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

MS. Bodl. 643

Summary Catalogue no.: 2256

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Walter Burley, Expositio super Artem ueterem (part: on Porphyry, Isagoge, and Aristotle, Praedicamenta)
1. (fol. 1)
Rubric: Expositio Porphirij per magistrum Walterum Burley
Incipit: Quia de dictis in logica
2. (fol. 16v)
Rubric: Expositio super librum Predicamentorum secundum magistrum W. Burley
Incipit: Circa librum predicamentorum est sciendum

The rather later list of contents on fol. ii adds 'secundum vsum Oxonie'.

3. (fol. 70)
Iohannes Duns Scotus, Quaestiones super vniuersalia Porphyrii
Rubric: Questiones Doctoris Subtilis super Porphirium
Incipit: Queritur utrum Logica sit scientia
4. (fol. 103)
Thomas of Erfurt, Grammatica speculatiua
Rubric: Albertus de modo significandi

Title from the list of contents.

Bursill-Hall, Census, 188.24.1 (p. 171), for identification.
5. (fol. 135)
Thomas Hanney, Memoriale iuniorum
Rubric: Tractatus de quatuor partibus Gramatice Memoriale Iuniorum nominatus
Incipit: (prol.) In qualibet arte diffusio
Incipit: Quid est vox? Vox igitur est ayer tenuissimus

On foli. 127-134 is a long list of the contents, ending with:

Final rubric: Expliciunt Intitulationes huius tractatus, quem ... compilauit Thomas de Hanneya. Inchoauit apud Tolosam istum 12°. Kalendas Maij anno gracie 1313°. & consummauit eundem apud Lewes ad instanciam magistri Johannis de Chertesia rectoris scolarum loci illius 4to Kalendas Decembris eodem anno ...'

On fol. 134v follows another genuine prologue:

Incipit: Cum animaduerterem quam plurimos doctores
Colophon: Nomen scriptoris Jon. semper pienus amoris. Esteby cognomen cui semper det Deus homen

On fol. v verso is a short letter, 'Summa totius Logice', with an 'arbor Porphyriana'.

On fol. 259 is a short book-list with prices, printed Thomson (2011), p. 48.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: v + 259 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 8.75 × 6.125 in.

Hand(s)

Written in two hands. John Esteby, vicar of Banbury, 1436?-70?, wrote fols. 127-255, except the Prologue on fol. 134v, which with the rest of the book may have been written by a foreigner: the illumination is English and uniform throughout.

Decoration

Illuminated capitals, borders.

Binding

Old boards re-covered with white leather in the 16th cent. in England.

History

Origin: 15th century, first half ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

'Iste liber constat ... ... ... Johanni ? Maynsforth?? donan⟩te domino Roberto Norton', nearly erased, about A. D. 1450-60, fol. 225v [MLGB3 reads: "Iste liber constat [...]a domino Roberto [...]".

Mottenden, Kent, Trinitarian convent: "Constat domui de Motynden ordinis Sancte Trinitatis, emptus per fratrem Ricardum de Lansyng [Lanoyng?] [owned also MS. in de Ricci, Census, p. 2178] anno Domini m° cccc mo lxvij mo . precium xxvi s. viij d. set prevalet." (MLGB3: evidence from an ex-libris inscription or note of gift to an institution); cp. fol. 256.

Presented by dr. William Cotton, bp. of Exeter, in 1605.

Record Sources

Description adapted (2024) from the Summary Catalogue (1922) with additional reference to published literature as cited.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (1 image from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

    Online resources:

    Printed descriptions:

    Rodney M. Thomson, Catalogue of medieval manuscripts of Latin commentaries on Aristotle in British libraries. Vol. 1: Oxford (Brepols, 2011), no. 17

Last Substantive Revision

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