Merton College MS. 263

Former shelfmark: C. 2. 14

ISAAC IUDAEUS; c. 1200

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1–48v)

ISAAC IUDAEUS, De Dietis Vniuersalibus (transl. CONSTANTINUS AFRICANUS)

Rubric: Incipit liber dietarum uniuersalium magistri Ysaac.

Incipit: Quod in primis coegit antiquos disputare de naturis ciborum

Explicit: mollibus uero post.

Pr. Lyon 1515, I, fols. 11–103.

eTK 1252L

2. (fols. 49–82v)

ISAAC IUDAEUS, De Dietis Particularibus

Rubric: Incipiunt diete particulares magistri Ysaac.

Incipit: Compleuimus in libro primo uniuersales significationes generis cibarii

Explicit: et lapidem in renibus creant.

Final rubric: Expliciunt diete particulares.

Pr. Lyon 1515, I, fols. 103–56.

eTK 0239E

3. (fols. 83–112)

ISAAC IUDAEUS, De urinis

Incipit: In latinis quidem libris nullum inuenire potui

Explicit: dolorem renum significat.

Final rubric: Expliciunt urine Ysaac.

Pr. Lyon 1515, I, fols. 156–203; eTK 0688B, 1608C.

f. 112rv is covered with pen-trials, medical notes and verses, in Continental hands little later than the main text. A long set of verses, divided into couplets and quatrains, on f. 112v, beg. ‘Thus mastis mirtus athanasia presidia galla’ (cf. WIC 19285).

Heavily glossed throughout, between the lines and in all margins, in a tiny hand resembling that of the main scribe, and in note-hands of s. xiii.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: multus et grossus

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 120 leaves (ii + 118)

Dimensions (leaf): 175 × 135 mm.

Dimensions (written): 130 × 75 mm.

All edges savagely retrimmed with loss of marginalia, and spattered with red. Medieval foliation, partly in pencil, mainly cropped.

Collation

1–9⁸, 10¹⁰, 11⁸, 12¹⁰, 13¹², 14⁴.

Layout

Ruled with fine pencil in 33–6 long lines.

Hand(s)

A single protogothic bookhand, of southern French or Italian appearance.

Decoration

On fols. 1 and 49, 6-line initials in blue, pink and white, outlined in black, on a gold square ground edged with green. Blue or red initials stroked or flourished in the other colour. At the foot of f. 90 is a large ornamental spray of red and blue.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on three bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii, 117–18 are paper binding leaves. On f. 112v, but not fols. 113–16, are marks of a central pin, of two foredge clasps, and of a chain-staple at the foot, all with associated rust stains.

History

Origin: c. 1200 ; Southern France or Italy

Provenance and Acquisition

At the foot of f. 1, in red, partly erased, ‘Iste liber est … in abbatiam de | ordine … orum quod … saluato | … consobrino huius adsunt per omnem euum et postea eterna | secula … fuerit | … fratrum eiusdem ordinis’, s. xiii.

On f. 112v are rough initials, s. xvi, ‘J. A.’

At the College by 1556: UO65. 412.

Loose at the front of the book are the College bookplate and a slip of paper with contents, s. xvii, and ‘P. 4. 14. Art.’, canc. and replaced with ‘C. 2. 14 (CCLXIII)’ in red. The latter is also written inside the front board. ‘137’ and ‘14’ are inked on the foredge.

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. 104; Powicke, no. 1214; Alexander & Temple, no. 880.

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

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