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MS. Bodl. 331

Summary Catalogue no.: 2323

Contents

1. (fol. 1)
Odo of Morimond, Commentary on Pentateuch except Deuteronomy
Rubric: Incipit Expositio Odonis abbatis Marimundensis in quatuor libros Moysi
Incipit: Operis subditi materia lex est
Incipit: Primus nobis occurrit [on Genesis]

Genesis begins at fol. 2; Exodus at fol. 72v; Leviticus at fol. 119v; and Numbers at fol. 147.

Language(s): Latin
2. (fol. 168v)
Peter of Blois, Compendium in Iob
Incipit: Incipit Basiligerunticon . id est ludus H(enrici) senioris Regis

The prologue is a dedication to Henry II of England by the author, Peter of Blois. The main text is a short Life of Job, chiefly from Job i-ii, xlii.

Incipit: (prol.) Henrico ... regi ... Petrus Blesensis ... Gratias ago gratie largitori
Incipit: (text) Vir erat in terra Hus ... Tria hic ponuntur
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: viii + 184 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 14.25 × 10.375 in.

Layout

2 cols

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander iii. 370, pl. XXXII

Fine initials

Fine fleuronnée initials

Binding

The binding in 1655 was velvet, and the title on a label, metal bosses, clasps, clasp-fittings and corner pieces were re-imposed on a leather binding made in the second half of the 17th century. The bosses have now disappeared. (For a list of manuscripts with comparable bindings, see MS. Bodl. 218)

History

Origin: 13th century, second quarter ; England, St Albans, Benedictine abbey (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

St Albans, Hertfordshire, Benedictine abbey of St Alban: At the head of fol. 1r is an erased ex libris, which appears to be of the familiar St Albans style. The book in its general appearance resembles other St Albans books of similar date. (MLGB3: evidence from an inscription consisting of a title or, when a pressmark, a personal name in the genitive case).

Owned by Henry VIII. See MS. Bodl. 218

Presented by Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, in 1604

MS. Bodl. 331, fols. vii-viii

Contents

(fols. vi-vii)
Venantius Fortunatus, Hymns
Incipit: ⟨P⟩ange lingua gloriosi
Incipit: ⟨V⟩irtus celsa Crucis totum
Incipit: ⟨V⟩exilla Crucis prodeunt'
Language(s): Latin
Venantius Fortunatus, Carm. III.9 (ad felicem episcopum de pascha)
Incipit: ⟨T⟩empora florigero rutilant distincta sereno

Elegiac poem of 110 lines on the Resurrection

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment

Collation

Two leaves that are entirely independent of the rest of the manuscript

Hand(s)

Written in a much looser hand of the 13th century

History

Origin: 13th century ; England

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (November 2022) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1922). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973)
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 310

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2022-11-17: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1922)