Language(s): Latin
1. Fol. 1ra–vb:
Incipit: ADAMANTIVS Donauit deus nomen quod est super omne nomen ihesu cristo hoc autem est ihesus Ideo in nomine ihesu omne genu flectitur
Explicit: in terram promissionis celestem hereditatem accipies per ihesum cristum dominum nostrum
The prologue to the subsequent gloss,
but in the form here, with an ‘Adamantius’ ascription, cited by Stegmüller (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11199 [7:320]) only from Tours, BM MS 85. It also appears in Besançon, BM MS 24; Paris, Bibliothèque de Ste. Geneviève MS 29; and our MS 21.
2. Fols. 1vb–33rb:
Incipit: [the text] Et factum est ut post mortem moysi serui dei […] [the gloss] ADAMANTIUS Moyses famulus meus defunctus est etc. Aduerte quomodo regnat ihesus
Explicit: [fol. 33ra, the gloss ends] sed omnes me dereliquerunt quod non illis imputabitur […] [the text ends] que data est ei in monte effraim
Joshua, with the ordinary gloss (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11786 [9:474–5]). At the end, half of fol. 33 and the entire verso are blank. 3. Fols. 34rb–49vc:
Incipit: [the text] ⟨P⟩ost mortem iosve consuluerunt filij israel dominum dicentes […] [fol. 34ra, the gloss] Isidorus Historia libri iudicum non parua misteriorum indicat sacramenta
Explicit: [fol. 49vb, the text ends] mortuusque est gedeon filius ioas in senectute [CW: bona et sepultus] ||
Explicit: [the gloss ends] fuisse factum non enim dicturum est posuit sed statuit quia ita ||
Judges (to 8:32), with the ordinary gloss (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11787 [9:475]), breaking off incomplete at a quire end, with a catchword that does not match the subsequent materials. 4. Fols. 50ra–56vb
Incipit: || [the text] habeo quod dum illi ostenderis statim restituet sed perge
Incipit: || [the gloss] Beda Apparuit angelus tobie et socium se prebuit et filius dei hominem
Explicit: [the text ends] tam deo quam hominibus et cunctibus habitantibus terre […] [the gloss ends] et singulos per diuersas mansiones pro meritorum diuersitate collocantibus
Tobit (beginning imperfectly at 5:3), with the ordinary gloss (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11797 [9:483]). 5. Fols. 57ra–68vb:
Incipit: [the gloss] Apud hebreos liber iudith inter agyographa legitur cuius auctoritas ad roboranda […] [fol. 57rb, the text] Arphaxat \Superbi Quo tempore historia iudith fuerit prenotatur/ itaque rex medorum subiugauerat multas \Superbi enim super omnes esse concupunt [sic for concupiunt]/ gentes
Explicit: [fol. 68va, the gloss ends] future uite recordatione Iuxta illud fleuimus dum recordaramur tui syon […] [the text ends] colitur a iudeis ex illo tempore usque ad presentem \confessoribus cristi quo per baptismum inimici potestatem eualerunt dum durat presens seculum/ diem Explicit
Judith, with the ordinary gloss (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11798 [9:483–4]) preceded by the standard prologue, Stegmüller, RB 335. 6. Fols. 69ra–79ra:
Rubric: [later, in a gloss-sized hand in the upper margin] Prologus in libro hester incipit
Incipit: Librum hester uariis translationibus constat esse in etatem quem ego de archiuis […] [the gloss] Susa metropolis perside quam aiunt historici mentionis fratrem […] [the text, fol. 69vb] In diebus assueri qui regnauit ab india usque ethiopiam super centum
Explicit: [fol. 77v, the gloss ends] pacem euangelii ho et alibi Rogate que ad pacem sunt ierusalem […] [the text ends] in sempiternum pro exemplo contemptus et inobediencie
Esther, with the ordinary gloss (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11799 [9:484–5]), preceded by the standard prologue, Stegmüller, Bibl. 341. Text and gloss presentation ceases at 10:3; thereafter only the text appears, in double-column format, written in a gloss-sized hand. At its end, fol. 79 has only a single gloss-sized column, and the leaf has been pared to those dimensions, a strip 95–100 mm wide. Most of this column is blank and the surviving verso blank and unruled. 7. Fols. 80ra–132vb
Incipit: Lvcas medicus antiochensis greci sermonis non ignarus scripsit euangelium […] [the gloss] Item actus apostolorum nudam uidentur sonare historiam et nascentis ecclesie infanciam […] [the text, fol. 80rb] Primum \id est euangelium totus liber euangelii unus sermo dicitur quia unum habet sensum uel singularem pro plurali/ quidem | [fol. 80va] sermonem fei [sic for feci] \scripsi/ de omnibus \modis doctrine/
Explicit: [the gloss ends, fol. 132va] iouis filius quia ferunt fabule castorem et pollucem filos [sic for filios] iouis fuisse ||
Explicit: [the text ends] Cumque inuicem non essent consentientes \f⟨ ⟩ et increduli/ dicebant dicente Paulo ||
Acts (to 28:25), with the ordinary gloss (Stegmüller, Bibl. 11831 [9:529–31]), preceded by its prologue. The original running title was ‘Lvcas’, on the first three openings erased and corrected to ‘Actus’, but thereafter simply ignored, although frequent pencilled notations indicate that ‘actus’ is correct. The final leaf has been used as a pastedown. Secundo Folio: puritate (in the gloss)
Form: codex
Support: Vellum (FSOS/FHHF).
Extent: ). Fols.
iii + 132 + ii (numbered fols. iv–v).
Dimensions (leaf): 370 × 245 mm.
Collation
1–38 410(–10, probably blank) [fol. 33, a production boundary] | 5–68 [probably three missing quires] 7–98 106 [fol. 79, a production boundary] | 1110 12–148 1510 1610(–10, probably mostly blank). Catchwords but no signatures. In quires 5 and 6, numbers and symbols in inner gutters to match up the sheets, e.g. fols. 42v and 43 are both marked ‘v’.
Condition
Fol. 79 has been pared to a single text column, and a substantial portion of the foot of fol. 115 cut away.
Layout
There are varying formats, depending on the extent of the gloss, but a basic conception of a writing area 237 × 150 mm. . In 46 lines for the gloss, 22 lines for the text. Frequent prickings in both margins; bounded and ruled in black ink.
Hand(s)
Written in gothic textura semiquadrata, the gloss above top line but the text below it. Punctuation by point only.
Decoration
No headings. Seven- to 9-line red and blue lombards at the heads of texts (an unfilled 12- or 13-line space at the head of Judges), with marginal flourishes in the same.
Chapters noted by alternate red and blue roman numerals in margins (guides survive, but many chapter numbers have been supplied later, often in response to originally misplaced guides, with old painting erased and correct penwork numerals supplied).
Verses begin with alternate red and blue 1-line lombards.
Marginal glosses are introduced by large alternating red and blue paraphs.
Running titles in alternate red and blue lombards identify the books.
See AT no. 254 (26), dating the book s. xiii2.
Binding
Modern replacement. Sewn on five thongs. Gold ‘16’ at the top of the spine; and in black ink on the leading edges. At the front, a marbled paper leaf and two modern paper flyleaves; at the rear, a modern paper leaf and another marbled paper leaf (iv–v). A College bookplate on the front pastedown.
Provenance and Acquisition
'Hic liber est commentarius Adamantij in Josua Judices Tobit Judith Esther et Acta’ (fol. 1, the leading edge margin; s. xvii).
'Liber Collegij Sanctj Johannis Baptistae Oxon’ ex dono venerabilis virj Rich Butler Doctoris Theologiae Archidiaconi Northamp ⟨ ⟩ procurante Reuerendo in Christo Patre Johanne Episcopo Roffensi 1613' (fol. 1).