Language(s): Latin
(fol. 1v)
List of contents, 16th-cent., probably in the hand of Sir John Price
" Gregorii Nazanzeni Apologeticus. Eiusdem vii sermones. Expositio Baptisterii. Ambrosius de obseruantia episcoporum. Augustinus contra v hereses. Didimus de spiritu sancto. Duodecim abusiua. "
Another hand entered this list also on the cover.
(fol. 2r)
List of contents, in the main hand.
" Haec sunt quae continentur in hoc libro. Apologeticus Gregorii Nazanzeni et .vii. sermones eiusdem. Expositio baptisterii. Ambrosius de obseruantia episcoporum. Augustinus contra .v. hereses. Didimus de spiritu sancto. Duodecim abusiua. "
(fols. 2r–78v)
Gregory of Nazianzus,
Orationes 1–8 tr. Rufinus CPL 198g. (fols. 2r–28r)
Apologeticus (or. 1) Rubric: (fol. 2r) Praefatio Rufini presbyteri de libris Gregorii.>
Incipit: Proficiscenti mihi ex urbe magnopere
Explicit: (fol. 2v) linguae habes peritiam magis probato.
Final rubric: Explicit praefatio.
Rubric: Incipit apologeticus Gregorii Nazanzeni.
Incipit: Victus sum et fateor
Explicit: (fol. 28r) et pastores in Christo Ihesu domino nostro, cui gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit apologeticus sancti Gregorii Nazanzeni episcopi.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 3–6, 7–84. (fols. 28r–35r)
De epiphaniis siue De natiuitate Christi (or. 2) Rubric: (fol. 28r) Incipit liber eiusdem de epiphaniis siue de natali domini.
Incipit: Christus nascitur gloriamini Christus in caelis
Explicit: (fol. 35r) per ipsum Ihesum Christum dominum nostrum cui est gloria et potestas in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit liber primus de epiphaniis.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 87–108. (fols. 35r–43v)
De luminibus siue secundis epiphaniis (or. 3) Rubric: (fol. 35r) Incipit .ii. de luminibus quod est secundis epiphaniis.
Incipit: Iterum Ihesus meus et iterum misterium
Explicit: (fol. 43v) uestra fulgeat coram hominibus, per Christum dominum nostrum cui est gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Fol. 43v has a vacant space for a rubric.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 117–137. (fols. 43v–50v)
De pentecoste et spiritu sancto (or. 4) Incipit: (fol. 43v) De sollempnitate huius diei pauca dicenda sunt
Explicit: (fol. 56v) exultatio sanctorum cum quo est deo patri gloria et potestas in spiritu sancto in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit tercius.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 141–163. (fols. 50v–57v)
De semetipso de agro reuerso (or. 5) Rubric: (fol. 50v) Incipit quartus insemetipso de agro regressus.
Incipit: Desiderabam uos o filii quia et pari mensura
Explicit: (fol. 57v) fide probabili tibi gloria et potestas in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit liber .iiii.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 167–189. (fols. 57v–62v)
De dictis Ieremiae (or. 6) Rubric: (fol. 57v) Incipit .v. de Ieremia dicta praesente imperatore apud quem et intercedit pro quodam periclitante.
Incipit: Ventrem meum uentrem meum doleo
Explicit: (fol. 62v) misericordiam speramus per Christum dominum nostrum uiuentem secum et regnantem cum spiritu sancto in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit .v.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 193–206. (fols. 62v–71r)
De reconciliatione et unitate monachorum (or. 7) Rubric: (fol. 62v) Incipit .vi. de reconciliatione et unitate monachorum.
Incipit: Linguam nostram soluit alacritas
Explicit: (fol. 71r) mentem custodiat corda uestra in Christo Ihesu domino nostro cui est gloria et potestas in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit liber .vi.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 209–233. (fols. 71r–78v)
De uastatione grandinis (or. 8) Rubric: (fol. 71r) Incipit .vii. de grandinis uastatione cum pater episcopus reticeret.
Incipit: Quid laudabilem soluitis ordinem
Explicit: (fol. 78v) fructificauit primo in Christo Ihesu domino nostro, cui est gloria et potestas in saecula saeculorum Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit liber .viii. Gregorii Nazanzeni episcopi.
ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 46 (1910), pp. 237–261. (fols. 78v–91r)
Leidrad,
De sacramento baptismi Rubric: (fol. 78v) Incipit explanatio baptisterii
(entered in new hand, blue ink; fol. 79r) Incipit: Praecipere nobis dignati estis
Explicit: (fol. 91r) transferendo de regno ad regnum, rex regum et dominus dominantium.
Final rubric: Explicit liber iste.
ed. PL 99, 853–872. (fols. 91r–120v)
Didymus Caecus of Alexandria,
De spiritu sancto tr. Jerome Rubric: (fol. 91r) Incipit liber Didimi de spiritu sancto.
Incipit: Omnibus quidem quae diuina sunt
Explicit: (fol. 120v) nostri non ignorare sermonis.
Final rubric: Explicit liber Didimi de spiritu sancto.
CPL 615f (A), CPG 2544, Lambert 258. (fols. 120v–127v)
Pseudo-Cyprian,
De XII abusiuis saeculi Rubric: (fol. 120v) Incipit epistola sancti Cipriani martyris. de duodecim abusiuis.
Incipit: Duodecim abusiua sunt saeculi
Explicit: (fol. 127v) esse incipiat in futuro.
CPL 1106. (fols. 130r–135r)
Pseudo-Ambrose,
Libellus de dignitate sacerdotali Rubric: (fol. 130r)Ambrosii Mediolanensis episcopi liber de obseruantia episcoporum incipit.
Incipit: Siquis frater oraculum domini reminiscatur
Explicit: (fol. 135r) quae te sanctis dare promististi. Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit.
Vacant lines follow.
CPL 171a. (fols. 135v–136r)
Jerome,
Praefatio in libro Didymi Alexandrini De spiritu sancto Rubric: (fol. 135r) Incipit prefatio sancti Ieronimi presbiteri in Didimum de spiritu sancto. ad Paulinianum.
Incipit: Cum in babilone uersarer et
Explicit: (fol. 136r) quam simplicitate uerborum.
CPL 615b. Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: iv + 135 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 205 × 140 mm.
Foliation: Foliation in modern pencil from 1 to 136, beginning on the final upper endleaf, in the upper right corner in Arabic numerals.
Collation
a
4 (1,2 pastedowns) + 1–10
8 11
12 12–14
8 15
12 16
8 (8 pastedown). The last quire is an addition but was probably made to be appended here, as is suggested by its equal layout and last text, Jerome’s preface to Didymus’s
De spiritu sancto, absent from the text on fols. 91r–120v.
Secundo Folio: dauid aperiat
Layout
33 long lines. No prickings visible, ruled in drypoint. 155–165 × 90–95 mm.
Hand(s)
Hand A: fols. 2r–127v, a medium-quality English protogothic hand of s . xii2/4. This hand also executed the rubrics, bar the incipit in blue ink on fol. 78v, which is by a near-contemporary.
Hand B: fols. 130r–136v or quire 16, a medium-quality English protogothic hand of s . xii2/3; the rubrics on fols. 130r and 135v are in this or a new hand.
Decoration
Fol. 2r: a green arabesque initial P, decorated in red and blue. The subsequent texts in the original unit (up to fol. 129) open with arabesque initials, with lesser or no decoration in one or two colours (red, blue, green). Fol. 135v: a red initial C, with a bearded face inside the lobe.
Binding
Romanesque. Whittawed skin over oak boards. The binding represents an English technique known from only a few manuscripts. Christopher Clarkson, ‘A Hitherto Unrecorded English Romanesque Book Sewing Technique’, in Roger Powell: The Compleat Binder, J. Sharpe (ed.), Bibliologia, vol. 14 (Turnhout, 1996), pp. 215–239.
Provenance and Acquisition
Cirencester Abbey (OSA). The book was recorded in the Registrum Angliae de libris doctorum et auctorum ueterum (R3.1; R18.2, 13, 14) in the fourteenth century and it appears in the list of the books of John Price’s donation to the College, an identification confirmed by the title on the cover in his hand.
John Price: a list contents in his hand (fol. ii verso). An identical book appears in Nomina Librorum Manuscriptorum ex Donatione Iohannis Prise Equitis Aurati Herefordiensis.
Gregory Price (1535–1600).
Willed to Jesus College. Pressmarks: ‘91’, ?15th cent. (spine); ‘I Arch. I–3’, 17th cent. (ink on paper); ‘MS. Jesus Coll. E. 3’, 19th cent. (printed on paper); fol. i recto: ‘2031 = 12’, ?16th cent. (originally ‘12’, the previous added); ‘1 Arch. 1–3’, ?16th cent.; fol. 1r: ‘numb 12’, ?16th cent. Title on the cover, ‘Gregor Nazien Opera’, in a hand possibly appearing in Jesus College 2 as well.
