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

MS. Bodl. 868

Summary Catalogue no.: 2749

Contents

William of Malmesbury, Commentary on Lamentations
Incipit: Sepe monuisti
Incipit: (text) Multa genera lamentationum

The preface states that the writer has based his treatise on that of Paschasius, and that he was forty years old when composing it.

On fol. 126 is a copy of a Latin letter from Pope Alexander III to Rogerus (prior) Wigorniensis, granting the requests of the latter, about 1170; copied in soon after

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 126 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 12.375 × 8.625 in.

Condition

The last few pages are stained

Layout

2 cols

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander iii. 178

Good initials

Binding

Plain white leather on boards, with clasp, English work, perhaps of the 14th century, injured and repaired (Summary Catalogue). 'saec. XIII' (Pächt and Alexander).

A parchment slip pasted on the outside of the end board bears the title 'E⟨⟩xposicio Trenorum vel Lamentacionum Ih⟨er⟩emie super mortem Iosie regis Iude' (late 14th century)

History

Origin: 12th century, third quarter ; English, Worcester, Benedictine abbey

Provenance and Acquisition

Worcester, Worcestershire, Benedictine cathedral priory of St Mary the Virgin: 'Liber ecclesie cathedralis beate Marie Wygorniensis' (early 15th century) (MLGB3)

Turner, Lat. 4. Binding leaves now MS. Lat. bib. b. 1, fols 40–41 (MLGB3)

Apparently received by the Library between 1605 and 1611

Record Sources

Description adapted (March 2023) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1922). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2023-01-09: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1922)