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

MS. Bodl. 233

Summary Catalogue no.: 2188

Contents

Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia regum Britanniae
Rubric: Incipit liber qui uocatur Brutus per Galfridum Monenm⟨u⟩tensem a britannico in latinum translatus
Incipit: (prologue) Cum mecum multa
Incipit: (text) Britannia insularum optima
Explicit: transferre curaui

With some notes

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 105)
Livere de reis de Brittanie
Rubric: Ces sunt les nons des Reys Bretons qui primes conquistrent Britayne que ore est appelle Engletere

From Brutus to the 5th cent. a. d.: ends imperfect 'Doresete, Suthamp'

Dean and Boulton 13 ('sharply abridged').
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
(fol. 105)

Verses on the English Kings, from Hen. I to Hen. III, with an addition relating to Edw. I, but the last lines show that some seventy lines are wanting at the beginning

Incipit: Henrici primi fuerat
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 106)
Cognomina conquisitorum Angliae
Rubric: Cognomina conquisitorum Anglie cum Bastardo et cito post uenientium

Over 300 names.

Language(s): Latin

The early additions (before 1350) are numerous and of some interest, being partly Goliardic (fol. iii, etc.), but cannot be well summarized: among them are:

(fol. iii)

Part of a discourse on tithes

Language(s): Latin
(fol. iii)
Incipit: Guliardus vituperans cibum ... sic ait, Est acer hic potus ...
Language(s): Latin
(fols. iiiv, 107)

Moral notes

Language(s): Latin
(fol. ivr)

A rhythmical abecedarian hymn

Incipit: Crux cara christicolis
Language(s): Latin
(fols. v, 105)
Some prophecies, partly from Merlin
Incipit: Mortuo leone iusticie surget rex albus in Britannia
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 105v)
Note about the Convent of Ely
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
(fol. 107)
Michael of Cornwall, Verses
Rubric: Versus magistri Michaelis le Poter de Cornubi⟨a⟩
Incipit: Cur homo delinquis

With peculiar rhymes.

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 107v)
Historical notes
Rubric: De la entendance de Escoce a Engleterre
Language(s): Anglo-Norman

On fol. i are legal proceedings in the 15th cent. and on fol. iiiv some Versus retrogradi.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: vi + 109 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 11.875 × 8.5 in.

Condition

Stained and slightly injured.

Layout

2 cols.

Decoration

Penwork.

History

Origin: 13th century, end ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

'1583. Ranulphi Barlow liber ex dono Petri Addished'

Presented by Barlow to the Library in 1606. His initials and mark are on f. i.

MS. Bodl. 233 - endleaves (fols. 108–109)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Noted choir breviary, Use of Sarum

Part of a double leaf from an unfinished book: text of the psalms without initials, capitals or rubrics.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: part of a bifolium
Dimensions (fragment): 288 × 408 mm.

Layout

2 cols., width 257 mm., inner margin 46 mm. wide.

Musical Notation:

Square notation on staves of 4 red lines, 1 stave to 2 lines of text.

History

Origin: 15th century, early ; English

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (Jan. 2021) from the following sources:
Summary Catalogue (1922)
S. J. P. Van Dijk, Handlist of the Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford (typescript, 1957) VI. 22 [for fols. 108–109]

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2021-01-13: Description revised to incorporate all information in SC and van Dijk.