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

MSS. Auct. E. inf. 1-2

Summary Catalogue no.: 2426

Summary Catalogue no.: 2427

Contents

Bible (the ‘Auct. Bible’, ‘Second Winchester Bible’, or ‘St Hugh's Bible’)

Two volumes; for contents of each volume, see below (after Oakeshott (1981) 137–43).

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Decoration

Fine historiated and other initials. In three main styles. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 128, pls. XIII-XIV)

Oakeshott (1981) identified and named several artists, and observed that some artists completed the painting of initials drawn by other artists. Discussion continues regarding the time span over which the artists worked.

Binding

Leather over boards (Oxford, 1602).

Blind-tooled.

Rebacked.

History

Origin: 12th century, middle to end ; English, Winchester, cathedral priory

Provenance and Acquisition

The 'Auct.' Bible was identified by Oakeshott (1981) with a bible described by Adam of Eynsham in his life of St Hugh of Lincoln. This was a 'fine and beautifully written' Bible which the monks of Winchester made for reading in the refectory. This was requisitioned by Henry II as a gift for St Hugh at Witham Priory, but was returned by Hugh (prior c. 1180–6) when he learned of how it had been obtained. The identification has been widely accepted but remains unproven.

Oakeshott further argued (1981) that the 'Auct.' Bible, although finished at Winchester Cathedral, had been started at St Alban's. These arguments were reviewed and rejected by R. M. Thomson, Manuscripts from St. Albans Abbey, 1066–1235 (1982), I.33–6.

The Auct. Bible was certainly at Winchester Cathedral Priory in the second half of the twelfth century, when its text was intercorrected with that of the Winchester Bible.

Presented by George Ryves (canon of Winchester from 1598, warden of New College from 1599) in 1602.

MS. Auct. E. inf. 1

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Prefaces ('Frater Ambrosius', 'Desiderii mei'; the first a later twelfth century addition); Genesis with capitula and preface; Exodus with cap. and pref.; Lev. with cap. and pref.; Numbers with cap.; Deut. with cap. and pref.; Joshus with cap. and two prefaces; Judges with cap.; Ruth; 1 Kings with pref. and cap.; 2 Kings with cap.; 3 Kings with cap.; 4 Kings with cap.; Isaiah with pref.; Jeremiah with pref.; Lamentations; Oratio Ieremie; Ezekiel with prol.; Daniel with pref.; Hosea with pref.; Joel; Amos; Obadiah; Jonah; Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Prayer of Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Haggai; Zachariah; Malachi; Job with two prefaces.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ii + 314 + ii medieval fols.
Dimensions (leaf): 523 × 350 mm.

Layout

2 cols., 46 lines, column space 400 × 100 mm.

Accompanying Material

Endleaves, three leaves from a late fourteenth-century Sarum Missal.

MS. Auct. E. inf. 2

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Psalms; Proverbs with letter of Jerome ('Iungat epistola'); Ecclesiastes with capitula; Son of Songs; Wisdown with pref. and cap.; Ecclesiasticus with pref. and cap.; 1 Chron. with pref.; 2 Chron.; Job; Tobias with pref.; Judith (Old Latin text; Vulgate text with pref. follow as a later (twelfth century) addition); Esther with pref.; Ezra with pref.; 1 Macc.; 2 Macc.; Acts with cap. and two prefaces; James with letter of Jerome on the Catholic Epistles, arg. and cap.; 1 Peter with arg.; 2 Peter with arg.; 1 John with arg.; 2 John with pref.; 3 John with arg.; Jude with arg.; Romans with general pref to Pauline Epistles, and three arg.; 1 Cor. with arg.; 2 Cor. with arg.; Gal. with arg.; Eph. with arg.; Phil. with arg.; Coloss. with arg.; 1 Thess. with arg.; 2 Thess. with arg.; 1 Tim. with pref.; 2 Tim. with pref.; Titus with pref.; Phileomon with pref. Hebrews with pref.; Apocalypse with arg.; Matthew with cap.; Mark with argument and cap.; Luke with arg. and cap.; John with arg. and cap.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i + 317 + i medieval fols.
Dimensions (leaf): 523 × 350 mm.

Layout

2 cols., 46 lines, column space 400 × 100 mm.

Accompanying Material

Endleaves, two leaves from a large antiphonal, 15th century.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (July 2019) from the following sources, supplemented and corrected with reference to published literature cited in the description:
A. G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c.435–1600 in Oxford Libraries (Oxford, 1984), no. 47 [physical description]
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, III (1973), no. 128 [decoration]
The Summary Catalogue (1922) [endleaves, acquisition]

Availability

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Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile) [MS. Auct. E. inf. 1]
Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile) [MS. Auct. E. inf. 2]
Digital Bodleian (65 images from 35mm slides) [MS. Auct. E. inf. 1]
Digital Bodleian (14 images from 35mm slides) [MS. Auct. E. inf. 2]

Bibliography

    Printed descriptions:

    W. Oakeshott, The two Winchester Bibles (Oxford, 1981)

Last Substantive Revision

2019-07-02: Record revised.