Merton College MS. 264

Former shelfmark: C. 2. 15

GUILLAUME PERAULT; c. 1300

Language(s): Latin

Fols. i-iv are blank.

(fols. 1–3)

Capitula

(fols. 3–262v)

GUILLELMUS PERALDUS, Summa de Vitiis et Virtutibus

Rubric: Incipit tractatus moralis de uirtutibus.

Incipit: Cum circa utilia studere debeamus exemplo Salomonis dicentis

Incipit: Si separaueris preciosum anili quasi os meum

Explicit: celestem hereditatem. Benedictus Dominus amen.

Pr. Basel 1469 &c.; Kaeppeli 1622; Bloomfield 1628.

(fols. 263–5)

An alphabetical subject- index

Added in an English hand, c. 1400.

Fols. 265v-6, 267–8, 269v blank. On f. 268v and 269 are long pen trials in a formal textura, s. xv, effaced by rubbing.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: uirtutum

Secundo Folio: (f. 4) distribuit

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 273 leaves of parchment prepared in the Italian manner (iv + 269)

Dimensions (leaf): 205 × 150 mm.

Dimensions (written): 145 × 100 mm.

The edges retrimmed and spattered with red. Fols. i-iv are of thick, stiff parchment.

Collation

A⁴, 1–2¹², 3¹⁰, 4–21¹², 22¹⁴(14 canc.; a quire of 4 [4 canc.] inserted after 12), B⁴(1 canc.); centrally-positioned catchwords, mostly cropped.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 42 lines. Running heads between specially-ruled lines. Early foliation in arabic numerals, mod. fols. 3–263 (105 bis, om. 233), indicating that no leaves are missing.

Hand(s)

A single proficient Italian gothic rotunda bookhand, except for fols. 263–5, in an English textura, c. 1400.

Decoration

Painted initials in Italian style fols. 1, 3rv, 11, 65v, 78; (2) red and blue flourished initials; red and blue paraphs, running heads in capitals of the colours. Fols. 263–5 have only blue initials flourished in red.

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. On f. i is the mark of a brass chain-staple at the foot, near the foredge. On f. 269v are marks perhaps of two strap-pins.

History

Origin: c. 1300 ; North Italy

Provenance and Acquisition

On f. i^v is an erased inscription of 5 lines, beg. ‘Liber’.

On f. 267 is an erased 2-line inscription.

On f. 266v is ‘Liber M. Ricardi Fytz James sacre theologie professoris emptus per eundem 15 die Ianuarii anno Christi 1481’. Below this is ‘Prec’ 2 [ ... ]ii’, erased. On f. iv^v‘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.

On f. iv^v is a title and ‘P. 4. 15. Art:’, s. xvii. ‘15’ is inked on the foredge. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a title and note on the contents and ‘F. 6, 6’ (canc.), s. xvii, and ‘P. 4. 15. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘C. 2. 15 (CCLXIV)’ in red. 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. 104; Powicke, no. 1195; Alexander & Temple, no. 897.

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