Merton College MS. 242
Former shelfmark: B. 1. 1
SERMONS &c.; S. XIII1, XIII in., XII ex.
Contents
Language(s): Latin
f. ii blank. On fols. iiv-iii is a table of the sermons in I, in a very rough anglicana hand, referring to the foliation.
Physical Description
Collation
Binding
Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on four bands; formerly chained from the usual position. The mark of a central strap at the foredge of the front leaves. Fols. i and 220 are paper binding leaves. f. ii was a pastedown in an earlier binding.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
On f. iiiv are ‘Merton’, s. xv; ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed episcopi Cicestrensis que emit a uenerabili patre Thoma Tryllek’ episcopo Roffensi. Oretis pro utroque’; mainly in the same hand, a table of contents to the whole book, referring to the foliation; ‘Liber scolarum de genere uenerabilis patris domini Willelmi Reed episcopi Cicestrie Oxonie successive studentium ex dono uenerabilis patris per custodem et rectorem domorum de Mertone et Stapeltone in Oxonia uel per earum librarios eisdem scolaribus iuxta facultates et merita ipsorum cuiusque ad tempus sub caucione iuratorum proinde liberandus.’ Above and below the last are erased inscriptions of two or three lines each, the one below beginning with ‘Liber’. At the foot of f. 148 ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed episcopi Cicestrensis quem emit a domino Thoma Tryllek episcopo Roffensis oretur igitur pro utroque’, over an erased inscription, of which ‘reddit’ can be read; in the same hand, ‘Sermones antiqui mixtim de sanctis et temporali’. For William Reed, fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8. For Trillek, see MS 237.
Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with two tables of contents, s. xvii, ‘P. 3. 9. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with modern ‘B. 1. 1. (CCXLII)’ in red ink, and the College bookplate.
Merton College MS. 242 – Part I (fols. 1–128v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
The table shows that one sermon on ‘Hodie salus huic domui’ (Luc. 19: 9), doubtless Peter of Reims 234, is missing from the end. Much marginal annotation in cursive hands of s. xiv, some probably Continental, others anglicana. Some of the notes seem to comprise whole extra sermons.
Schneyer 104–233.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with pencil in 2 cols of 45 lines.
Hand(s)
A gothic rotunda bookhand, probably French.
Decoration
On f. 1 a red and blue initial flourished in red; otherwise plain red initials, highlighting and underlining.
History
Provenance
Probably written in France.
Merton College MS. 242 – Part II (fols. 129–147v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Fol. 143v col. b is filled with notes in a Continental cursive hand little later than the main text: ‘Sacerdos debet esse in conuersacione sanctus ...’.
PL 210. 111–98; Stegmüller, Bibl. 951.
The remainder of f. 147v col. b is filled with notes in a Continental cursive hand of s. xiv.
Unpr.; Bloomfield 8240, 8275; Sharpe, Handlist, p. 404, listing four copies, not this one.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 59 lines.
Hand(s)
A smaller early gothic bookhand, southern French or Italian.
Decoration
Red or blue initials, plain or stroked with the other colour.
History
Merton College MS. 242 – Part III (fols. 148–219v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Hilduin 25
Comestor 109
Comestor 117
Comestor 122, 144, 126, 114, 152
Maurice de Sully 73, 74
Comestor 136, 23
Comestor 87, 134, 59
Hilduin 23.
PL 196. 1–64; Stegmüller, Bibl. 7325.
PL 176. 841–6; Goy, p. 175.
PL 176. 993–8; Goy, p. 205
Sermones et Sententiae, mostly by or ascribed to HUGH OF ST VICTOR
De contemplatione. Quamdiu anima per contemplationem Deo adheret .... Schneyer 276 (ed. R. Baron [Tournai, 1957]; Goy 479–80). De fine bono et malo. Est quidam finis bonus et est quidam finis malus ...; De spiritualibus inimicis. Quosdam spirituales inimicos habemus ...; De timore. Non est seruilis timor nisi constitutio legis ...; De misericordia et ueritate Dei. Misericordia Dei est qua parcit ueritas qua corrigit ...; Quod iustus aduersus presentem felicitatem. Vox iusticie presentem felicitatem despicientis ...; De perfectione forma uiuendi. Perfecta hic nobis forma uiuendi prescribitur ...; De uirtute huius uersiculi. Consideranti mihi huius uersiculi uirtutem ...; De donis et eorum auctore. Que sunt dona Dei ...; De oratione peccatoris alios orando docentis. Audite peccatores orantem peccatorem ...; Debet in scilentiis. Dum medium scilentium tenerent omnia. Tria sunt silentia. Primum silentium est ignorancia .... Schneyer 95; prob. = De Verbo Incarnato: Collatio I (unpr.; Goy, pp. 81–7, not this copy), 93, 244, 377, 53, 182, 173–4, 55, 148, 205, 160, 130, 50, 52, 239, 101–2, 389, 375, 396, 264, 295, 235, 408, 68, 156, 354, 164, 77, Humana natura ita omnifariam incomprehensibilis probetur, 126, 136, 161, 309 = De Vnione Corporis et Spiritus (Goy, pp. 958, not this copy; PL 177. 285–9); Quid dicat uocalis sermo? Vocalis sermo dicit sequere me ...; Quod errorem suum quedam muniunt ex quibusdam scripture locis. Sunt qui ex quibusdam scripturarum locis munimentum erroris dicere putauerunt ... ; f. 198rv Iohanni quondam Yspanensi archiepiscopo Vgo seruus crucis Christi. Quid, f. k., quid dicam tibi? Si ceperimus loqui tibi forsitam[sic] moleste accepies ... nisi ostendas conuersionem (PL 176. 1014–18; Goy, p. 447). Followed by Schneyer 366, 272 = De Potestate et Voluntate Dei (PL 176. 839–42; Goy, p. 179), 63 (PL 157. 818–20), 142, 388, 359, 409, 119, 315, 176, 303, 277, 374, 286, Cum quibusdam est Deus per fauorem gratie, 307, 285, 221, 72, 259, 90, 288, 353, 373, 98, 323, Cor est ager, sensus radix, Duplex sapientia est, una inferior et altera superior, Quedam sunt ita mala ut nunquam licite fieri possit, Solus Deus est cuius bonum est, 398, Duo denarii que in procuratione uulnerati expenduntur, 212, Homo nudus nascitur, Exiui a Patre et ueni in mundum, 91, Defectus Symeonis defectus ueteris hominis, 223, 306, Dominus dixit In quacumque die comederis, 169, 222, 231, 274, 208, 247, 35, 89, 116, 280, 392, 301, 331, 405, 378, 293, 170, 12, 110, 138, 268, 105, 78, 166, 92. fols. 204v-6v Beatus uir ...; Quinque sunt modi exercendi humilitatem. Primus in secularium rerum abdicatione ... ad Iudeos gentibus caeteris.
Short sections of commentary on scriptural passages, interspersed with sententiae; it is difficult to know whether this is a single work.
Extracts from works of Augustine
Comestor 8, 5, 69, 10, 44, Gebuin of Troyes 23, Comestor 53, 52, 97, Hilduin 36, Bodl. Libr., Laud. misc. 453, art. 69, the last serm. not recorded by Schneyer.
Arts 4–13 are copied more or less as a single item, or as an undifferentiated series of smaller ones.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 40–8 lines.
Hand(s)
A hand of the same type as in Part II: smaller early gothic bookhand, southern French or Italian.
Decoration
Red or blue initials, plain or stroked with the other colour.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Merton College Library.
Bibliography

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
2019-10-01: First online publication