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

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MS. Bodl. 155

Summary Catalogue no.: 1974

Contents

1.
Gospels

The four Gospels (fols. 1v, 58, 94, 147), each originally preceding by Jerome's prefaces and lists of tituli, imperfect before Matt. i. 3, Matt. i.10–17, and a leaf lost after fol. 55. The 'Ammonian' sections of Eusebius are in the margins.

Language(s): Latin
2.
Capitulare evangeliorum (Benedictine use)

Introduction (182v: Incipit argumentum); Christmas tide (182v); the months January-March (183) with 9 weeks after the Epiphany (184); Septuagesima-Easter (185); Easter tide (187), including April and May (187v); Whitsun tide (189) with the months June-December (189v); the 24 Sundays after Pentecost (192v) and the 5 weeks of Advent (194v). The Wednesdays and Fridays after Pentecost have titles and spacing for the texts, the latter have not been filled in.

In the passions (45v) only 2 parts are indicated, c and t.

Language(s): Latin
3. (fol. 196v)

Added items:

3(i).

List of lands held by ‘Gilbert’ in Stifford, Essex, added late eleventh/early twelfth century.

Language(s): Old English
3(ii).

Charter of abbess Ælfgiva of Barking, added twelfth century.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
i + 2 + 196 + i fol.; fol. 1 fragmentary.
Dimensions (leaf): 265 × 202 mm.
Dimensions (written): 205 × 105 mm.

Layout

26 lines

Decoration

Fine miniatures (drawings). Partly mutilated. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 41, pl. IV)

History

Origin: 11th century, beginning ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

Capitulare list perhaps copied from MS. Auct D. 2. 16.

Barking Abbey, 12th century (added entries, fol. 196v)

Stephen Batman, d. 1584 (inscription 'Stephan Batman the true onor of thys booke, which coste xx [shillings?]'; added drawing by him, fol. iii)

Acquired by 1602 (Summary Catalogue I, p. 85)

Record Sources

Description adapted (2018) from the following sources: S. J. P. Van Dijk, Handlist of the Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford : Vol. 1: Mass Books (typescript, 1957), p. 22 [contents, physical description] Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, III (1973), no. 41 [decoration, origin] Summary Catalogue (1922) [contents, provenance].
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 142

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (5 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2019-01-28: Description revised in light of van Dijk, Pächt and Alexander, and SC.