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Merton College MS. 297

Former shelfmark: G. 1. 1

SENECA, CICERO; S. XIV med.

Contents

Language(s): Latin

f. iv^v blank. Onto iv^r is tipped a sheet of paper with a table of contents and other notes, s. xix. f. iv^v blank.

1. (fol. 1rv)

Ps.-Seneca; Ps.-Paul, Epistolae

The pseudonymous correspondence between SENECA and S. PAUL

Rubric: Prologus Ieronimi in epistolas Pauli ac Senece.

Incipit: Lucius Ennius Seneca Cordubensis Fotini stoici discipulus et patruus Lucani

Incipit: Seneca Paulo. Credo tibi Paule nunciatum quod heri de te est Lucillo nostro

Explicit: data kl. Aug. Licone et Samno consules.

CPL 191; ed. L. Boccolini Palagi (Biblioteca Patrum 5: Fiesole, 1985).

2. (fols. 1v-68)

SENECA, Epistolae 1–88

Incipit: Ita fac mi Lucili uendica te tibi et tempus

Explicit: ad hunc peruenire mansueta sunt. Vale.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1965).

3. (fols. 68–96)

SENECA, De Beneficiis

Rubric: Incipit liber Senece de beneficiis.

Incipit: Inter multos ac uarios errores

Explicit: hoc est magni animi perdere et dare.

Ed. C. Hosius (Leipzig, 1914), pp. 1–209.

4. (fols. 96v-105)

SENECA, De Clementia

Rubric: Incipit primus liber de clemencia ad Neronem.

Incipit: Scribere de clemencia Nero Cesar constitui

Explicit: quomodo in rectum praua flectantur.

Ed. C. Hosius (Leipzig, 1914), pp. 210–51.

5. (fols. 105–7)

SENECA THE ELDER, Controuersiae, prol.

Incipit: Exegistis rem michi magis iocundam

Explicit: sit rex circensibus pompa.

Ed. H. J. Müller (Vienna 1887); ed. L. Hakanson (Leipzig, 1989).

6. (fols. 107–9)

Ps.-SENECA, De Remediis Fortuitorum

Rubric: Seneca de remediis fortuitorum.

Incipit: Licet cuntarum poetarum carmina gremium nostrum semper illustrent

Explicit: nescit et homo nimium.

Ed. F. Haase (Leipzig, 1902), pp. 446–57.

7. (fols. 109–11v; 112rv blank)

Ps.-SENECA (PUBLILIUS SYRUS), Prouerbia

Rubric: Incipiunt prouerbia Senece.

Incipit: Alienum est omne quicquid optando euenit

Explicit: si cuius progressum uideris non exitum eius firemque[sic] desperes.

Set out as prose. Ed. O. Friedrich (Berlin, 1880/1964); SK 545.

8. (fols. 113–22)

SENECA, De Prouidentia Dei (= Dial. 1)

Incipit: Quesisti a me Lucili quid prouidencia mundus ageretur

Explicit: generis humani est.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

9. (fols. )

SENECA, De Ira (= Dial. 3–5)

Incipit: Exegisti a me Nouate ut scriberem quemadmodum posset ira leniri

Explicit: uersamus nos immortalitas aderit.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

10. (fols. 145–53v)

SENECA, Ad Marciam Consolatio de Morte Filii (= Dial. 6)

Incipit: Nisi te Marcia scire tam longe ab infirmitate

Explicit: qui ista iam nouit.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

11. (fols. 153v-63)

SENECA, Ad Gallionem de Vita Beata (= Dial. 7)

Incipit: Si uere Gallio frater omnis beate uoluit

Explicit: qui laudat nauigacionem.

Final rubric:

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

12. (fols. 163–71v)

SENECA, Ad Serenum de Tranquillitate Animi (= Dial. 9)

Incipit: Ingrorenti[sic] michi in me quidam uicia apparebant

Explicit: quod per se timuisset ascendere.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

Followed by a short paragraph of text om. from c. 17: ‘Habes Serene karissime que possint tranquillitatem tueri ... circuiuit animum labentem.’

13. (fols. 172–85)

SENECA, Ad Paulinum de Breuitate Vitae (= Dial. 7)

Incipit: Maior pars mortalia Pauline de nature malignitate conqueritur

Explicit: humanioribus grauis fremitus circumsonat.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

14. (fols. 185–92)

SENECA, Ad Helbiam Matrem Consolatio (= Dial. 12)

Incipit: Sepe iam mater optima impetum cepi

Explicit: uadit omnibus seculis.

Ed. L. D. Reynolds (Oxford, 1977).

15. (fols. 192v-7v)

MARTIN OF BRAGA, Formula Honestae Vitae

Incipit: Quisquis prudenciam sequi desideras

Explicit: que per negligenciam fit.

CPL 1080; ed. C. W. Barlow, Martini Episcopi Bracarensis Opera Omnia (New Haven, CONN, 1950), pp. 236–50; Bloomfield 4457.

16. (fols. 198–201; 201v blank.)

SENECA, Apocolocyntosis

Incipit: Quid actum sit in celo ante diem

Explicit: ut a cogitacionibus abesset.

Ed. C. F. Russo (6th edn., Florence, 1965).

17. (fols. 202–39)

CICERO, De Officiis

Incipit: Quamquam te O Marce fili annum iam audientem

Explicit: si talibus monumentis preceptisque letabere.

Ed. M. Winterbottom (Oxford, 1994).

18. (fols. 239–40)

Ps.-SENECA, De Paupertate

Incipit: Honesta inquid Epicurus res est paupertas leta

Explicit: cupidos gloriosi reprehendunt.

Ed. F. Haase (Leipzig, 1902), pp. 56–9.

19. (fols. 240–9)

CICERO, De Senectute

Incipit: O Tite si quid ego adiuto curaui

Explicit: audistis re experti probare possitis.

Ed. K. Simbeck (Leipzig, 1917).

20. (fols. 249–54; 254v blank)

CICERO, De Paradoxis

Incipit: Animaduerti sepe Brute Catonem auunculum tuum

Explicit: ioculariter breuiter adulatorie.

Final rubric: Explicit liber Tulli de paradoxis.

Ed. O. Plasberg (Leipzig, 1908), R. Badali (Milan, 1968).

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: aut excidebat

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 260 leaves (iv + 256)

Dimensions (leaf): 285 × 190 mm.

Dimensions (written): 220 × 140 mm.

The edges retrimmed and stained yellow at the foot.

Collation

A bifolium, 1–3⁸, 4⁶, 5¹⁰, 6⁸, 7⁶, 8–10⁸, 11⁴, 12–14⁸, 15⁶, 16¹², 17¹⁰, 18–22¹², 23⁸(8 canc.), 24–9⁸, 30⁶(6 canc.); catchwords.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 40 lines.

Hand(s)

A single proficient bastard anglicana.

Decoration

On fols. 1–107 red initials flourished in violet; from f. 113 blue initials flourished in red; occasional plain blue initials and paraphs.

Binding

s. xix, sewn on four bands. fols. i-ii, 255–6 are paper binding leaves. f. iii, probably once a pastedown, has paper pasted to it for strengthening. On the verso are the marks of two straps, and of brass chain-staples near the head and foot. On f. 254v are the marks of the large iron chain-staple.

History

Origin: S. XIV med. ; script of English appearance.

Provenance and Acquisition

On f. iii^v(autograph?) ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed episcopi Cicestrensis quem emit de executoribus uenerabilis patris domini Simonis Islep’ Dei gracia archiepiscopi Cantuariensis. Oretis igitur pro utroque’, followed by a table of contents; in the hand of Reed’s clerk Walterus Roberti, ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ in communi libraria eiusdem et ad usum communem magistrorum et sociorum ibidem studencium cathenandus. Ex dono uenerabilis patris domini Willelmi tercii episcopi Cicestrie. Oretis igitur pro eodem et benefactoribus eiusdem ac fidelium animabus a purgatario liberandis. xxviii uolumen.’ For William Reed, fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8. Simon Islip d. 26 Apr. 1366. This book was part of Reed’s legacy.

At the head of f. 1 is the James no. ‘94’, s. xvii in.

On f. iv is ‘Q. 2. 3. Art:’, s. xvii. Inside the front board is the College bookplate with ‘Q. 2. 13. Art.’, canc. and replaced with ‘G. 1. 1. (CCXCVII)’ in red. ‘2’ is inked on the foredge, probably replacing a different number.

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. 118; Powicke, no. 550.

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

2019-10-25: First online publication