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

MS. Laud Misc. 159

Summary Catalogue no.: 1142

Wigbod and Bede, commentaries on the first eight books of the Bible; Lorsch Abbey, 2nd quarter of the 9th century

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1r–16v)
Wigbod (?), Explanatio sex dierum
Incipit: In principio creauit deus caelum et terram. Istud capitulum omnium librorum capud est
Explicit: in aeternum cum ipso et sanctis suis sine defectu gaudere mereamur amen.
(fols. 16v–29r)
Bede, Hexaemeron seu In principium Genesis
(fols. 16v–17r)
Preface
Rubric: Exameron Bedae. Dilectissimo ac reuerentissimo antistiti acca humillimus famulorum cristi baeda salutem.
Incipit: De principio libri genesis⹎ in quo mundi huius creatio descripta est⹎ multi multa dixere
Explicit: deo fauente redidero; bene uale semper amantissimæ antistes nostri memor in domino.
Final rubric: Explicit prefatio.
(fols. 17r–29r)
Rubric: Incipit ipse liber.
Incipit: In principio creauit deus caelum et terram. creationem mundi insinuans scriptura diuina. apte primo statim uerbo aeternitatem⹎
Explicit: nulla rerum uicissitudine a contemplando dei uultu transmutabitur.
(fols. 29r–135r)
Wigbod, Commentarium in Octateuchum
Rubric: Incipit liber questionum super genesis ex dictis sanctorum patrum agustini· gregorii· hieronimi· ambrosii· hilarii· hisidori· eucherii· et iunilli·
(fols. 29r–97r)
In Genesin
Incipit: \Δ./ Primo omnium preceptor mi⹎ inquiri mihi necesse est, quis huius libri qui Genesis apud nos dicitur scribtor habeatur. \M./ Sicut a maioribus
Explicit: Dicente domino. Erit in nouissimis diebus effundande spiritu meo super omnem carnem.
(fols. 97r–110r)
In Exodum
Rubric: In dei nomine orditur prologus
Incipit: Quaedam mysteria ex libro geneseos et obscuriora rerum gestarum
Explicit: et exoret pro omnibus in se credentibus.
Final rubric: Explicit explanatio libri exodi
(fols. 110r–115v)
In Leuiticum
Rubric: Incipit capitulatio de leuitico
Final rubric: Explicit capitula libri leuitici
Rubric: (fol. 110v) Incipit explanatio in leuiticum
Incipit: Hosiarum diuersitates exsequitur quarum typus
Explicit: repudiantur hostiae a domino. et reicitur huius sacrificium ab ecclesia catholica.
Final rubric: Explicit leuiticus
(fols. 115v–123r)
In Numeros
Rubric: Incipiunt capitula libri huius
Final rubric: Finiunt capitula
Rubric: (fol. 116r) Incipit explanatio libri numeri et catalogus mansionum
Incipit: Δ. Prima nobis quaestio oritur. cur hic liber numeri nomen acceperit?
Explicit: idolatria omnia etiam uita extingumus.
(fols. 123r–127r)
In Deuteronomium
Incipit: Δ. Deuteronomium iuxta fidem hystoriae quae describit.
Explicit: Si enim hic pro peccatis cedimur. illic sine peccato inuenimur.
Final rubric: Explicit.
(fols. 127rb–130v)
In Iesum Naue
Rubric: Incipit capitulatio libri iesu naue
Final rubric: Expliciunt capitula
Rubric: Expositum in iesu naue
Incipit: (fol. 127v) Post mortem ergo moysi loquitur dominus
Explicit: et in parius sibi resistentibus discit quod ex se maiora non subigit.
Final rubric: Explicit liber iesu naue
(fols. 130v–134v)
In Iudices
Rubric: Incipiunt capitula libri iudicum
Final rubric: Expliciunt capitula
Rubric: Expositum de libri iudicum
Incipit: Historia iudicum non parua musteriorum indicat sacramenta
Explicit: et reparato certamine in finem fortissime a demonibus triumphabit.
(fols. 134v–135r)
In Ruth
Rubric: Incipit explanatio libri ruth.
Incipit: Videamus nunc et ruth. habet enim ista typum ecclesiae
Explicit: quae adimpleuit is qui pollicitus est per filium suum iesum cristum regem et saluatorem nostrum. cum quo est illi honor et gloria in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit expositio libri ruth feliciter
(fol. 135v)

Various biblical quotations written as pen trials.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i + 137 + i leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 365 × 275 mm.
Foliation: Modern foliation.

Collation

Mostly in quaternions. First leaf (with title page) lost; one quire lost after after fol. 39. Quires signed on the final page: ‘I’ (fol. 7v), ‘Q II’ (15v), ‘III’ (fol. 23v), ‘Q IIII–V’ (fol. 31v, fol. 39v), ‘VII–VIII’ (fols. 47v, 55v, 63v).

Layout

Ruled in drypoint. 2 columns of 36 lines, ruled space 260 × 210 mm.

Hand(s)

Carolingian minuscule, written by multiple hands; Bischoff designates it ‘Jüngerer Lorscher Stil’.

Decoration

Incipits, explicits and subheadings in Capitalis rustica and, more rarely, in uncial (partly in red): fol. 1ra, line 1 in capitalis rustica and line 2 in uncial.

Initial capitals (enlarged at the beginning of text or sections), sentence capitals; chapter count; quotation marks; Change of speaker between Discipulus (Δ) and Magister (M) recorded to the left of the text columns

Binding

Standard Laudian binding, brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard. Rebacked.

History

Origin: Written at Lorsch Abbey; in the 9th century, 2nd quarter according to Bischoff, Katalog der festländischen Handschriften des neunten Jahrhunderts (Wiesbaden, 2004), no. 3848. Inscribed, ‘Codex de monasterio sancti Nazarii’ (fol. 135v). Probably there during the Cistercian interlude in Lorsch, 1232/34–ca. 1245.

Provenance and Acquisition

Eberbach, Cistercian Abbey of the Virgin Mary of the Virgin Mary. Listed in the Eberbach catalog of 1502 under the signature F 13: ‘F 13 Collecta super libros moysi Iudicum. et Ruth Initium In principio creauit deus celum’ (edited in Palmer 1998, p. 237).

The Eberbach library was plundered several times during the Thirty Years' War 1631-1635 and numerous manuscripts subsequently came into the possession of William Laud. Inscribed, ‘Liber Guilielmi Laud Archiepiscopi Cant: et Cancellar: Uniuersit: Oxon. 1638’ (fol. 1r).

Given to the Bodleian Library as part of Laud’s third donation in 1639.

Record Sources

Description expanded by Andrew Dunning (July 2022) from Michael Kautz, Bibliotheca Laureshamensis (2014). Previously described in the Quarto Catalogue (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)

Last Substantive Revision

2022-07-26: Andrew Dunning Revised with consultation of original.