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

MS. Fairfax 12

Summary Catalogue no.: 3892

Bede, Historia ecclesiastica, etc.; England, north (?), early 12th century

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Bede, Historia ecclesiastica

The prefatory letter, beg. 'Gloriosissimo regi Coeluulfo Beda famulus' (fol. 4), is followed by the table of chapters (fol. 5). The text beg. 'Britannia insula cui quondam Albion' (fol. 6).

ed. Colgrave and Mynors, 1969; this ms. listed p. liii in 'a group of copies which seems to have its home in Yorkshire'.

(fol. 140v)
Cuthbert, Epistola de obitu Bedae
Incipit: Munusculum quod misisti (fol. 140v, after the salutation)
(fol. 142)
Abbo of Fleury, Passio S. Edmundi
Incipit: Domino sancto Dorobernensium ecclesie archiepiscopo Dunstano
Incipit: (text) Asciti aliquando in Britanniam (fol. 142v)

Ends imperfectly.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 149 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 11.5 × 7.4 in.

Decoration

Fine initials in two styles. Good initials. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 73, pl. VIII)

History

Origin: 12th century, beginning ; English, North (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

Selby, York, Benedictine abbey of St Mary the Virgin and St German: 17th-cent. inscription states it belonged to Selby priory. 'Cronica XII'. 'Liber Sancti [...] de Saleby' (s. xv) on front cover (now fol. 2), outside. (MLGB3: evidence from an ex-libris inscription or note of gift to an institution).

'W. Santclair of Roislin, knight' (d. c. 1582), with the date 2 Jan. 1591/1592 added later (H J Lawlor, 'Notes on the Library of the Sinclairs of Rosslyn', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 32 (1898), 109-10)

Walter Cant, advocate, of Edinburgh; given by him in 1650 (fol. 2v) to:

Charles Fairfax (1597–1673), antiquary. There are Latin lines dedicated to Fairfax, subscribed 'Sam. Colvile Scotus' (fol. 2v). By descent to his nephew:

Thomas Fairfax, third Lord Fairfax of Cameronunlocked (1612–1671)

Bequeathed by him to the Bodleian in 1671.

MS. Fairfax 12, fol. 144

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Hymn (?) to St Oswald

Incipit: Ad magni regis gloriam nos militis victoriam Oswaldi regis incliti canamus iocundissimi

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 16th century ; England

Provenance

Added by Charles Fairfax; originally from another manuscript.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (2024) from Summary Catalogue (1937), with additional reference to published literature as cited and additional description of fol. 144. Localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (3 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2024-06: Incorporate all information from printed catalogues.