Merton College MS. 310

Former shelfmark: H. 3. 10

Ps.-GROSSETESTE &c.; S. XIV

Language(s): Latin

(fols.)

Fols. iv-v blank. The table of contents, s. xv, on f. v^v shows that after f. 60 are missing the last six books of art. 1, and ‘Epistola Lincolniensis ad magistrum Adam Rufum quod Deus est forma prima omnium creatorum’ (Epist. 1), ‘Epistola eiusdem ad comitissam Wyntonie de Iudeis non molestandis’ (Epist., 5), ‘Tractatus secundum [?Bacon smudged] de utilitate astronomie et operacione fidei’ (prob. Ps.-ALBERTUS MAGNUS, Speculum Astronomiae; Glorieux, Théol. 6dj; eTK 0975J), and from the end ‘Conclusiones textuales ... super libros de anima cum earum probaciones et mediis’.

1. (fols. 1–60v)

Ps.-ROBERT GROSSETESTE, Summa Philosophiae

Rubric: Incipit tractatus difficilium ad scientiam ueram uniuersaliter inspectancium ...

Incipit: Philosophantes famosi primi fuerunt Caldei

Explicit: (ends impf. in xii. 14) quia lineabus per directionem (catchwords linee ab)

Pr. without place 1498, Venice 1552 &c.; Thomson, Grosseteste, pp. 265–6; eTK 1040B.

At the foot of f. 1 is a couplet, s. xv: ‘Anni cum Domini transissent mille ducenti | Quinquaginta duo uero transiit iste sequenti’, labelled ‘Robertus’.

2. (fols. 61–90v)

‘Conclusiones textuales’ on ARISTOTLE, Physics

Incipit: (Beg. impf. in ii. 8) Dignius autem est quod principia sunt finita et contraria; Prima questio quod melius et dignius est ponere principia finita

Explicit: magnitudinem esse infinitam. Infinitum quasi igitur &c. Explicit &c.

3. (fols. 90v–6v)

‘Conclusiones textuales’ on ARISTOTLE, De Generatione et Corruptione

Rubric: Hic incipit primus liber de generacione.

Incipit: De generacione &c. Prima questio. Quia intendit in hoc libro s. de generacione et corrupcione de natura generatorum

Explicit: (ends impf. in ii. 2 q. 3) in aqua frigiditas terre (catchword) siccitas.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: ac contra Aristotelem

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 104 leaves (v + 99)

Dimensions (leaf): 260 × 180 mm.

Dimensions (written): 185 × 110 mm.

All edges retrimmed and spattered red. Contemporary foliation runs 1–60, 114–49.

Collation

A bifolium, 1–8¹²; catchwords. After 5 are missing four quires of 12 and a quaternion; more quires are missing from the end.

Layout

Ruled with pencil in 2 cols of 48 lines.

Hand(s)

A single English gothic rotunda bookhand, using pale ink. Running heads between specially ruled lines.

Decoration

On f. 1 an initial P in pink, blue and gold, with full vine-leaf border, enclosing the mitred bust of Grosseteste; red and blue flourished initials with partial borders; blue initials flourished in red; red or blue paraphs.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, repaired and rebacked; sewn on four bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i and 99 are modern paper blanks, ii-iii, 97–9 paper binding leaves, s. xvii, fols. ii and 98 from the same printed book as in MS 68. On f. iv, pasted down to an earlier binding, is the mark of a brass chain-staple near the foot of the foredge; on fols. v and 1 are rust-stains in the same position.

History

Origin: S. XIV ; script of English appearance.

Provenance and Acquisition

At the College by c. 1600; the James no. ‘16’ (wrongly) is at the head of f. v^v.

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with the contents, s. xvii, and ‘Q. 3. 12. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘H. 3. 10 (CCCX)’ in red; the College bookplate. ‘12’ 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. 123; Powicke, no. 1236; Alexander & Temple, no. 351 and pl. XXIV.

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