Merton College MS. 307

Former shelfmark: H. 3. 8

JULIUS CAESAR; S. XII med.

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1–100; 100v-1v blank)

Rubric: G. Iulii Cesaris belli gallici liber primus incipit de narratione temporum.

Incipit: Gallia est omnis diuisa in partes tres

Explicit: (f. 87) xx. supplicatio redditur. Explicit liber vii. Et notandum vii. precedentes libros a Gaio Cesare singulis annis Gallici belli conscriptos.

AULUS HIRTIUS, De bello Gallico, liber 8

Incipit: Prologus Hyrcii Panse ad Balbum in ea que secuntur. Coactus assiduis tuis uocibus

Incipit: Omni Gallia deuicta

Explicit: potius disceptandi quam belli gerendi.

Final rubric: Auli Hircii Panse rerum gestarum Gaii Cesaris liber viii. explicit feliciter. Restant eiusdem libri usque ad mortem Cesaris.

The seven genuine books plus the eighth of Aulus Hirtius. Ed. W. Hering (Leipzig, 1987), W. Klotz (2nd edn., Leipzig, 1957).

In the outer margin of f. 1 is a note by the scribe on the writings of Caesar and Aulus Hirtius. Marginal nota-marks and brief glosses by the scribe passim, seeming to indicate a French exemplar, e.g. f. 7v (against ‘in castris Heluitiorum’) ‘Vltra Ligerim ubi oppidum Gortonam condiderunt non longe a Borbono quod tunc Gorgobia dicebatur’, f. 16 (against ‘oppidum Remorum nomine Bibrax’) ‘Laudunum clauatum’, f. 39v (against ‘naues quae in melius haeduis facte’) ‘Aliter in Meldis facte erant’, f. 56 ‘Nota tempore quo coniuratio fuit Catilinam sicut apud Salustium legitur’, f. 65 ‘Mons Gebenna est qui moderno nomine dicitur Recordana’, f. 65v (of ‘Gorgobiam’) ‘Modo nominatur Berbonum’, f. 66 ‘Nouiodunum modo nominatur Dunum’ (the text has ‘in uia dunum’), f. 66v (of ‘oppidum Auaricum’) ‘Tolosa’, f. 78 (against ‘Metiosedum’) ‘Miladunum’. On fols. 56v-7 Lucan is quoted. In the margins of fols. 40v, 44, and 49rv, a later hand has marked passages with ‘Incipe’ or ‘Hic incipe’ and ‘Hucusque’.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: oportebat ut

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 108 leaves (iv + 104)

Dimensions (leaf): 280 × 185 mm.

Dimensions (written): 195 × 115 mm.

Collation

A singleton, 1–12⁸, 13⁸(6–8 canc.).

Layout

Ruled, the frame with stylus, otherwise with plummet, in 30 long lines. Pricked in the outer margins only.

Hand(s)

One practised English protogothic bookhand.

Decoration

Plain red or green initials accompanied by tituli in the other colour. f. 1 opens with an initial in both colours.

Binding

s. xix. fols. i-iii, 102–3 are paper blanks. On f. 101 is the mark of the large iron chain-staple.

History

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

Provenance and Acquisition

At the head of f. 1 is ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ ex legato M. Joh’ Raynham sacre pagine professoris et quondam socii eiusdem domus.’ For Reynham, fellow 1335–58, d. 1376, see MS 18.

On f. iv^v is the mark of an electio, ‘49 James’, presumably William James (BRUO 1012–13), fellow in 1376, still in 1411.

On f. iv^r is a title of s. xvii. Inside the front board is the College bookplate, with ‘Q. 3. 9. Art:, canc. and replaced with ‘H. 3. 8 (CCCVII)’ in red. ‘9’ 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. 122; Powicke, no. 361; B. Munk Olsen, L’Étude des auteurs classiques latins aux XI et XII Siècles (Paris, 1982), I, p. 43.

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

2019-11-05: First online publication

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