.

Ed. A.-M. Jönsson, Alfonso of Jaén, his Life and Works (Studia Graeca et Latina Lundensia, 1: Lund, 1989), pp. 117–67.

3. (fols. 220–32v)
BRIDGET, Sermo Angelicus
Rubric: Incipit prologus in sermone angelice de excellencia uirginis &c.
Incipit: Cum beata Brigida principissa Nericie de regno Suecie per plures annos habitaret
Incipit: Verbum de quo euangelista Iohannes in euuangelio facit mencionem
Explicit: et caritate ipsum accipiendo. Quod uirginis nostre Marie dignissimis precibus idem Iesus Christus suus filius uobis prestare digneretur qui ....
Final rubric: Explicit sermo angelicus beate Brigide per angelum diuinitus dictatus in urbe Roma.

Ed. S. Eklund, Sancta Birgitta Opera Minora, 2, SFSS 8/2 (Uppsala, 1972).

4. (fols. 233–7)
BRIDGET, Quattuor Orationes
Incipit: Hec oracio fuit a Deo reuelata beate Brigide in qua deuote et pulcre laudatur uirgo Maria
Incipit: Benedicta et uenerabilis sis tu domina mea uirgo Maria Dei mater
Incipit: Benedictus sis tu Domine mi Deus meus et amor meus
Incipit: Domine mi Iesu Christe quamuis ego bene scio quod benedictum corpus tuum incessanter laudatur
Incipit: O domina mea uita mea regina celi mater Dei
Explicit: adiutorium et solamen habuerunt qui ..
Final rubric: Expliciunt orationes beate Brigide principisse Nericie de regno Suecie diuinitus reuelate. Amen

Ed. S. Eklund, Sancta Birgitta Opera Minora, 3, SFSS 8/3 (Arlöv, 1991).

5. (fols. 237rv; 238rv blank)
Vita S. Brigidae
Rubric: Sequitur quedam notabilia de uita et obitu beate Brigide principisse Nericie de regno Swecie.
Incipit: Matrona hec uenerabilis et Deo digna beata Brigida sponsa Christi
Explicit: per mensem durantem in loco illo.

Presumably an abbreviation of BHL 1339.

Language(s): Latin and Middle English

On fol. 239 are a few notes on meanings of words, with English translations, as on fol. iii; 239v blank.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: capiendum dicit
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 245 leaves (iv + 241)
Dimensions (leaf): 330 × 225 mm.
Dimensions (written): 240 × 155 mm.
The edges savagely retrimmed, affecting marginalia, and spattered with red.

Collation

A bifolium, 1–178, 184(+ 1 after 4), 19–308, 314(lacks 1–2); catchwords; quire-signatures of the usual late medieval form.

Layout

Frame-ruled with pencil; written in 2 cols of c. 52 lines.

Hand(s)

Written in a proficient bastard anglicana, except for art. 5, added in a rough gothic rotunda bookhand. The main scribe writes extensive passages in red.

Decoration

English. On fol. 1 is a 12-line S in colours and gold with full border (cf. Scott, DDEMB, pl. Ia); 6-line champe initials fols. 36v, 82, 142, 156, 196v, 212, 220; blue initials flourished in red; blue paraphs, red highlighting; running heads in red with blue paraphs.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, repaired and rebacked; sewn on six bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii, 240–1 are modern paper binding leaves. fol. 239, formerly a pastedown in an earlier binding, has the mark of an iron chain-staple at the foot.

History

Origin: c. 1400 ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in England; at the College by 1556: UO65. 108. ‘112’ is inked on the foredge.

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a table of contents, s. xvii, and ‘P. 1. 12. art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘N. 1. 9’ and (CCXV)’ in red which has faded badly and been replaced in pencil; 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. 83; Powicke, no. 1240; Alexander & Temple, no. 373.

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

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