St John's College MS 123
Vulgate Bible
Contents
Language(s): Latin
in Ker’s ‘usual order’ (MMBL 1:96–7). At the heads of books, rubrics have been corrected to the taste of a later user (s. xv med., secretary), with Hebrew titles and liturgical occasions noted. The MS includes both the Prayer of Manasses and 2/3 Ezra. In the New Testament, John is followed by Acts, the Catholic epistles, the Pauline epistles, and Apocalypse. 1 Thess. precedes Col. (the s. xv hand notes the appropriate text order, fol. 523ra).
The prologues for the Pauline epistles are only fragmentarily represented. The MS lacks Stegmüller, RB 699, to 2 Cor. (fol. 515rb), RB 707 to Gal. (fol. 518va), RB 715 to Eph. (fol. 520rb), RB 747 to 1 Thess. (fol. 523rb), RB 736 to Col. (fol. 524rb), RB 752 to 2 Thes. (fol. 525rb), RB 780 to Titus (fol. 528rb), and RB 793 to Hebrews (fol. 529ra).
Two prologues include additional material: Obadiah has a third prologue, Stegmüller, RB 516 (fol. 408ra); and Jonah a third prologue, RB 522 (fol. 408vb). And two prologues do not represent the standard set: Stegmüller, RB 670 introduces Romans, instead of 677 (fol. 505ra); and RB 834 heads the Apocalypse, instead of 839 (fol. 533ra).
Flyleaf texts
below it other additions, s. xiv in.
‘nota versus supra libros biblie Genuit ex leui num deuto Ios Iudic ruth […] ’ ; cf. Walther, no. 7141, as well as nos. 5673, 7146, 18824.
Physical Description
Collation
1–1524 1616 17–2324 2414 [then tentatively] 2510 2614 2714 ( –3, –4, the first a stub, and the flyleaf fol. iii appears pasted to it). One later catchword, under the inner column on fol. 424v; some fragmentary signatures, which suggest that all leaves to the centre opening in each quire were assigned roman numerals, occasionally letters (full sets, roman numerals in red, with letter signatures a and b in quires 12 and 13).
The first quire may have been a separate booklet. At the end of Genesis, most of fol. 24va and all of 24vb are blank. At the head of the next quire, fol. 25ra–va has a table for Exodus.
Layout
In double columns, each column 160 × 46 mm. , with 10 mm between columns, in 46 lines to the column. No prickings; bounded and ruled in black ink, brown ink, and brown crayon.
Hand(s)
Written in gothic textura semiquadrata with decorative topline ascenders (the first fifty or so folios perhaps by a different scribe). Punctuation by point and occasional punctus elevatus.
Decoration
At the head of Genesis (fol. 4rb) a full-column I with vine and leaf and animal and bird forms in orange, brown, and white on a blue ground.
At the heads of prologues and books, 5- to 8-line blue and violet champes with bar extenders, vine interlace, and shapes similar to those in the large initial.
At chapter heads, alternating 2-line blue and red lombards on flourishing of the other colour.
Red chapter numbers or spelled-out numbers (in a few places, alternating red and blue roman numerals).
Red-slashed capitals to divide text.
Running titles for books in alternate red and blue lombards.
Ten historiated initials, generally 8 lines, except as indicated:
Fol. 1ra: Jerome visited by the Holy Spirit while writing (seven lines);
Fol. 56ra (Numbers): the horned Moses before the Jews (12 lines);
Fol. 146ra (3 Reg.): David in his bed with three watchers;
Fol. 188vb (2 Par.): Solomon enthroned with sceptre;
Fol. 210ra (Nehemiah): two men shaving the hair of an apostate Jew kneeling and bound to a pillar (?);
Fol. 223ra: the blinding of Tobit;
Fol. 227rb: Judith beheading Holofernes;
Fol. 239va: Job on the dunghill with the three comforters;
Fol. 250rb (Psalms): David harping;
Fol. 279ra (Proverbs): Solomon enthroned with his sceptre teaching a boy from a book.
See AT, no. 685 (68).
Binding
Brown leather over wood, s. xvi, with rolls and stamps; rebacked, probably s. xviii or xix. The rolls are of oldham’s type HM.g, although not apparently identical to any of the examples illustrated. Sewn on four thongs. Marks left from earlier straps and clasps (the clasp seatings in the lower board fairly recently repaired); inside the front cover, verdigris stains and holes from a chain-staple in Watson’s position 6. Pastedowns of modern paper over earlier cloth. On the front pastedown a paper declaration of gift (see Provenance). At the front, two paper flyleaves; at the rear, a medieval vellum flyleaf and a modern paper one (iii–iv).
History
Provenance and Acquisition
A shield, azure, three birds or (two above, one beneath), on a bed of leaves in argent and gules, presumably the arms of the donor; below, a motto on golden ribbon ‘Vertu est la vray ⟨ho?⟩nevr’; below this the inscription: ‘This Manuscript of the old and New Testament is presented wth all Pleasure and Humility to be deposited in perpetuity in the Library of Saint Johns College Oxford by me Charles Margas London October 20th 1729’ (the front pastedown). Fol. ii records the MS as belonging to St John’s on 1 November 1729.
Record Sources
Availability
For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact St John's College Library.
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Thompson Family Charitable Trust
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2022-11: First online publication