Merton College MS. 257
Former shelfmark: C. 2. 8
PUBLILIUS SYRUS, WILLIAM DE MONTIBUS ; S. XIII
Contents
Language(s): Latin
SK 545; ed. O. Friedrich (Berlin, 1880/1964). Many variants from the printed text.
in 3 cols.
Ed. Goering, William de Montibus, pp. 237–60, this copy at p. 235. The prologue given here is idiosyncratic and may not be by William.
The explicit on f. 66 is followed by a paragraph headed ‘Numerale. Duodecim filii Iacob ... ut legitur in Ezechiele et apocal’.
Preceded by capitula in 3 cols, f. 67rv.
Ed. Goering, William de Montibus, pp. 313–33, this copy p. 312.
WIC 18276. Some are found in versions of art. 3.
Ed. J. Goering and F. C. Mantello (Toronto Medieval Latin Texts, 1984); Thomson, Grosseteste, no. 103; Bloomfield 5982.
PL 184. 485–508; Bloomfield 3126.
Fols. 164, 165–6, 167, 168rv blank. On f. 166v are very faint early pencil notes. On f. 167v, in a handsome early anglicana hand, is a prayer ‘Si tantum Domine reatum nostre delinquencie cogitamus ... qui uisitas in dolore gementem.’
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 34 lines.
Hand(s)
One or more English early gothic bookhands, more or less influenced by anglicana.
Decoration
Blue or red initials flourished in the other colour; plain red or blue initials.
Binding
Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on four bands; formerly chained from the usual position. The outermost leaves were formerly pastedowns in an earlier binding; both show marks of two straps and pins. Marks and parchment torn from f. i probably indicate a former brass chain-staple near the foot of the foredge.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
On f. 3v is a table of contents, s. xiv, and pressmark ‘V. v.’ Additions have been made to the table in a hand of s. xv. One of the books bequeathed by William Reed to his kinsman Richard Pestour, after whose death the collection was to be distributed between Exeter and Merton Colleges (UO35. 41). For William Reed, fellow of Merton from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8.
On f. 164v is ‘Liber magistri Ricardi Fytz James sacre theologie professoris quem emit 21 die Ianuarii anno Christi 1481.’ On f. 3v is ‘Ex dono magistri Ricardi Fitz James nuper custodis istius Collegii de Mertone cuius anime propicietur Deus amen.’ For Fitzjames, warden 1483–1507, see MS 9.
Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a table of contents, ‘C. 6, 8’ (canc.), s. xvii, and ‘P. 4. 8. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘C. 2. 8 (CCLVII)’ in red. The College bookplate is inside the back board, upside down.
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