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

MS. Bodl. 57

Summary Catalogue no.: 2004

Contents

Summary of Contents: Miscellaneous theological and moral pieces in Latin, of which there is a full list in the Old Catalogue of 1697 and which cannot be treated summarily. The chief items, which are surrounded by numberless odd notes and memoranda, apparently collected by a monk of St. Mary's abbey at Leicester, are listed below.

Physical Description

at least twelve parts
Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: iii + 219 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 7.375 × 5.625 in.

Decoration

Partly with illuminated capitals.

History

Origin: c. 1300 ; England, Leicester Abbey

Provenance and Acquisition

Leicester Abbey: evidence of contents.

A nearly erased inscription on fol. a 213v shows that this MS. was owned by Henry Jackson of Corpus Christi college, Oxford, on May 21, 1600.

Apparently acquired by purchase from him about 1619–20.

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part A

Contents

1. (fol. 1)
Lectiones ix de s. Francisco et collecta
Language(s): Latin
2. (fol. 2)
‘Le rule seint Austin’
Incipit: Deuant tuttes choses, cher freres
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
3. (fol. 4v)

Three French poems on the 'Cinc joies notre Dame', translations from originals by Jacopone da Todi. Other French pieces are at fols. 74, 91, 217v.

Incipit: Gloriuse Dame
Incipit: Ave sainte Marie
Incipit: Madame par cele joie
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
4. (fol. 6v)
Edmund of Abingdon (?), Prayer
Rubric: Oracio sancti Eadmundi archiepiscopi Cantuariensis
Incipit: Duz Sire Ihesu Crist aiez merci de mei
Incipit: Ave sainte Marie

Followed by twelve Latin prayers: cf. fol. 153v, 162v. At fol. 15 is the Mattins office of his feast.

Language(s): Anglo-Norman and Latin
5.
(fols. 11, 20v, 64, 81, 95)

Some Latin glosses on Old Testament words.

(fol. 20)
⟨Alanus, ab Insulis⟩ , ⟨Rhythmus de incarnatione Christi et de septem artibus⟩

Latin verses on the Trivium and Quadrivium, Arithmetic being omitted

Incipit: Exceptiuam accionem uerbum patris suscipit
Language(s): Latin
6. (fol. 12)

A description of Maundy Thursday offices and duties in a monastery. Cf. fol. 150 (a diary of the monastic day, beginning 'Cadente orlogio in momento').

Incipit: In die Cene. Post capitulum indicet prelatus
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 14v)

Oratio et vi lectiones de sancto Cedde (Chad), and (fol. 16) Oratio et ix lectiones de sancto Hugone episcopo Lincolniensi.

Language(s): Latin

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part B

Contents

Language(s): Latin

8. (fol. 21)

The hymn 'Ave maris stella' with a commentary, in Latin. At fol. 26 are some apocryphal stories of the infancy of Jesus: beg. 'Cum esset Ihesus annorum .v. ludebat cum infantibus'.

9. (fol. 28)
Rubric: Verba cuiusdam Sapientis
Incipit: Fuit quidam Quirinus nomine

With other narrationes, cf. foll. 55, 69v, 143.

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part C

Contents

Language(s): Latin

10. (fol. 53)

At fol. 66v is a short rhythmical piece 'Documenta clericorum Stephani de Lanketon' (Langton)

Incipit: Non te lusisse pudeat
11. (fols. 68v, 89v)
Rubric: Versus magistri Baire, de porco uacuo dato
Incipit: Porci donator

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part D

Contents

12.
(fol. 73)
Sermons

Partly by Caesarius of Arles (foll. 73, 74v)

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 74)
Apostles' Creed in verse
Incipit: Io crei en Deu

The words on fol. 53 follow on those of fol. 83v.

Language(s): Anglo-Norman

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part E

Contents

Language(s): Latin

13.
(fol. 84)
Sermons and notes

Cf. fol. 157.

(fol. 90)
Proverbia Wiponis

After a leaf torn out, here without title or author, in rhythmical verse, composed A.D. 1027.

Incipit: Pax Henrico Dei amico | Decet regem discere legem

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part F

Contents

14. (fol. 91)
(fol. 96)
Roger de Wesham, Instituta
Rubric: Instituta magistri Rogeri de Weshaam Episcopi Couentrensis
Incipit: Quoniam secundum Apostolum nemo potest
Language(s): Latin

At fol. 102v is a short English poem ( DIMEV 6331, IMEV 3961 )

Incipit: Vven i.o. the rode se | Faste nailed to the tre
Language(s): Middle English
15. (fol. 103v)
Description of Jerusalem (Innominatus I)
Incipit: Si quis ab occidentalibus partibus Ierusalem adire uoluerit
Language(s): Latin

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part G

Contents

Language(s): Latin

16. (fol. 105)
Ps.-Bernard, Meditationes piissimae de cognitione humanae conditionis
Incipit: Multi multa sciunt
17. (fol. 118)
Rubric: Opusculum quod est de confessione
Incipit: In exitu Israel ... Facta est Iudea

Iin two parts, with lists of the ten and fifteen chapters respectively: cf. fols. 17v, 23, 37, 187v.

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part H

Contents

Language(s): Latin

18. (fol. 132)
Bonaventura, Incendium Amoris

Here without title or author's name, dealing with each subject by triplicities.

Incipit: Ecce descripsi eam tibi tripliciter, etc. Cum omnis scientia gerat trinitatis insigne.

At fol. 139 follow hymns, and at fol. 141v are metrical verses, 'Lectiones de Domina [sc. beata Maria] que inuente fuerunt super Sepulcrum Domini in aduentu Salandi' [i. e. Saladini]

Incipit: Sol descendens per auroram

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part I

Contents

Language(s): Latin

19.
(fol. 145)
Ps.-Bernard, De caritate
Incipit: Cogit me instantia caritatis tue, monachorum mihi amantissime

Migne's Patrol. Lat. 184, col. 583, but only four and a half chapters are here: ends 'omnibus occurrit'.

At fol. 153v is a religious rhythmical poem

Incipit: Mens, affectus, ratio queso conuenite
(fol. 174v)
Alexander de Villa Dei, Carmen de Algorismo
Incipit: Hec Algorismus ars presens dicitur

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part J

Contents

Language(s): Latin

20. (fol. 176)
Chronicle of England, 1216–1224

Excerpts, with a list of English bishoprics, etc.: on fol. 177v are two entries of events at Leicester in 1173–5.

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part K

Contents

Language(s): Latin

21. (fol. 178)
(fol. 180v)
Robert Grosseteste, Serm. 84
Rubric: Incipit sermo magistri Roberti Grossi Capitis Lincolniensis Episcopi
Incipit: Maria optimam partem ... Bene nouit caritas uestra

Thomson, Grosseteste, p. 181.

22. (fol. 182v)
Hugh of Fouilloy, De claustro animae (extract)
Rubric: Summa de claustro anime

The first seven and a half chapters of the 3rd book, ends 'redundet in fructibus'.

MS. Bodl. 57 – Part L

Contents

Language(s): Latin

23. (fol. 188)
Apocalypsis Goliae episcopi
Incipit: A tauro torrida

Verses 385–96, 421-end (Camd. Soc. edition, 1841) are omitted.

24.
(fol. 191v)

A metrical poem ridiculing the complaints of the people of Stoughton (Stoctona) against the abbey of Leicester in 1296 or soon after

Incipit: Post incarnatum Verbum de Virgine natum
25. (fol. 192v)
William of Conches (?), Moralium dogma philosophorum
Rubric: Ysagoge in moralem philosophiam
Incipit: (preface) Moralium dogma philosophorum
Incipit: (text) Triplex est capiendi consilii deliberatio

MS. Bodl. 57 - endleaves (fols. ii-iii)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Much injured leaves from the older binding containing part of a Goliardic Latin poem, of which the last line is 'Pugnis scalpit scabiem [?] caro dum incendit.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2020-04-09: Revised to incorporate all information in SC.