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

MS. Bodl. 281

Summary Catalogue no.: 2331

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 1)
William of Auvergne, De causis cur deus homo
Rubric: Tractatus domini Parisiensis Cur Deus homo
2. (fol. 8)
William of Auvergne, De sacramentis
Rubric: Prologue magistri Willelmi episcopi Parisiensis in opus suum de Sacramentos

Followed by the work itself. An index is at fol. 156.

William of Auvergne, De virtutibus et vitiis
3. (fol. 73)
Rubric: Liber de virtutibus eiusdem Parisiensis

Fols. 73 and 74 are transposed in the binding.

4. (fol. 117)
Rubric: Tractatus de peccatis & uicijs magistri Willelmi de Aluernia doctoris Parisiensis

Gerard Langbaine thought he recognized Brian Twyne's hand in a note on fol. 123v.

5. (fol. 150)
William of Auvergne, De faciebus mundi
Rubric: Libri de faciebus mundi a Willelmo de Aluernia episcopo Parisiensi editus
6. (fol. 162v)
Ars praedicandi
Incipit: Octo sunt modi dilatandi sermones

The first part of a treatise on the preparation of sermons: ends abruptly on fol. 163v, some leaves being lost, 'Aristoteles. Qui permittit'.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i + 165 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 15.5 × 11.875 in.

Layout

2 cols.

Hand(s)

Fols. 1–122 written by Henry Mere , with his initials, fols. 72v, 116v (cf. M. B. Parkes, "A Fifteenth-Century Scribe: Henry Mere", in Scribes, Scripts and Readers: Studies in the Communication, Presentation and Dissemination of Medieval Texts (London, 1991), pp. 249-56). The second scribe also wrote MS. Auct. F. 5. 26. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 987, pl. XCII)

Decoration

(Pächt and Alexander iii. 987, pl. XCII)

Fine borders.

Fine initials.

Binding

Elaborate stamped-leather sides (English 15th cent. work, of Canterbury, see no. 2291, an imitation of a 12th cent. design), pasted on an 18th cent. binding: 'Time Deum' and 'bien' are among the stamps. Attribute to John Kemsyn (the Canterbury binder).

History

Origin: 15th century, middle ; English, Canterbury

Provenance and Acquisition

Canterbury, Kent, Benedictine cathedral priory of Holy Trinity or Christ Church: On fol. 1r in an initial letter are the arms of the priory of Christ Church, Canterbury (azure, a cross argent, charged with the letter X in the fesse point and the letter I in the honour point, both sable for Christi). (MLGB3: inferred evidence).

Presented by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob Colfe in 1616.

Record Sources

Description adapted (2024) from the Summary Catalogue (1922). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973).

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2024-09: Description revised to incorporate all information from Summary Catalogue.