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

MS. Bodl. 159

Summary Catalogue no.: 2009

Physical Description

Composite: four parts
Extent: vi + 312 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 12.5 × 9.25 in.

Decoration

Illuminated capitals.

Binding

White leather on boards, clasps lost, 15th cent. English work, re-backed.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Crediton, Devon, collegiate church of Holy Cross: fol. 257r 'Liber magistri Ricardi ... r... assignatur [?] et datur [?] magistro Johanni Lyndon decano Criditon'. (MLGB)

'Liber Johannis Lyndon' (foll. iv, 257): in the same hand is a list of the contents of the whole volume.

'Guilihelmi Muggi liber ex dono magistri Georgii ⟨Ma⟩son,' 16th cent.

Presented by William Ballow, of Christ Church, Oxford, in May 1604, he being proctor at the time.

MS. Bodl. 159 – Part A

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 1)
Augustine, Sermones de uerbis domini et apostoli
Rubric: Omelie beati Augustini de Verbis Domini & apostoli
Incipit: Evangelium audiuimus & in eo Dominum

Eighty-nine in number: the title is added.

On five preceding leaves are a list of the sermons, and two sermons. (De non jurando by Augustine, and De Carne, Mundo et Diabolo, beg. 'Adiuua me Domine, ... Corpus fugere': Migne's Patrol. Lat. 38. 962 and [?]): the latter sermon is imperfect, fol. vi being mutilated.

2. (fol. 109v)
Ps.-Augustine, Sermones ad fratres in eremo
Rubric: Sermones Augustini episcopi morales ad Fratres in heremo

Twenty-five sermons (with notes), a list of which is on fol. 130v.

Fols. 131–143r are occupied with indexes of subjects to the two preceding articles.

3. (fol. 143v)
Paulinus of Aquileia, De salutaribus documentis
Rubric: Epistola Augustini ad Julianum comitem

Followed at fol. 154 by an index of subjects.

4. (fols. 155, 156, 159, 179, 180v, 181v, 182, 182v, 244)
Augustine, Sermons

Nine separate sermons by or attributed to st. Augustine (Migne's Patrol. Lat. 39. 1946, [?], 39. 1783, 39. 2206, 39. 2301, 39. 2303, 39. 2307, 39. 2237, 39. 2264): the one without a reference in Migne beg. 'Quemadmodum desiderat ceruus ... O fons vite'.

5. (fol. 157v)
Patrick of Dublin, De tribus habitaculis animae
Rubric: Augustinus de gaudio electorum et de supplicio damnatorum
6. (fol. 161)
Prick of Conscience (Latin translation)
Rubric: Liber nuncupatus Stimulus consciencie
Incipit: (prologue) Ab eterno et ante tempora

In seven books, with lists of chapters.

At fol. 182 is 'Seneca de Ebrietate', an extract from one of Seneca's letters, and at fol. 244v 'De collacione huius vite transitorie ad vitam eternam', beg 'Eripe me de inimicis ... Sic viuere debemus'.

For items 7–10 (fols. 185–232) see part B.

11. (fol. 233)
Jerome, Letters (extracts)
Rubric: Notabilia extracta de epistolis sancti Jeronimi [added title]
(fol. 241)

An extract from Jerome's Rescriptio de cessatione legalium

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Layout

2 cols.

Hand(s)

Several hands.

History

Origin: 15th century, early ; English

MS. Bodl. 159 – Part B

Contents

Language(s): Latin

7. (fol. 185)
Jerome, Letters

Letters of st. Jerome ad Eustochium virginem, ad Heliodorum (fol. 198v, cf. 160v), ad Nepotianum (fol. 201). Before this set of letters some blank columns on foll. 183v-184 are filled with extracts from st. Jerome and his Epistola ad Pammachium (fol. 184).

8. (fol. 206)
Jerome, Vita S. Malchi
Rubric: Vita Malchi monachi captiui conscripta a beato Jeronimo

Followed by a story 'de quadam virgine que sibi nasum abscidit ne desponsaretur'.

9. (fol. 208)
John Chrysostom, De muliere Chananaea (Latin translation)
Rubric: Crisostomus de muliere Cananea
Incipit: Multe temptaciones
10.
(fol. 213)
Pelagius, Liber de uita christiana
Rubric: Liber Aurelii Augustini ... de Vita Christiana
(fol. 221v)
Ps.-Augustine, De diligendo Deo
Rubric: Meditaciones de dileccione Dei

With list of chapters.

(fol. 227)
Augustine, De perfectione iustitiae hominis
Rubric: Liber ... de Perfeccione Iusticie

With list of chapters.

On fols. 232, 256 have been added the two letters of st. Augustine ad Valentinum monachum.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Layout

2 cols.

Hand(s)

Several hands.

History

Origin: 15th century, early ; English

MS. Bodl. 159 – Part C

Contents

Language(s): Latin

12. (fol. 245)
Ps.-Bernard of Clairvaux, Magnificat seu Sermo in canticum beatae Mariae uirginis
Rubric: Tractatus sancti Bernardi ... de Clara Valle super Magnificat
13. (fol. 246)
Rubric: Tractatus beati Bernardi super Missus est de laudibus Virginis Matris
13.1. (fol. 254)
Peter Damian, Sermon de Exaltacione sancte Crucis

Here ascribed to st. Bernard.

13.2. (fol. 255v)
Edmund (?) Stourton, De laude beatae Mariae uirginis (extract)
Rubric: Tractatus de 2da parte scripti Stourton de laude beate Marie Virginis
Rubric: Quare negabo te

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Layout

2 cols.

Hand(s)

Several hands.

History

Origin: 15th century, early ; English

MS. Bodl. 159 – Part D

Contents

1. (fol. 257)
Peter the Chanter, Distinctiones Abel
Incipit: Abel dicitur principium ecclesie propter innocentiam

A leaf or two are lost at the end.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 14th century, early ; English

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (April 2020) from the Summary Catalogue (1922), with additional reference to published literature as cited.

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2020-04-14: Description revised to incorporate all information in SC.