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

St John's College MS 200

Theological notebook

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. Fols. 1–4v:
Rubric: Compendium compoti
Incipit: Ad euidenciam eorum que sunt neccesaria de kalendario in comuni vsu primo videndum est de composicione kalendarii
Explicit: vltima dies computacionis erit dies egra Nota tamen quod h non computetur pro littera Explicit

Identified by A. Cordoliani, ‘Les manuscrits de comput des bibliothèques d’Utrecht’, Scriptorium 15 (1961), 76–85 at 79, , as a commentary on ALEXANDER OF VILLA DEI, ‘Massa compoti’. In the first three texts, a variety of theological notes (most of them proverbs) in the upper and lower margins.

2. Fols. 4v–8v:
Incipit: Cathedra e est sedes episcopi Hic tronus ni est sedes dei Hoc tribunal alis est sedes Iudicis
Explicit: Aurora dicitur ethemologice quasi aurea hora Aurum dicitur a greco audeliden quod interpretatur audicio

An etymological glossary for the Psalter. Perhaps incomplete, simply breaking off at the end of quire 1, originally part of a more extensive booklet.

3. Fols. 9–29:
Rubric: Hic continentur duodecim abusiones cl⟨austri⟩
Incipit: Duodecim sunt abusiones claustri quibus tota religionis summa corrumpitur Prelatus negligens Discipulus inobediens Iuuenis ociosus
Explicit: Ex hiis igitur obseruancie mandatis pendet summa tocius religionis
HUGH OF FOUILLY, De claustro animae,

2.11–23, ed. PL 176: 1058–86.

4. Fols. 29–32v:
Rubric: Hec sunt extracta de veteri ordinali Per aduentum domini El per Quadragesimam
Incipit: Gloria in excelsis in missa dimmittitur Et te deum ad matutinam hac racione Quamuis boni serui cum gaudio
Explicit: totis viribus humilitatem diligamus atque ornamenta morum non uestimentorum etc.

Notes on feast-day liturgy including one reference to BEDE.

5. Fols. 33–64v:
Rubric: Extracta de omeliis venerabilis BEDE presbiteri
Incipit: Dixit dominus ihesus dicipulis suis parabolam hanc Simile est regnum celorum homini paterfamilias […] Per denarium qui laborantibus in vinea promittitur
Explicit: et omnia pergunt ad mundiales De terra facta sunt et in terram pariter reuertuntur
BEDE, Homiliae euangelii

Consists of about sixty excerpts. Fol. 48v includes the incipit of a sermon (?), ‘Dixit iesus dicipulis suis Estote misericordes sicut et pater […] ’, and the added leaf, fol. 49v, apparently provides a preferred alternative version of the same; fol. 49 is blank.

6. Fols. 64v–5:
Rubric: Salamonis liber in quo hec scripta sunt eclesiastes appellatur
Incipit: Eclesiastes autem propter concionator dicitur
Explicit: Et nisi me desieritis corporaliter cernere nunquam me discetis spiritualiter diligere

Primarily consisting of excerpts ascribed to GREGORY.

7. Fol. 65v:
Incipit: Quam vtiliter sanctus Augustinus desudauerit in ecclesia Milleflorentissima a se condita approbant
Explicit: fideli opere mundat corpus et animam et omnem custodit salutem
Theological notes.
8. Fols. 66–94v:
Rubric: Extracta de sermonibus magistri PETRI LUMBARDI dominica ja. aduentus dei
Incipit: Aspiciebam ego in visione noctis etc. Triplex est visio scilicet visio noctis visio diei
Explicit: aduentu duplicatur et vnum desuper quod est illi gracias referendo semper reddere valcamus Explicit

About thirty extracts, the last followed by a four-line poem, inc. ‘Petrus eram quem petra tegit dictusque comestor […] (Walther, no. 14050), , which identifies the author, not as the Lombard, but PETER COMESTOR. But the initial three sermons do not appear in Schneyer, much less among the writings of either Peter.

9. Fols. 94v–5v:
Rubric: Ewangelium in die pasce
Incipit: Maria magdalene et maria Iacobi […] Querituri quidnam sit quod in dextera parte sepulcri angelus sedere
Explicit: se vicisse crediderunt Nomen illius sequaci extinxisse gauisi sunt
10. Fol. 95v:
Rubric: Maritus peccat cum marito
Incipit: Quinque modis peccat maritus cum marito Vnde versus Tempore facto Mente Loco Condicione Modo
Explicit: aliqua causa prolis Modo sicut ordine preposito
11. Fol. 95v:
Rubric: Nota vij. ⟨sacramenta?⟩
Incipit: Septem sunt sacramenta ecclesiastica que possunt agnosci per hunc Abluo firmo cibo piget vxor ordinat vnguit
Explicit: ordo ministrancium coniugium laborancium Extrema vnccio descedentium

With the ‘versus’, cf. Walther, no. 177.

12. Fols. 95v–6:
Rubric: De confessione
Incipit: Ad principium dicat sacerdos confitenti frater uenisti ad me causa salutis tue
Explicit: regna diaboli Sicut dicit apostolus Sancti per fidem vicerunt regna etc
13. Fols. 96–7:
Rubric: vij. articuli fidei
Incipit: Septem sunt articuli fidei scilicet Incarnacio Natiuitas Passio Inferni spoliacio Resureccio Ascensio
Explicit: cum aliquis intendat aliquid accipere preter sortem ex vi mutui

A rather random series of theological notes.

14. Fol. 97:
Incipit: Queritur quomodo deus hominem genuerit Dauid Nichil aliud est deus deum genuit nisi de igne
Explicit: ipse est utique in secunda qui splendebat in prima
15. Fol. 97rv:
Incipit: O quantis proderit et quantis e contrario oberit loci huius oportunitas
Explicit: quantum necessitas poscit non quantum cupiditas concupiscit
16. Fol. 97v:
Incipit: Ieiunare et vigilare et mores non corigere sic est quomodo si aliquis extra vineam
Explicit: ad initium domini iubentis de sepulcris suis exilient
17. Fols. 98–101:
Incipit: Si fideliter atque sapienter creacione nostre intelligamus exordium inueniemus hominem
Explicit: arbor non habens poma cuius tocius fructu pietatis inuenietur aliena
18. Fols. 101v–21v:
Rubric: Extracta de natiuitate domini de sermone LEONIS pape
Incipit: Saluator noster dilectissimi nobis natus est gaudeamus Neque enim locum fas est esse tercie ubi natalis est vite
Explicit: tribunal domini proderit quod indicimus quod rogamus Explicit
LEO I, Sermones (CPL 1657), ed. Antoine Chavasse, CC 138–38A (1973), excerpts from at least sermons 21, 31, 39, and 65 (incipits at 85, 161, 211, and 395 respectively).
19. Fols. 122–5v:
Rubric: Extracta [the remainder of the heading blank]
Incipit: Timor domini principium sapiencie Sapienciam atque doctrinam stulti despiciunt Habe fiduciam in domino ex toto corde tuo
Explicit: eleuatus est in sullime si enim intellexisset ora manum imposuisset
20. Fols. 125v–6:
Rubric: Extracta de libro ecciast’ [sic for eccliast’] salomonis
Incipit: Peruersi difficile corigunt et stultorum infinitus est numerus Locutus sum in corde meo
Explicit: [fol. 125v] mundo et | immundo immolanti victimas et sacrifica contemptenti
Ecclesiastes (extracts)

The incipit is 1:15, the explicit 9:2.

21. Fols. 126–7v:
Incipit: Respicite filii naciones hominum et scitote quia nullus sperauit in domino et confusus est permansit in mandatis eius
Explicit: Regnum celorum non est inuidorum Qui assidue rixantur a paucis amantur Explicit
22. Fols. 128–41:
Rubric: Extracta super regulam clericorum
Incipit: Ad hoc nobis diuina precepta leguntur quatinus lecta intelligantur intellecta opere compleantur
Explicit: Renouamini mundi estote et iterum Noster homo renouatur de die in diem
HUGH OF ST VICTOR, 'Expositio in regulam beati Augustini’,

ed. PL 176:881–924.

23. Fols. 141v–5v:
Rubric: [the space for the heading unfilled]
Incipit: Clamat nobis diuina scriptura dicens Omnis qui se exaltat humiliabitur et e conuerso In quantum enim humilior fueris tantum sequitur te altitudo gracie
Explicit: per sinistra consilia sic incitat ut allidat sic armat ut puniat

A rather random bunch of theological notes, with extra lines packed in on fol. 145v so as to end on the leaf.

24. Fols. 146–54v:
Rubric: Quedam extracta de decretis
Incipit: Q I. Lex est constitucio scripta Mos autem longa consuctudo de moribus tracta
Explicit: parauit ad requiem hoc ei mutasti occulto iudicio ad perturbacionem

Although the incipit is indeed GRATIAN (Decretum 1, dist. 1, chs. 3–4 [CJCan 1:1]), the text becomes, first, a sequence of citations from GREGORY and SMARAGDUS OF ST-MIHIEL, then rather random notes.

25. Fols. 154v–66v:
Rubric: Extracta de glosulis super epistolas pauli
Incipit: Principia rerum requirenda sunt prius ut earum noticia plenior possit haberi
Explicit: in subiectorum in neccesitationibus ex fictis sibi iniquitatibus campum parant Explicit
26. Fols. 167–89v:
Rubric: Extracta de glosulis super psalterium
Incipit: Prophetia est diuina inspiracio que rerum euentus aut per visiones aut per facta
Explicit: ix. species est ignea vincula que singulis membris constringuntur

Followed by a verse ‘Quantus millenis centenis iiij. annis | Nexus in inferno fuit adam crimine Illud’ (not in Walther).

27. Fols. 189v–95:
Incipit: Panis in scriptura sacra vj. modis accipitur Quandoque ipse dominus aliquando spiritualis gracia
Explicit: ut semper a creaturis suis honoretur et magnificetur dominus

More theological notes, concluding with a discussion of the meaning of ‘Gloria patri’.

28. Fols. 195–7:
Rubric: De sancto Nicholao
Incipit: Generosus et graciosa forma spectabilis quidam iuuenis qui et uersibus et metris
Explicit: et erranti clerico dolorum solamen wlnus et medicina latro et samaritanus Explicit

A text with similar incipit appears in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 161, fol. 23.

29. Fols. 197–203:
Rubric: Extracta de libro penitenciali
Incipit: Nota de fide catholica Catholica fides est que simbolo catholico continetur quo tanquam fidei signaculo
Explicit: ut nunquam careant suplicio qui in hac uita nunquam voluerunt carere peccato Explicit

A small series of extracts added by the scribe following the explicit, inc. ‘inuisibiles aduersarii et incorporales hostes non erunt […] ’, the first ascribed to ‘papa leo in sermone’.

30. Fols. 203v–8:
Rubric: De confessione
Incipit: Confessio debet esse Voluntaria Sicut enim homo voluntarie peccat ita voluntarie debet penitere
Explicit: Paucorum est forcia et occulta cognoscere multorum historie aperta sentire

Further assorted theological notes, beginning with a distinctio; the original seems to have broken off as indicated, and the remainder are the scribe/owner’s further additions, bits of notes running on to fol. 208v.

31. Fols. 208v–10v:
Incipit: ⟨S⟩emper quasi timentes fiuctus super me domini timui et pondus eius ferre non potui Verba ista uerba sunt illius qui uermibus scatens Iacet in sterquilinio
Explicit: serui autem facti deo Finem uero vitam eternam Ad quam nos perducere dignetur Ihesus cristus etc.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: romam
Form: codex
Support: Vellum (FSOS/FHHF).
Extent: Fols. iv + 216 + iii (numbered fols. v–vii). Fol. 191 is assigned to a tipped-in vellum tab, and fols. 211–16 are an extraneous quire.
Dimensions (leaf): 158 × 115 mm.
Dimensions (written): 115–25 × 82 mm.

Collation

1–58 68+1 (+9; see item 5 above) 7–88 98 (2, fol. 67, now sewn to a stub) 10–238 248+1 (+6, a tab) 25–268 276? (the final leaf is probably not part of the quire). No signatures or catchwords. Arguably composed as a series of booklets, with theological notes typically added by the scribe on originally blank concluding leaves. In this reading, the MS was produced as six units, with sections ending at fols. 8 (quire 1), 65 (quires 2–8), 97 (quires 9–12), 121 (quires 13–15), 145 (quires 16–18; note the textual packing on the final page here), and 210 (quires 19–26).

Layout

In long lines, 29 lines to the page. No prickings; bounded and ruled in lead.

Hand(s)

Written in anglicana, with frequent single-compartment a. Punctuation by medial point and punctus elevatus.

Decoration

Headings in red, consistent throughout, as are 2-and 3- line unflourished red lombards at the heads of texts.

One-line red lombards and red-slashed capitals to divide the texts.

Binding

A modern replacement. Sewn on four thongs. At the front, a marbled paper leaf (dated ‘1772’ on the verso), two modern paper flyleaves, and a medieval vellum flyleaf; at the rear, two modern paper flyleaves and another marbled paper leaf (v–vii).

History

Origin: s. xiii ex. or xiii/xiv ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Iohannes whyte de Suthwyke in Comitatu Sutht Armiger dedit hunc librum Thome white de london’ milit’ ad vsum Colegij per ipsum de nouo erecti in Oxon Anno 1555’ (fol. ivv, below a contemporary contents table in rubric).

MS 200 - added quire (fols. 211–16)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

32. Fols. 211–15v:
Incipit: Fides dei gracia preueniens que preparat uires ipsius anime uel peccaces ad bonum
Explicit: omnis uirtus politica operatur secundum discrecionem et rectam racionem perfecte uel inperfecte
Theological notes,

an added note on the nature of virtue in the blank lower half of fol. 215v; fol. 216 has further notes in the same hand, but appears to have been cut down from a larger page; fol. 216v has a cut-down contemporary copy of a deed, dated Christmas 53 Henry III (1269) between John, son of John le Buer, and his mother Cecilia, on the one part, and John, vicar of the church of Estynderl’ [?? Enderby, Leics.], in which the former give the latter ‘totam illam particulam ⟨ ⟩ que uocatur esgroue’.

Physical Description

Layout

Written to virtually the full page, writing area 43 × 98 mm. . In long lines, about 43 lines to the page. No prickings, bounds, or rules.

Hand(s)

Written in early anglicana, s. xiii ex. or s. xiii/xiv.

History

Origin: s. xiii ex. or s. xiii/xiv

MS 200 - Flyleaf text

Contents

Language(s): Latin

a. fol. iv:
Incipit: Letatus sum in his [covered by a paper strip] dicta sunt michi in domum domini ibimus Officium Deus tu conuerten⟨ ⟩ uiuificabis nos que plebs […]

The lower part of a waste leaf from a noted service book, the staves present in red but the notes not filled in; written on the recto only.

Physical Description

Support: Vellum

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) with a correction of a typographic error in the note for item 1.

Availability

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

Bibliography

    Chavasse, Antoine (ed.), Sancti Leonis Magni romani pontificis tractatus septem et nonaginta, Corpus Christianorum 138-38A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1973)
    Cordoliani, A., ‘Les manuscrits de comput des bibliothèques d’Utrecht’, Scriptorium 15 (1961), 76–85.
    Dekkers, Eligius, and Aemilius Gaar, Clavis patrum latinorum, 3rd edn. (Turnhout, 1995).
    Friedberg et al., Corpus Juris Canonici, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1879–81).
    Migne, Jacques-Paul (ed.), Patrologia Latina 176 (Paris, 1854).
    Schneyer, Johannes Baptist, Repertorium der lateinischen Sermones des Mittelalters für die Zeit von 1150-1350, 11 vols. (Münster i. W., 1969-90).
    Walther, Hans, Initia carminum ac versuum Medii Aevi posterioris Latinorum, 2nd edn (Göttingen, 1969).

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2023-09: First online publication

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