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

MS. Ashmole 970

Summary Catalogue no.: 6616

Treatises on rhetoric and prosody

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1v, 2-10)
Commentary on Evrard de Bethune, Graecismus
Incipit: Grecismo iste sunt figure principales. Isto ordine. 1a. Methaplasmus. 2a. Scema. 3a. Tropus. 4a. Siloecismus et barbarismus. simul. 5a. Scema verborum rethoricorum
Final rubric: Finis figurarum secundum grecismum
2. (fols. 10v-12)
Rubric: Tabula figurarum Grecismi
(alphabetica)
Incipit: Auferisis
3. (fols. 12v-17)
Commentary on Alexander de Villa Dei, Doctrinale Magnum
Incipit: Figure Doctrinalis principales sunt eedem que in grecismo, scilicet Methaplasmus Scema &c’ sed figure speciales (quas non habet grecismus) contente in doctrinali: et ille quibus doctrinale differt a grecismo: sunt he Barbaralexis etc.

G. Bursill-Hall, 'Check-list of incipits of medieval Latin grammatical treatises A-G', Traditio 34 (1978), 470 (this ms. only).

4. (fols. 19-68)
Treatise on prosody
Incipit: Carmen a nonnullis metrum ab alijs versus appellatur vel numerus
Explicit: Sic eciam et Panthus. thi pro Panthous. thoi Finis.

Bursill-Hall, 'Check-list of incipits', 451 (this ms. only).

5. (fol.68v-9a)
Treatise on prosody
Incipit: Pedes dissilabi. Spondeus constat ex duabus longis ut Cantant
6. (fols. 70-83v)
Text on hymn metres
Incipit: Qui noticiam artis metrice hymnarij scire desiderant
Explicit: verbi gratia. Surrexit non est hic
7. (fol. 84r-v)
Verses on metrical feet
Incipit: Spondeum faciet dissillaba dictio longa

Thus far the text of the MS. On the vacant leaves that follow (beside three that have been cut out between ff. 90—1.) are written by hands almost contemporary

(fol. 85r, 91r)

Idle verses and other notes.

(fol. 85v—6v)

Concerning Adam and Jesus Christ.

Incipit: Adam that ys ower father be kynde

DIMEV 219, a version of 'Jesus conditor alme', this ms. only.

Language(s): Middle English
(fol. 87r)

A school-boy’s (nameless) letter.

(fol. 88r).

The following is by a hand of the time of James I. Names of 40 persons, perhaps boys.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
Extent: 90 + 1 (parchment) leaves, small 8vo.

History

Origin: c. 1500

Provenance and Acquisition

On f. 90b is neatly written—”Hic liber est Franciscus Webbus.”

Record Sources

Description adapted (June 2022) from the Quarto Catalogue (W. H. Black, A descriptive, analytical, and critical catalogue of the manuscripts bequeathed unto the University of Oxford by Elias Ashmole Esq...., Quarto Catalogues X, 1845).

Last Substantive Revision

2022-06: Description revised to include all information from Quarto catalogue.