Exeter College MS. 25
Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae; England, s. xiiex
Contents
Language(s): Latin
transl. Rufinus
pr. Augsburg, 1470, etc.; books I–V ed. F. Blatt, The Latin Josephus (Copenhagen, 1958). Blatt, no. 79, categorizes our manuscript as one of the p family of a northern group of manuscripts. The excision of leaves leads to a number of gaps in the text: fols. 6/7 from Blatt 145/2 to 149/24; fols. 7/8 from Blatt 153/16 to 160/25; 80v/81r a gap between bks. viii. 2 and viii. 3; fols. 87v/88r a gap between bks. viii. 9 and viii. 20 (Augsburg, 1470 edn. vii. 6 and x. 9); fols. 113v/114r a gap between bks. xi. 7 (xi. 5 and xi. 8(?)) (edn. xi. 5 and xi. 6); fols. 115v/116r a gap between bks. xi. 8 and xi(?) (edn. xi. 6 and xi. 8).
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
Two columns, 43 lines. Ruled in crayon.
Hand(s)
Written above top line in several good protogothic book hands verging on gothic. Chapter titles (rubrics) are in rustic capitals, but where lacking they were supplied in a cursive hand of s. xv. Capitula are in either a smaller version of the main hand or (as on fol. 21r) in a rather documentary script with longer ascenders and descenders. Punctuation is by low point and punctus elevatus. There are running titles in the cursive hand of s. xv.
Decoration
Red, blue, and green initials, 7/10-line, some with arabesque decoration, at beginnings of chapters; 3-line mostly plain red or blue but some with extenders and 1/2-line throughout. Rubrics, red stroking. Some marginalia are encircled in red. Alexander and Temple, no. 110.
Binding
Sewn on six bands. Standard Exeter binding: simple and quite elegant, calf over millboards, the calf bearing blind decoration of a floral type, early 19th century; sprinkled edges.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
On fol. 130r, in a large and competent gothic quadrata script, is ‘Ex dono domini Johannis [wrongly altered to Willelmi in a post-medieval hand] French capellani Collegij Regalis Etone. collegio Exonie in Oxonia. Orate pro anima eius.’ He died in 1457 (BRUO). The Rector’s Accounts for 1458 record payments to John Godysson, stationer, for chaining six volumes of which two were ex dono John French (Boase1, 21, Boase2, 40). Note that Boase1, 34, and Boase2, 59, attribute the gift of this manuscript to John French, Principal of Hart Hall, d. by Jan. 1552, and deduce from the ex dono that he was chaplain of Eton: these errors are taken over by BRUO 1501–1540.
Not recorded in Ecloga, but recorded as CMA, no. 40.
Exeter library identifications, on the front pastedown, are: bookplate 3, ‘Ex: Coll: Oxon:’ and ‘(Q8—5 Gall’ (the latter deleted); ‘C2—H’ (deleted), ‘172–G–5’ and ‘Coxe Cat. no. xxv’. ‘5’ is on a round paper label at the top of the spine.
Record Sources
Availability
For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Exeter College Library.
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Funding of Cataloguing
Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Rector and Fellows of Exeter College.
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2020-04-29: First online publication