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MS. Germ. b. 3

Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession): no detailed description available. For post-medieval items see New Summary Catalogue 47233.

Guardbook of German language fragments

Contents

Fols. 1 (document), 2-3, 8, 9-10, 15, and 50 are medieval.

MS. Germ. b. 3, fols 2-3

Contents

Language(s): Middle High German

1. (fol. 2)
Otto, von Passau, active 1386, Die vierundzwanzigsten Alten (fragment of Der sechste Alte)
Incipit: Fol. 2: din leben ernstlich und endelich bevelen mit
Explicit: Fol. 2: sümig ist gewest mit ungeberden und sal
2. (fol. 3)
Otto, von Passau, active 1386, Die vierundzwanzigsten Alten (fragment of Der fünfte Alte)

The leaf is erroneously arranged verso-side up, making the incipit the first line of fol. 3v and the explicit the first line of fol. 3r.

Incipit: Fol. 3: (illegible)
Explicit: Fol. 3: alles nicht gut Aber die meynunge die sich

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: most of two leaves
Dimensions (fragment): 392 × 254 mm.
fol. 2
Dimensions (fragment): 422 × 267 mm.
fol. 3

Layout

2 columns, 44 lines, pencil ruling present; written space 292 × 90 mm. fol. 2 310 × 88 mm. fol. 3

Hand(s)

Textualis formata quadrata.

Decoration

Red underlining and highlighted initials.

On fol. 3, there are two coloured initials (red and blue).

History

Origin: late 14th century/early 15th century ; Germany

Provenance and Acquisition

Fol. 2 is the former cover of MS. Laud Misc. 62, referenced 1 Oct. 1919. The host volume of fol. 3 is falsely recorded in the guardbook as [pr.] Auct. III Q. 3. 8, and is instead MS. Laud Misc. 56. It was also removed on 1 Oct. 1919. Both host volumes were held by Jesuit College, Würzburg; they were originally arranged and housed in 1641 in Duke Humfrey’s Library.

MS. Germ. b. 3, fol. 8

Contents

1. (fol. 8)
Life of Margaret of Antioch (fragment)
Katalog der deutschsprachigen illustrierten Handschriften des Mittelalters: 6,3/4 Heiligenleben (Munich, 2005), 287f. (Nr. 51.22.2), Abb. 51.62 [online]
Kurt Gärtner und Nigel F. Palmer, 'Fragment aus einer Bilderhandschrift der Margaretalegende in der Bodleiana zu Oxford', in Litterae ignotae. Beiträge zur Textgeschichte des deutschen Mittelalters: Neufunde und Neuinterpretationen, ed. Ulrich Müller (Litterae 50), Göppingen 1977, 57-60.
Language(s): Middle High German

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Decoration

Miniatures (mutilated). (Pächt and Alexander i. 147)

History

Origin: 14th century, second half ; German

MS. Germ. b. 3, fols. 9-10

Contents

1. (fols. 9-10)
Ulrich von Zatzikhoven, Lanzelet (fragment: 'fragment B')
Rosemary Combridge, 'Das Fragment B des 'Lanzelet' Ulrichs von Zazikhoven', Euphorion 57 (1963), 198-209
Language(s): Middle High German

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 13th century, second quarter ; Germany

Provenance and Acquisition

Given by Mrs. Whitmarsh, Mrs. Pratt, and Miss Lucy Swann, the nieces of Prof. J. O. Westwood; referenced 1 Nov. 1930.

MS. Germ. b. 3, fol. 15

Contents

1. (fol. 15)
Vienna-Munich Gospel fragments (part of Mark 9)
P. F. Ganz, 'Two new Middle High German gospels fragments', German Life and Letters 16, 3-4 (April 1963), 193-197, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0483.1963.tb00718.x
Language(s): Middle High German

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: c. 1200 ; Germany

MS. Germ. b. 3, fol. 50

Contents

1. (fol. 50)
Prayer book (fragment containing a rhymed prayer)
Language(s): Middle High German

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
Extent: most of one leaf
Dimensions (fragment): c. 140 × c. 100 mm.

Layout

26 long lines (on fol. 50v); written space c. 125 × c. 85 mm.

History

Origin: c. 1470-1490 ; Germany (south-east)

Provenance and Acquisition

Formerly loose in MS. Don. e. 253, as fol. 37a; purchased as part of that volume by Nigel Palmer. Earlier provenance unknown.

Bequeathed by him to the Bodleian in 2022; shelfmarked April 2025.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Peter Kidd, Checklist of Western Medieval Manuscripts Acquired 1916- (typescript, c. 1996–2000)

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (2 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2025-07: Lucian Shepherd: described fols. 2-3.