Merton College MS. 203B

Former shelfmark: H. 1. 9

Hymns; S. XV or XVI

Language(s): Greek

On some of the flyleaves there are pen-trials of uncertain date.

Hymns from the Greek liturgy, mainly for Saturday

1. (fols. 1r-10v)

A sequence of hymns for Sunday matins, incomplete at the beginning.

Incipit: άκουε θαυμάτων ούρανέ, ένωτί]ζου δὲ γή

as printed in the Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 14. It is followed by

Incipit: ύμνοΰμεν τό μέγα καί φρικτόν

Incipit: τόν ποιμένα τόν μέγαν καί κύριον

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885).

2. (fols. 11r-125v)

Seven sequences for Saturday vespers beginning with Echos B; the incipits are as follows:

(fols. 11r-24v)

Incipit: τόν πρό αίώνων έκ πατρός γεννηθέντα

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 109.

(fols. 24v-42r)

Incipit: τώ σώ σταυρώ Κύριε σώτερ

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 186.

(fols. 42r-60v)

Incipit: τόν ζωοποιόν σου σταυρόν

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 272.

(fols. 61r-77v)

Incipit: διὰ τού τιμίου σου σταυρού

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 362.

(fols. 77v-94r)

Incipit: νίκην έχων, Χριστέ, τήν κατὰ τού άδου

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 450.

(fols. 94r-110v)

Incipit: δεύτε άγαλλιασώμεθα τώ Κυρίω

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 534.

(fols. 110v-25v)

Incipit: έσπερινόν ϋμνον καί λογικήν λατρείαν

Pr. Parakletike (Rome, 1885), p. 616.

3. (fols. 126r-33v)

Exaposteilaria for matins

Incipit: τοϊς μαθηταϊς συνέλθωμεν

4. (fol. 133v)

A hymn for St George's day

Incipit: ώς γενναϊον έν μάρτυσιν

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Paper

Extent: 140 leaves (iii + 137)

Dimensions (leaf): 143 × 105 mm.

Dimensions (written): 110 × 70 mm.

135 only a stub. Fols. i-iii, 134–7 post-medieval flyleaves. Watermarked paper, but the leaves are too small to exhibit complete specimens that might be identified.

Collation

1⁸(lacks 1–2), 2⁸, 3⁴, 4–7⁸, 8¹⁰, 9⁸(lacks ?2), 10⁸, 11⁸(lacks 5), 12–17⁸, 18⁸(lacks 4–6); the upper right corner of 1r is marked with the letter δ in a hand much smaller than that of the scribe, which seems to indicate that 24 leaves are missing; part of this leaf has been torn away and there is slight damage also to fol. 87.

Layout

16 long lines. Ruling pattern not clearly visible.

Hand(s)

One scribe; the nad is clear but far from elegant. He used brown ink of various shades; initials are in faded carmine, and there is simple pen-work ornament on 84r.

Binding

s. xvii, blind-tooled polished calf over pasteboard. 26 is inked on the foredge; the spine has three paper labels marked 19, H. 1. 9 and 203B. Hooked around the first and last quires are parchment stubs, pastedowns in an earlier binding, from a document written in French, s. xv.

History

Origin: S. XV or S. XVI

Provenance and Acquisition

Inside the front board is the College bookplate, together with obsolte shelf-marks O. 8. 19 Art., canc., B. 2. 26 Arch., canc., H. 1. 9. and (203B) in red, and Q 5. 26 Arch., canc., and a note. s/ ?xvii, 'Liturgia Graeca Imperf.' On fol. iii^v 'Liber Bibliothecase Coll. Merton Oxon', and below in a different hand: 'Liturgia graeca desunt nonnulla.'

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

Online resources:

Pinakes | Πίνακες: Textes et manuscrits grecs

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

2019-11-18: First online publication

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