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MS. Bodl. 648

Summary Catalogue no.: 2291

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: i + 125 + iv fols.
Dimensions (leaf): 205 × 140 mm.

Binding

Blind-tooled leather over boards, by John Kemsyn of Canterbury (the Canterbury binder), late 15th century.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Canterbury, Kent, Benedictine cathedral priory of Holy Trinity or Christ Church: "Iste liber constat W. Boolde monacho. Ecclesie Christi. Cantuarie. anno Domini M o CCCC o Lxviij o " (fol. 5r). "W. Molasche prior" (fol. 1r, head). (MLGB3: evidence from an inscription of ownership by an individual member of a religious house (which may not, however, be evidence for institutional ownership)).

Thomas Twyne (1543–1613), translator and physician.

Presented by him in 1612.

MS. Bodl. 648, endleaves (fols. i, 126–9)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 14th century, early

Provenance

‘ Thomas Borne ’, 15th century, with a copy of a grant of land.

MS. Bodl. 648, part 1: fols. 1–4

Contents

Medical recipes
(fol. 1r)
Incipit: A gode bame for al maner of brosures and hurtys with ony maner of egge tole. Take j pynte of gode oyle of olyue
Explicit: and thys bame for to hele brosures and woundys bothe olde and neve
(fol. 1r-v)
Incipit: Anothyr goode ⟨makyng(?)⟩ of bame specyaly for neve woundys. Take j potel of clene mete oyle
Explicit: thorwh a clene cloth and that ys bame ryall
Language(s): Middle English
(fols. 2r-4v)
Exempla,

'De milite quodam ad terram sanctam peregrinante', 'De wlpe et gallo' (with 'reduccio'), 'Item aliud exemplum de lupo et ouibus', 'De leone et lupo et ceteris animalibus', 'Exemplum de mure et rana et miluo', 'De peccato'.

Preceded (fols. 1v-2r) by note on St Patrick.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Layout

Ruled in ink for 1 col. of c. 24 lines. Ruled space c. 135 × c. 95 mm.

Hand(s)

Textualis.

Decoration

Initials in red; rubrication.

History

Origin: 15th century, first half (before 1438?) ; English, Canterbury

Provenance

‘ W. Molasche prior’ [of Christ Church, Canterbury, 1428–38]

MS. Bodl. 648, part 2: fols. 5–125

Contents

(fol. 5)
Treatise on urines
Incipit: Urina rufa significat salutem
eTK 1610B
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 7r-8v)
Astrology
Incipit: Notandum est quod annus
eTK 0947B cites only this manuscript
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 8v-9r)
Rubric: Phisinomia[sic]
Incipit: Caue ab homine liuido flauo quoniam declinans est ad vicia et luxuriam
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 8v-9r)
Astrology
Rubric: De constellacione plantarum
Incipit: Saturnus fortunatus facit gentes alte ymaginacionis
Explicit: [Luna fortunata] nichil custodientes et desperati
Language(s): Latin
(fols. 9v-10r)

Followed by several short texts: (1) definition of an eclipse; (2) rules for 'warre of spellyng of lettres' in Latin and Middle English; (3) a prophecy in Middle English; (4) definition of 'lustrum'; (5) notes on the four elements

Language(s): Latin and Middle English
(fols. 10v-12v)
Astrology
Rubric: De planetis
Incipit: Sciendum est quod si quis nascitur in aliqua hora diei in qua dominatur
Rubric: (fol. 12v) De saturno et puero qui sub eius constellacione nascitur
Explicit: suscipiet scilicet vitam eternam
eTK 1399I (eTK 1398K seems to be the same text with a variant incipit)
Language(s): Latin

Followed without a break by:

(fols. 12v-13r)
Incipit: Sciendum est quod de octo partibus plasmatum fuit corpus Ade. Una pars erat de limo terre
Explicit: Sic vocetur nomen eius

Extract from Vita Adae (J. H. Mozley, 'The 'Vita Adae'', The Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 30, No. 118 (1929), 121-149 at 147-8)

Language(s): Latin

Followed (fol. 18v) by two recipes (one Latin, one English), arabic numerals 1-29, and a note on St Thomas of Canterbury.

Language(s): Latin and Middle English
(fol. 19r-21r)
John Lydgate, The Order of Fools
Language(s): Middle English
(fol. 21r-v)
Incipit: Christum ducem qui per crucem
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 21v)
John of Bridlington, Vaticinium (extract, II.i)
Incipit: Taurus cornutus
Language(s): Latin
(fols. 22r-37v)

Lists of the counties of England, Scotland, and Wales, with the bishoprics, monasteries, castles etc. in each

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 37v-40v)
Chronicle of England from 516 to 1461
Incipit: Coronatio victorisissimi regis Arthuri a Dubricio
Language(s): Latin
(fols. 40v-41v)

Followed by a dental recipe in verse ('Dentes sic sana porrosrum (?) colige grana ...'), and a recipe for invisible ink; a prayer to Robert of Canterbury; verses on the ages of man; recipe against pestilence.

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 42r-v)

List of churches founded before the Conquest

Followed by a charm.

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 43r-46r)

Short accounts of the archbishops of Canterbury from Augustine to William Courtney (Thomas Arundel added)

At fol. 46v are notes on Edward the Confessor, Edward III, and Queen Emma

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 47r-49v)
Rubric: Descriptio orbis terrarum cum regnis (et) populis (et) nacionibus diuersis
Incipit: Iste sunt tres partes mundi viz. Asia Africa et Europa. Regiones Asie sunt hee
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 50r-60r)
Albertanus of Brescia, De doctrina dicendi et tacendi
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 60v-85v)
Exempla

First exemplum:

Rubric: De quodam qui fecerat enorme peccatum
Incipit: Erat quondam in Lumbardia

Fol. 73v, St Dunstan and King Edgar.

Language(s): Latin

Followed (fols. 86r-89v) various short texts: notes relating to Christ Church, Canterbury, cf. fols. 18v, 41; verses; prognostication by thunder

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 90r-124v)
Chronicle of the papacy from Peter to 1342
Incipit: Post passionem domini anno sequenti beatus Petrus apostolus
Explicit: Clemens vus sedit annis viij mensibus x diebus xv. Tempore istius pape deposicio fuit facta ordinis templariorum per totam Christianitatem per litteras apostoliocas. Johannes xxijus nacione Catumensis[sic] sedit annis xviij. Benedictus xij sedit annis xij mensibus iiijor diebus v
Language(s): Latin
(fol. 124v-125v)
Rubric: De rege Henrico secundo
Incipit: Henricus filius imperatricis
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper

Layout

1–2 cols., c. 25–9 lines, written area c. 150 × 105 mm.

Decoration

Fols. 50r-81r, mostly blue initials flourished in red; fols. 90r-103v, red initials flourished in the ink of the text.

Elsewhere coloured initials.

History

Origin: 1461 × 1468 ; English, Canterbury

Provenance

‘Iste liber constat .W. Boolde monacho ecclesie christi Cantuarie Anno domini mº CCCCº lxviijº’ (fol. 5); written before this date, 1468, and after 1461 (fol. 40v).

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted by Matthew Holford (2019, rev. 2025) from the following sources, with reference to published literature as cited and limited additional description:
A. G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c.435–1600 in Oxford Libraries (Oxford, 1984), no. 106 [part 2]
Summary Catalogue (1922)
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 291
Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 292

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2025-06: Matthew Holford: additional description of content.