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

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MANUSCRIPTS
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PEOPLE
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MS. Bodl. 183

Summary Catalogue no.: 2084

Contents

Language(s): Middle English

1. (fol. 1)
New Testament (later Wycliffite version)

With prologues.

2. (fol. 185)
Old Testament (later Wycliffite version) (selection: Tobit to Esther and Proverbs to Ecclesiasticus)

Certain books of the Old Testament and Apocrypha read in the Lessons and Epistles, in Wycliffe's later version: Tobit* (fol. 185), Judith (fol. 192), Esther (fol. 201v), Proverbs (fol. 212), Ecclesiastes (fol. 230v), Song of Songs* (fol. 236v), Wisdom (fol. 239v), Ecclesiasticus* (fol. 252), all with prologues (of the earlier version slightly altered) except those marked with an asterisk.

A list of contents is at fol. 286, and fols. vi-xv are occupied by a 'Kalender of Lessons. Pistlis. & Gospels', 'aftir the vse of Salisbury', for Sundays, weekdays, commemorations and saints' days. The lower text and margins of fols. 89–93 are injured, and the margin only of fols. 111–120.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: xv + 287 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 12 × 8.625 in.

Layout

2 cols.

Decoration

Fine borders

Fine initials.

Marginal drawings (catchwords). (Pächt and Alexander iii. 806, pl. LXXVIII)

History

Origin: 15th century, beginning ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

Presented by Robert Barker, the king's printer, in 1604.

Record Sources

Description adapted (April 2020) from the following sources:
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, III (1973), no. 806 [decoration, origin, date]
Summary Catalogue (1922) [contents, physical description, provenance and acquisition]
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 203

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (6 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

    Published descriptions:

    Elizabeth Solopova, Manuscripts of the Wycliffite Bible in the Bodleian and Oxford College Libraries (Liverpool, 2016), cat. 2

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2020-05-07: Description revised to incorporate all information in SC.