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

Merton College MS. 275

Former shelfmark: H. 3. 6

COMMENTARIES ON ARISTOTLE; S. XIII-XIV

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Fols. i-iiv blank.

1. (fols. 4–43v)
Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on ARISTOTLE, De Anima
Incipit: Bonorum et honorabilium &c. Sicut philosophus docet in xi. de animalibus in quolibet genere rerum necesse est
Explicit: significet suas affectiones alteri. Et hec dicta de anima ad presens sufficiant.
Final rubric: Explicit sentencia super librum de anima secundum fratrem Thomam de Aquino ordinis predicatorum. Amen amen.

STO 45/1. 3–260; Glorieux, Théol. 14ar-as. Pecia marks, as far as 19 on f. 43.

2. (fols. 44–60v)
Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on ARISTOTLE, De Sensu et Sensato
Incipit: Sicut philosophus dicit in 3 de anima sicut reparabiles[sic] sunt res a materia
Explicit: fit aliqua precognitio futurorum.
Final rubric: Expliciunt sentencie super librum de sensu et sensato.

STO 45/2. 103–33; Glorieux, Théol. 14au.

3. (fols. 60v-6; 66v blank)
Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on ARISTOTLE, De Memoria et Reminiscentia
Rubric: Incipiunt autem super librum de memoria et reminiscentia fratris Thome de Aquino.
Incipit: Sicut philosophus dicit in vii. de historiis animalium natura ex inanimatis ad animalia paulatim procedit
Explicit: et quoniam fiat et propter quam causam.
Final rubric: Expliciunt sentencie super librum de memoria et reminiscentia amen.

STO 45/2. 3–101; Glorieux, Théol. 14av.

4. (fols. 67–85v; 86–7v blank)
Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Anima
Incipit: Bonorum honorabilium &c. In omnibus artibus et doctrinis necesse est primo considerare principia
Explicit: (ends unfinished) ut wlt philosophus

A quire has fallen out after f. 78, containing I. q. 17-II q. 1; Lohr, pp. 135–6; ed. F. Van Steenberghen, Siger de Brabant d’après ses oevres inédites (Louvain, 1931–42), I, pp. 21–156, from this copy and Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibl. Clm. 9559, and again in Trois commentaires anonymes sur le traité de l’âme (Louvain, 1971), pp. 135–343.

5. (fols. 88–101)
Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Anima I
Incipit: Bonorum honorabilium &c. Suppositis causis huius scientie antequam ad domum libri acete damus[sic] [pro accedamus]
Explicit: per alios quoquo modo
6. (fols. 101–4)
Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Anima I
Rubric: Incipiunt alie questiones super primum librum De Anima.
Incipit: Bonorum honorabilium &c. Circa librum istum querenda sunt quedam extrinseca
Explicit: imperfecti ad suam perfectionem.

Apparently the only known copy.

7. (fols. 104–10)
GILES OF ROME, De Intellectus Possibilis Pluralitate
Incipit: Quoniam nulli dubitant quomodo intellectus numeratur numeratione corporum
Explicit: imponatur finis ipsi tractatui qui intitulatur de plurificatione possibilis intellectus.

Pr. Padua 1493 &c.; Glorieux, Théol. 400l; Zumkeller, no. 36.

Fols. 110v-11v are covered with faint early pencil notes.

8. (fols. 112–25v)
Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Anima I-II
Incipit: Bonorum honorabilium. Anima scientiam habet honorabilem et mirabilem
Explicit: in superficie frangitur et in superficie uidetur

Apparently the unique copy. Ed. M. Giele, Trois commentaires anonymes sur le traité de l’âme d’Aristote (Paris/Louvain, 1971), pp. 21–117.

9. (fols. 126–58v)
Thomas Aquinas, Quaestiones Disputatae de Anima
Incipit: Questio est de anima utrum anima humana possit esse forma et hoc aliquid
Explicit: possunt corporaliter.

Ed. P. M. Calcaterra and T. S. Centi (Turin/Rome, 1949), II, pp. 281–362; ed. J. H. Robb (Toronto, 1968); Glorieux, Théol. 14be.

10. (fols. 158v-203)
Thomas Aquinas, Quaestiones Disputatae de Virtutibus
Incipit: Questio est de uirtutibus in communi et primo queritur utrum uirtutes sint habitus
Explicit: circa ultimam finem sicut et alia uirtutes.

Ed. P. A. Odetto (Turin/Rome, 1949), II, pp. 707–828; Glorieux, Théol. 14bi; Bloomfield 4567.

11. (fols. 203–8; 208v blank)
Thomas Aquinas, De Vnione Verbi Incarnati
Incipit: Questio est de innouacione uerbi incarnati
Explicit: sed sunt in eo due acciones.
Final rubric: Expliciunt questiones de uirtutibus anime in communi fratris Thome de Aquino. Amen.

Ed. P. P. M. Calcaterra and T. S. Centi (Turin/Rome, 1949), II, pp. 421–35; Glorieux, Théol. 14cv.

12. (fols. 209–17v)
PETRUS DE ALVERNIA, Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Sensu et Sensato
Incipit: Sicut dicit philosophus in sexto metaphisice Tres sunt scientie speculatiue
Explicit: sic ad illam rationem est dicendum.
Final rubric: Expliciunt questiones supra de sensu et sensato disputate a magistro Petro de Aluernia. Benedictus Deus amen.

Ed. from this, the unique copy, in K. White, ‘Two studies related to St. Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on Aristotle's De Sensu et Sensato, together with an edition of Peter of Auvergne's Quaestiones super Parva Naturalia’, PhD diss., University of Ottawa, 1986, 2 vols, II, pp. 1–112; Lohr, p. 339–40.

13. (fols. 217v-21)
PETRUS DE ALVERNIA, Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Memoria et Reminiscentia
Incipit: Sicut dicit philosophus 6. de historiis animalium natura paulatiue procedit
Explicit: procedunt ab uno in aliud.
Final rubric: Expliciunt questiones super de memoria et reminiscentia.

Ed. D. Bloch, ‘Peter of Auvergne on memory. An edition of the Quaestiones super De Memoria et Reminiscentia’, Cahiers de l'Institut du Moyen-Âge Grec et Latin 78 (2008) pp. 51–110; Lohr, p. 340.

14. (fols. 221–2)
PETRUS DE ALVERNIA, Quaestiones on ARISTOTLE, De Somno et Vigilia
Incipit: De sompno autem et uigilia &c. Queritur utrum de sompno et uigilia sit scientia
Explicit: uidetur esse euaporacio nutrificenti &c.
Final rubric: Expliciunt questiones de sompno et uigilia disputate a magistro Petro de Aluernia. Benedictus Deus. Amen.

Ed. White, II, pp. 203–20; Glorieux, Théol. 210j; Lohr, p. 340.

15. (fols. 222v-3)
De modo intelligendi
Incipit: Primo est sciendum quicquid intellectus noster est coniunctus magnitudini secundum philosophum
Explicit: differentiam nature a mathematico.
16. (fols. 223rv; 224rv blank)
De locis
Incipit: Quid est locus et est locus sedes argumenti id est id a quo extrahitur argumentum
Explicit: maxima posito uno coniunctus accidencium ponitur et alterum. Expeditum est de locis inuencionis.

Followed by a short list of definitions of loci.

17. (fols. 225–37v)
PETRUS DE ALVERNIA, Commentary on ARISTOTLE, De Motu Animalium
Incipit: De motu autem ...; Sicud patet per philosophum 3. phisicorum considerantem de natura
Explicit: (ends impf.) totaliter trahitur ad naturam aeris

As in Balliol Coll. 104. Unpr.; Glorieux, Théol. 210e; Lohr, pp. 340–1; E. Hocedez in Gregorianum, 14 (1933), 3–36.

18. (fols. 238–9v)
HENRICUS DE ALEMANNIA, Commentary on ARISTOTLE, De Iuuentute et Senectute
Incipit: De iuuentute autem ...; In isto libro determinat philosophus de quibusdam passionibus que sequuntur ipsa uiuencia s. de morte et uita et quia per respiracionem
Explicit: (ends impf. in the quaestio ‘Vtrum primum principium anime nutritiue tam in animalibus quam in plantis sit in medio superioris et inferioris’) in plantis est pars in

Unpr.; Lohr, p. 216, also citing BAV Vat. lat. 2170, fols. 1–6. A gap in the text at f. 238vb.

f. 240 blank but for a pen trial; 240v blank.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: (f. 5)colores ad
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 245 leaves (ii + 243)
Dimensions (leaf): 280 × 195 mm.
Dimensions (written): 230 × 150 mm.
The edges retrimmed, affecting running heads and marginalia, and spattered with red. Fols. i-ii are of thick, stiff parchment.

Collation

A bifolium, A6(lacks 1–3), 1–512, 3 singletons wrapped around the next quire, 612, 712(9, 11–12 canc.), 8–1012, 2 singletons wrapped around the next quire, 11–1612, 1712(12 canc.), 1816, 2012, 216(lacks 5–6), a bifolium, a singleton; catchwords; leaf-numbering, mostly cropped. A small rectangular fragment of the same book as in MS 294 is sewn in, for no obvious reason, after f. 241.

Layout

Ruled with pencil in 2 cols of 56 lines.

Hand(s)

French gothic rotunda bookhands influenced by cursive, except for arts 13 and 14, in anglicana. The same hand wrote fols. 4–85v, 90v-104a, 209–23v. The texts are heavily corrected in the margins.

Decoration

Parisian. Red and blue flourished initials with long extensions; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; red or blue paraphs; running titles in capitals of the colours.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on four bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i and 243 were formerly pastedowns, the latter in reverse position to the present. f. 240 was also a pastedown, with the marks of the large iron and brass chain-staples.

History

Origin: S. XIII-XIV ; France, Paris

Provenance and Acquisition

Although works tend to begin and end with quires, with changes of hand at that point, the formatting and decoration is uniform throughout, so that the book was probably made as a single unit, and in Paris.

Certainly at the College by c. 1500. Perhaps the copy of Thomas Aquinas, ‘in quo continentur multi tractatus’, bequeathed by Henry de la Wyle (d. 1329; BRUO 566).

On f. 110v pen trials include ‘Edmunde Palmer’, s. xvi. For Palmer, fellow in 1540–3, see MS 126.

At the head of fols. i and 1 is the James no. ‘95’, s. xvii. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with contents, s. xvii, and ‘Q. 1. 7. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘H. 2. 7 (CCLXXV)’, both corr. in pencil to H. 3. 6 and (275); the College bookplate. ‘7’ is inked on the foredge.

Merton College MS. 275 - endleaves (fols. 1–3)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1–3)
Digestum Novum

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Dimensions (written): 170 × 100 mm.

Layout

Ruled in 2 cols of 39 lines

Hand(s)

Written in an Italian gothic rotunda bookhand.

Decoration

Red or blue initials stroked with the other colour; red or blue paraphs; plain red initials.

History

Origin: s. xiii ; script of Italian appearance.

Merton College MS. 275 - endleaves (fols. 241–2)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 241–2)
A commentary on GRATIAN, Decretum (causae 4 and 6)

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Dimensions (written): 230 × 125 mm.

Layout

Ruled in 2 cols of 74 lines.

Hand(s)

Written in a small neat early gothic bookhand, probably Italian.

Decoration

Red or blue initials stroked and flourished in the other colour; red or blue paraphs; plain red initials and underlining.

History

Origin: s. xiii ; script of Italian appearance.

Merton College MS. 275 - endleaves (f. 243)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fol. 243)
Canon law text

Incl. ‘Firmiter credimus’ (= Lateran IV canons).

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: Part of the first bifolium, flattened and bound in sideways
Dimensions (written): c. 210 × 130 mm.

Layout

Ruled in 2 cols of a few more than 46 lines.

Hand(s)

Written in a small early gothic bookhand, probably French; marginal glosses in the same or a similar hand.

Decoration

On the recto is a large and handsome red and blue P; red or blue initials stroked and flourished in the other colour; plain red initials.

History

Origin: s. xiii in. ; script of French (?) appearance.

Additional Information

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, pp. 108–9; Powicke, no. 136; Dondaine & Shooner, no. 2134.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2019-10-14: First online publication

See the Availability section of this record for information on viewing the item in a reading room.