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

Merton College MS. 265

Former shelfmark: C. 2. 16

ROGER OF WALTHAM; S. XV1

Contents

Language(s): Latin

fols. ivv-v blank.

(fols. vv-viv)
capitula

In a secretary hand, s. xv ex.

(fols. 1–110v)
ROGER OF WALTHAM, Compendium Morale
Rubric: Prologus in compendium morale de uirtutibus, dictis et factis, exemplaribus antiquorum magistri Rogeri de Waltham canonici Londoniarum.
Incipit: Sapienciam antiquorum exquiret sapiens
Explicit: (ends impf. near the start of c. 8) mestissimis lecior [effrenatissimis]

Unpr.; Sharpe, Handlist, p. 598; Bloomfield 1977, 5286, 5289, listing fifteen copies.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: sunt sepe
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 119 leaves (vi + 113)
Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 145 mm.
Dimensions (written): 140 × 90 mm.
The edges retrimmed and stained red.

Collation

A4, 1–1110; catchwords.

Layout

Frame-ruled with crayon, written in c. 36 long lines.

Hand(s)

A single scribe, writing neat anglicana-secretary.

Decoration

On f. 1 a handsome 14-line red and blue S, flourished in red and violet, with a full border in red and blue; blue initials flourished with red; red highlighting, underlining, running heads and marginal guides.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, repaired, rebacked and resewn on four bands; formerly chained from the usual position. f. 111 is a paper binding leaf; fols. i-ii, 112–13 are modern paper blanks.

History

Origin: S. XV1 ; script of English appearance.

Provenance and Acquisition

At the head of f. iiiv, cropped, is ‘Bloxham’; similarly, at the head of f. iv ‘Liber M. Thome Bloxham.’ Lower down on f. iiiv, in the usual humanistica, is ‘Liber collegii ex dono magistri Thome Bloxham’. For Bloxham, fellow c. 1449–61, see MS 41.

On f. iii his ex dono is repeated, s. xvii.

In the lower margin of f. 60v is a crude design in pen and ink, in which is written ‘Thomas Gauge mayster’. For Thomas Gawge, fellow c. 1441–8, see MS 43.

At the head of f. 1 is the James no. ‘182’, cropped. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a title and ‘F. 6, 12’ (canc.), s. xvii, and ‘P. 4. 16. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘C. 2. 16 (CCLXV)’ in red; the College bookplate. ‘16’ is 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. 88; Alexander & Temple, no. 483.

Funding of Cataloguing

Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Warden and Fellows of Merton College .

Last Substantive Revision

2019-10-01: First online publication

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