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MS. Bodl. 218

Summary Catalogue no.: 2054

Contents

1.
Bede, Commentary on Luke
Rubric: Incipit liber primus Expositionis Bedae in Lucam ad Accam episcopum
Incipit: Beatus euangelista Lucas de omnibus
Final rubric: Expliciunt Expositiones in Lucam iuuante Christo

The commentary in six books (see fols. 36, 62, 88, 114v, 141v): preceded by the 'Epistola Accae episcopi ad Bedam presbyterum de postulanda expositione in Lucam', and Bede's answer (ep. 9; fols. 1r, 1v), and a list of the chapters of the whole work (fol. 3).

Language(s): Latin
2. (fol. 165v)
Preface for the Mass

Added in southern (?) England in the 11th century (?): preface for the mass of the Assumption (Qui mortis imperium sua gloriosa nece); troped Ite missa est (Ite perhennis concives patriae); responsory in honour of St. Scholastica (Virgineo honore es ornata); Ite missa est and Benedicamus. All with musical notation, except for the preface.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i + 167 folios
Dimensions (leaf): 325 × 260 mm.

Hand(s)

Carolingian minuscule.

Insular corrections and additions.

Musical Notation:

Adiastematic and half diastematic Canterbury neums, fol. 165v

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander iii. 32, pl. III

Marginal drawings in pen and with a pencil (partly erased) added c. 1000 to a Tours manuscript of the beginning of the 9th century

Binding

Black velvet with brass clasp-fittings (clasps and side-bosses gone); title label on parchment on the front cover. For comparable bindings, see: MS. Bodl. 209; MS. Bodl. 245; MS. Bodl. 331; MS. Bodl. 411; MS. Bodl. 419; MS. Bodl. 458

History

Origin: 9th century, beginning (main ms.) c. 1000 (added drawings) ; France, Tours ; England (added drawings)

Provenance and Acquisition

Corrections and additions in English hands, 9th and 11th centuries.

Royal binding for Henry VIII

Charles Howard, earl of Nottingham (d. 1624): possibly confiscated by his father, William Howard (d. 1573), from Thomas Copley (1532–84) of Gatton, Surrey, and perhaps obtained by Copley from the royal library at Nonsuch (Carley in Books and Collectors 1200–1700 (1997)).

Presented by Charles Howard in 1604

Record Sources

Description adapted (2018) from the following sources, with additional reference to published literature as cited:
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford , III (1973), no. 32 [decoration, origin, date, provenance]
S. J. P. Van Dijk, Handlist of the Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford (typescript, 1957) Vol. 1: Mass Books, p. 210 [fol. 165v]
Summary Catalogue (1922) [contents, physical description, provenance and acquisition]
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 186

Availability

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Microfilm

Microfilm available in the open shelf collections in the Weston Library (R. Films 101)

Bibliography

    Printed descriptions:

    S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 5: Fragments - Mass Books (typescript, 1957), p. 153

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2018-07-27: Revised to incorporate information from van Dijk and additional information from the Summary Catlaogue and Pächt and Alexander.