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

MS. Laud Misc. 141

Summary Catalogue no.: 1023

Contents

(fols. 1r–155v)
Augustine, De Genesi ad litteram

The text was copied in two stages: first, fols. 1-44r15, c. 800; second, fols. 44r15-155v, in the first half of the 9th century.

Michael Gorman (1982) argued that the gap in copying could be explained by the use of different exemplars, with the first part of the manuscript being copied from a manuscript now represented by the fragment Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. A.91.8 and the second part being copied from the manuscript now represented by the fragment Paris, B.N.F Latin 9377

Text lost between fols. 150 and 151 (Kautz).

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 155 medieval leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 325 × 235 mm.
Dimensions (written): 245 × 175 mm.

Hand(s)

Caroline minuscule, several hands; early Caroline minuscule on fol. 15r (Bischoff).

Decoration

Rubrics.

Initials in red and in the ink of the text.

Binding

Calf over pasteboard: standard binding of the Laudian collection.

History

Origin: 8th century, late – 9th century, early (fols 1r–44r), and 9th century, first half (fols. 44r–155v) ; Germany, Lorsch, Benedictine abbey (Bischoff)

Provenance and Acquisition

Lorsch, Benedictine abbey: probably identifiable in the 9th-century library catalogues (A. Häse, Mittelalterliche Bücherverzeichnisse aus Kloster Lorsch. Einleitung, Edition und Kommentar (2002), no. 93)

Eberbach, Cistercian abbey: ex libris, 15th century, fol. 155v; probably identifiable as b7 in the 1502 catalogue (N. Palmer, Zisterzienser und ihre Bücher (1998), p. 238). The manuscript was probably removed from Lorsch to Eberbach between 1233 and 1245 while Lorsch was administered by monks from Eberbach (Palmer, p. 18).

William Laud, acquired 1638.

Part of his third donation to the Bodleian, 1639.

Record Sources

Description adapted (July 2022) from the following sources, with additional reference to published literature as cited:
N. Palmer, Zisterzienser und ihre Bücher (1998), pp. 263, 288
H. O. Coxe, Laudian Manuscripts, Quarto Catalogues II, repr. with corrections, 1969, from the original ed. of 1858–1885).

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Bibliotheca Laureshamensis – digital (full facsimile with manuscript description by M. Kautz)
Digital Bodleian (1 image from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2022-07: Description revised with reference to cited catalogues and literature.