Merton College MS. 235

Former shelfmark: H. 2. 2

LATIN BIBLE; S. XIII ex.

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1–419; 419v blank)

Prologues: Stegmüller, Bibl. 284–5, 311, 323, 328, 330, 332, 335, 341, 344, 357, 350, 457, 462, 456, 455, 468, 26, 482, 487, 491–2, 494, 500, 507, 511, 515, 519, 524, 521, 526, 528–9, 532, 535, 540, 545, 547, 553, 551, 590, 607, 615, 624, 675, 685, 700, 707, 715, 728, 736, 747 + 746, 752, 765 + 760, 772, 780, 783, 794, 631, 809, 812, 818, 823–5, 835.

(fols. 420–51v; 452–4v blank)

STEPHEN LANGTON (?), Interpretationes Nominum Hebraicorum

Rubric: Hec sunt interpretationes nominum Hebraicorum secundum Remigium incipientium per a litteram, et primo post a sequitur a.

Incipit: Aaz apprehendens uel apprehensio

Explicit: Zuzim consiliantes eos uel consiliatores eorum.

Final rubric: Expliciunt interpretationes nominum hebraicorum.

Stegmüller, Bibl. 1677, 1, 7708–9.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: ars est quam

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 460 leaves (iv + 456)

Dimensions (leaf): 280 × 185 mm.

Dimensions (written): 210 × 130 mm.

Collation

1–11¹⁶, 12⁸(8 canc.), 13–26¹⁶, 27¹², 28–9¹⁶, 30⁴(4 canc.); catchwords, mostly cropped; the quires numbered at the beginning, s. ?xvii.

Layout

Ruled with fine pencil in 2 cols (art. 2 in 3 cols) of 55 lines. Running heads between specially ruled lines.

Hand(s)

A small, neat early gothic bookhand of the type usual in this sort of book.

Decoration

Handsome historiated and decorated initials in colours and gold, with drolleries, in Parisian style: fols. 1, 3, 4 (full-length I with eleven separate scenes and an archer, two peacocks in the lower margin), 20v, 34, 43, 57, 69v, 70, 78v, 87v, 89, 89v, 102, 111v, 123, 133v (2), 143, 154rv, 158, 162v (2), 165v-6, 170 (2), 174 (2), 174v-5, 184 (Beatus, David harping), 187 (Ps. 26), 189 (Ps. 38), 191 (Pss. 51–2), 193 (Ps. 68), 195v (Ps. 80), 198 (Pss. 100–1), 200v (Ps. 109), 205rv, 213 (3), 215v-16, 217 (2), 222v-3, 237v-8, 254v-5, 275 (2), 277rv, 294v-5, 302, 304–5v, 307, 307v (2), 308, 308v (2), 310 (2), 310v (2), 311v (2), 312 (2), 312v (2), 315v (2), 316, 316v (3), 327v, 334v-5, 345v (2), 352 (3), 363rv, 372 (2), 376 (2), 380 (2), 383 (2), 384v (2), 386 (2), 387 (2), 388 (2), 389 (2), 389v (2), 390v (2), 391v (2), 392 (3), 392v, 395v, 396 (2), 407v-8, 409 (2), 410v (2), 411v, 412v (4), 413v (2), 420.

Red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; running heads and chapter-numbers in capitals of the colours.

Binding

s. xix, sewn on four bands. Fols. i-iii, 455–6 are paper leaves from this binding; f. iv is a paper leaf from a previous binding of s. xvii. This leaf and f. 1 have the mark of an iron chain-staple at the foredge, near the foot. On f. 454 are the marks of two clasps, and perhaps of a chain-staple at the foot.

History

Origin: S. XIII ex. ; France, Paris

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in Paris, in England early. Probably at the College before the Reformation.

Distinctive marginal pointing hands and sleeves, s. xiii ex., as found in books from Gloucester Abbey, Worcester Cathedral Priory and other houses in the west midlands (fols. 1–419v).

On f. iv^v is a table of contents and ‘P. 3. 2. Art:’, s. xvii. ‘Biblia MS 2’ is inked on the foredge. Inside the front board is the College bookplate with ‘P. 3. 2’, canc. and replaced with ‘H. 2. 2 (CCXXXV)’ in red.

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. 92; Powicke, no. 502; Alexander & Temple, no. 242, and pl. XIV; Morgan, Early Gothic, II, no. 170.

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

2019-08-30: First online publication

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