Merton College MS. 298

Former shelfmark: O. 2. 8

PIERRE BERSUIRE; S. XIV 3/4

Language(s): Latin

Fols. i-ii blank. On f. ii^v is a brief table of contents, s. xv.

(fols. 1–373)

PETRUS BERCHORIUS, Repertorium Morale

Incipit: (Beg. impf.) unum autem cui seruiendum

Explicit: unum dum quod est singulorum seu hic uniquum. Sufficit.

Letters A-D, pr. as part I of the Venice edn. 1583; Stegmüller, Bibl. 6427.

(fols. 373–409)

Index to whole work,

with a prologue

Incipit: Notandum igitur quod in ista presenti tabula inuehitur qualiter secundum ordinem alphabeti scripciones uocabulorum et allegaciones locorum ubi de ipsis in dicto repertorio fit mencio

Explicit: quod quidem tabulam feci et conpilaui in curia romana anno Domini M. CCC XL ad beneplacitum paternitatis nostre et ad laudem et gloriam omnipotentis Dei qui ....

Final rubric: Explicit tabula super librum Diccionarii seu repertorii moralis. Vinum scriptori debetur de meliori.

Also in BAV, Pal. lat. 144 (s. xv). f. 409v blank.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: (f. 1) unum autem

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 413 leaves (ii + 410, incl. 343A)

Dimensions (leaf): 400 × 285 mm.

Dimensions (written): 310 × 200 mm.

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

Collation

A bifolium, 1⁸(lacks 1), 2–21⁸, 22¹⁰(+ 1 after 10), 23–42⁸, 43¹², a singleton, 44–6⁸, 47¹⁰, 48–9⁸, 50¹⁰(10 canc.); catchwords.

Layout

Ruled with fine pencil in 2 cols of 60 lines.

Hand(s)

A single French scribe writing expert littera textualis sine pedibus.

Decoration

On f. ii^v is a substantial setoff from decoration on the original f. 1, showing that it had a full vine-leaf border, framed miniature with a group of persons including a standing cardinal, and a large initial with foliage in a square frame. On f. 1 is a setoff from the verso of the original f. 1, with a large initial and vine-leaf border running down the intercolumnar space and into the upper and lower margins.

Handsome 14-line initials filled with vine-leaf foliage in colours on a square ground, with 3-sided vine-leaf borders, on fols. 179, 194v, 295, 373.

Champe initials.

Red or blue paraphs; red underlining.

Borders: see above.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on eight bands; formerly chained from the usual position. f. 410 is a paper binding leaf, made from two flattened bifolia from the same printed book as in MS 272. f. i was formerly a pastedown in an earlier binding.

History

Origin: S. XIV 3/4 ; France

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in France.

At the head of f. ii^v is ‘Liber domus de Merton ex dono magistri Henrici Seuer sacre pagine professoris ac custodis eiusdem incathenatus ad communem usum in libraria studere uolencium anno Domini CCCCLXVI’. For Sever, warden 1455–71, see MS 6.

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with contents, s. xvii, and ‘Q. 2. 14. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘O. 2. 8’ in red ink. Also pencilled ‘No CCXCVIII’; 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. 118; Powicke, no. 950; Alexander and Temple, no. 739.

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

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