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

St John's College MS 158

Anselm of Bec, ? Poenitentiale Egberti, Ivo of Chartres, Peter Damian

Contents

Physical Description

Comprising two (perhaps more) originally separate MSS
Form: codex
Support: Comprising two (perhaps more) originally separate MSS, both on vellum (both HSOS/HFFH).
Extent: Fols. iii + 146 + iii (numbered fols. iv–vi).
Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 140 mm.

Binding

A modern replacement. The loose spine shows four thongs, but the MS was actually sewn on only three. At the front, a marbled paper leaf (dated 1841 on the verso) and two modern paper flyleaves; at the rear, two modern paper flyleaves and another marbled paper leaf (iv–vi).

History

Origin: s. xii2/2 variously ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

‘Hic liber est ecclesie Sancte Marie de Suwic’ [Southwick] Quem qui ei abstulerit uel aliud aliquid fecerit quom⟨ ⟩nus eius sit nisi eidem condigne satisfecent sit anathema maranatha amen’ (fol. 139, lower margin; s. xii/xiii) (Ker, MLGB 181).

A contents list (fol. 1, lower margin; s. xvii).

Manuscript 1 = Fols. 1–38

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. Fols. 1ra–32rb:
Rubric: Incipit liber sancti ANSELMI Cant’ Archiepiscopi qui dicitur Cvr deus homo Incipit prologus
Incipit: [water damage] propter quosdam qui antequam perfectum et exquisitum esset primas partes eius […]
Rubric: [fol. 2rb] Incipit liber Cur deus homo
Incipit: Sepe et studiosissime a multis rogatus sum et uerbis et litteris quatinus cuiusdam
Explicit: [fol. 32ra] quod nos rationabiliter inuenisse existimamus deo non nobis attribuire | debemus qui est benedictus in secula amen
Final rubric: Explicit liber qui [as the initial rubric]
ANSELM, Cur deus homo

Sharpe, no. 120 (59–61), ed. Franciscus S. Schmitt, Sancti Anselmi Opera, 6 vols. (Edinburgh, 1946–61), 2:42–133. A contents table intervenes between the preface and the text (fols. 1rb–2ra).

2. Fols. 32rb–35ra:
Rubric: Incipit meditatio anime cristiane edita a beato ANSELMO
Incipit: Anima cristiana anima de graui morte resuscitate anima de misera seruitute
Explicit: eam amor tuus Occupet me totum et possideat totum quia tu es cum patre [form ending] Amen
Final rubric: Explicit Meditatio Anime cristiane
ANSELM, ‘Meditatio 3',

ed. Schmitt, 3:84–91.

3. Fols. 35ra–8va:
Rubric: Incipivnt capitvla libri de conceptu virginali et de originali peccato […] [fol. 35va] Incipit Liber ANSELMI cantvarien’ archiepiscopi de conceptu virginali et de originali peccato
Incipit: ⟨C⟩vm in omnibus religosę tuę uoluntati uelim si possim obsequi frater et fili karissime Boso
Explicit: conceptum sum et in peccatis concepit me mater mea Qeram [sic for Queram] igitur si possum ||
ANSELM, De conceptu uirginali

Ed. Schmitt, 2:139–48/14, breaking off in ch. 7. Preceded by a contents table (fol. 35ra–va). The text simply stops, with fol. 38vb blank.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: Quod idem (fol. 2)
Secundo Folio: pre filiis (fol. 3)
Support: vellum (HSOS/HFFH)
Extent: Fol. 38.

Collation

110 2–48 58 (–5, –6, –7, –8, all cancelled and stubs). No catchwords or signatures.

Layout

In double columns, each column 145 × 50 mm. , with 7 mm between columns, in 30 lines. Prickings; bounded and ruled in stylus.

Hand(s)

Written in protogothic hookhand, s. xii3/4, one scribe for each text. Punctuation by point and punctus elevatus (scribe 1); scribe 2 uses, in addition, the punctus interrogativus; and by point only (scribe 3).

Decoration

Headings in red, a fair number unfilled.

At the head of items 1 and 2, 5-line blue arabesque capitals with red vine-work.

At textual divisions, 2-line plain capitals, in red, green, blue, violet, a number of the spaces provided (including fol. 35va at the head of item 3) again unfilled.

History

Origin: s. xii3/4 ; England

Manuscript 2 = Fols. 39–146, Booklet 1 = Fols. 39–96

Contents

Language(s): Latin

4.
Fols. 39–76, 81–95v
Incipit: [a note of s. xii ex., partly cut off, at the top of the leaf: ‘hec continent penitentialem et tractat de dedicatione et sacramentis ecclesie’] Qvamquam in svperioribvs hvivs libelli partibus tam ex sentenciis patrum sanctorum quam ex canonibus […]
Rubric: [fol. 41, the text] I. Capitalia crimina
Incipit: Nunc igitur capitalia crimina explicabo prima svperbia sicut scriptum est inicium omnis peccati superbia—sciendum uero pro qualitate criminum uarietas temporum posita est / /
Rubric: xl De commemoratione defunctorum […]
Incipit: Missa pro mortuis in hoc differt a consueta misa quod sine gloria et alleluia
Explicit: Quia qui bene ministrat bonum gradum sibi adquirit apud eum qui est super omnia deus benedictus in secula seculorum amen

A text related to ECGBERHT OF YORK, Poenitentiale (Sharpe, no. 251 [105–6]), ed. Arthur W. Haddan and William Stubbs, Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents relating to Great Britain and Ireland, 3 vols. (Oxford, 1869–71), 3:416–31, with substantial additions ascribed to GREGORY THE GREAT. A contents table for the whole follows the preface (fols. 39v–41). The foot of fol. 76 is blank, at the end of ch. 39; given the number of scribes and quiring, the text had been divided for copying, and the materials intervening between the two sections probably represent contemporary additions to fill blank leaves. Fol. 96rv is blank.

Added texts:

a. Fols. 76v–7v:
Rubric: Incipit ordo ad dandam penitentiam qualiter episcopi uel presbiteri penitentes suscipere debeant
Incipit: Quotienscumque cristiani ad penitentiam accedunt ieiunia eis imponimus
Explicit: ad bona pacis premii tui atque ad celestem peruenire uitam mereatur per dominum

At least at the incipit, HALITGAR OF CAMBRAI, Liber poenitentialis, ed. PL 105:693.

b. Fols. 78–80:
Incipit: Sicut turris dauid collum tuum […] Vos clerici uos prelati quos in suo palatio in sua magna domo
Explicit: eos perducatis ubi angeli et anime sanctorum illo pane reficiuntur qui est dominus noster [form ending] Amen

Unidentified.

c. Fol. 80:
Incipit: Svper Lucam spiritus sanctus superueniet in te […] Superueniens spiritus in uirginem et mentem illius castificauit a sorde uiciorum ut celesti digna esset partui
Explicit: corpus in ea suscepit humanitatis ut sic posset dominum pati

A fragment of an unidentified sermon on Luke 1:35.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: De incestis (fol. 40)
Support: vellum (HSOS/HFFH)
Extent: Fols. 108.
Dimensions (written): 155–60 × 93 mm.

Collation

68 710 8–128. No catchwords or signatures.

Layout

In long lines, 24 lines to the page. Prickings; bounded and ruled in brown ink and brown crayon.

Hand(s)

A cooperative effort by several scribes: after a number of short stints at the start, fols. 46–71v by a single hand, s. xii med.; then another succession of scribes, with different hands at fols. 72–6, the top of 76v, 76v–7v, 78–80, 81–95v, all writing protogothic bookhand of s. xii med. or early s. xii2/2. Punctuation by punctus elevatus and punctus versus (fols. 46–71v); and by point, punctus elevatus, and punctus versus (fols. 81–95v).

Decoration

Headings in red.

Two-line arabesque initials in red and green at the head of the forty-odd sections.

History

Origin: s. xii med. or early s. xii2/2 ; England

Manuscript 2, Booklet 2 = Fols. 97–138

Contents

Language(s): Latin

5. Fols. 97–138v:
Rubric: Sermo In dedicatione Ecclesie
Incipit: Quoniam ad dedicationem presentis basilice hodie deuote conuenistis oportet ut quid in his fabricis
Explicit: Neque id fit ueraciter atque sinceriter nisi uere delctatione iusticie habere autem in fide cristi
IVO OF CHARTRES, sermones 4, 1–3, 5–6, 8, 17,

with a paragraph of extra material at the end, ed. PL 162:527–35, 505–27, 535–66, 568–9, 598–9.

Physical Description

Support: vellum (HSOS/HFFH)
Dimensions (written): 167–78 × 85–93 mm.

Collation

13–158 1610 178. No catchwords or signatures.

Layout

In long lines, 32–6 lines to the page (the writing becomes progressively more closely packed). No prickings; bounded and ruled in lead.

Hand(s)

A single scribe, contemporary with the rest. Punctuation by point and punctus elevatus.

Decoration

Headings in red (a number of spaces unfilled).

Three- and 4-line red and green arabesque initials at incipits and major divisions of texts.

History

Origin: contemporary with the rest ; England

Manuscript 2, Booklet 3 = Fols. 139–46

Contents

Language(s): Latin

6. Fols. 139–46v:
Rubric: Incipit liber dominus vobiscvm PETRI DAMIANI Ad Leonem Inclvsvm
Incipit: Domno leoni amore superne libertatis incluso petrus peccator monachus quicquid seruus et filius Non ignorat sanctitatis uestrę prudentia dilectissime pater quia te non
Explicit: absint per moles corporum presto sunt per unitatis ęcclesiastice sacramentum
PETER DAMIAN, Dominus vobiscum

Chs. 1–18 only, ed. PL 145:231–46.

Physical Description

Support: vellum (HSOS/HFFH)
Dimensions (written): 175 × 112 mm.

Collation

188. No signatures.

Layout

In long lines, 35 lines to the page. Partial prickings; bounded and ruled in lead.

Hand(s)

A single hand of s. xii med. or xii3/4. Punctuation by point and punctus elevatus.

Decoration

Headings in red.

Blue 2-line arabesque capital at the head; similar ones in red, some of them with gold touches, at textual divisions.

One small red capital to divide the text.

History

Origin: s. xii med. or xii3/4. ; England

Additional Information

Record Sources

Ralph Hanna, A descriptive catalogue of the western medieval manuscripts of St. John's College, Oxford (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002)

Availability

For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact St John's College Library.

Bibliography

    Arthur W. Haddan and William Stubbs (eds.), Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents relating to Great Britain and Ireland, 3 vols. (Oxford, 1869–71).
    N. R. Ker, Medieval Libraries of Great Britain: A List of Surviving Books. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks. 2nd edn. (London, 1964), extended by Andrew G. Watson, MLGB: Supplement to the Second Edition. RHS Guides and Handbooks 15 (1987).
    Jacques-Paul Migne (ed.), Patrologia Latina 105 (Paris, 1851).
    Jacques-Paul Migne (ed.), Patrologia Latina 145 (Paris, 1853).
    Jacques-Paul Migne (ed.), Patrologia Latina 162 (Paris, 1854).
    Franciscus S. Schmitt (ed.), Sancti Anselmi Opera, 6 vols. (Edinburgh, 1946–61).
    Richard Sharpe, A Handlist of the Latin Writers of Great Britain and Ireland before 1540. Publications of the Journal of Medieval Latin 1 (Turnhout, 1997).

Funding of Cataloguing

Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Thompson Family Charitable Trust

Last Substantive Revision

2023-01: First online publication

See the Availability section of this record for information on viewing the item in a reading room.