MS. Laud Misc. 44
Summary Catalogue no.: 545
Saints’ lives; A) (fols. 1–10) Southern France, s. xiii; B) (fols. 11–49) Italy (?), s. xiiex; C) (fols. 50–54) Germany, Mainz Charterhouse, s. xv; D) (fols. 55–117) Germany, s. xiv2/4
Physical Description
Binding
Brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard for Abp. Laud, 1637–1639.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Composed of four originally separate parts; at least parts B & C already bound together in the 15th century, at the Mainz Charterhouse.
William Laud, 1573–1645: his ex-libris inscription, dated 1638, at the lower margin of fol. 2v.
Given to the Bodleian as part of his third donation, dispatched on 28 June 1639.
MS. Laud Misc. 44 – Part A (fols. 1-10)
Contents
With prologue. The Life of Saint James of Tarentaise is complete, and divided into nine lectiones.
BHL 4112, BHL nov. suppl. 4112bPhysical Description
Layout
Ruling in (faint) lead point, one column of 25 lines, below top line. Ruled space c.135–39 × 80–88 mm.
Hand(s)
Southern French textualis by a single hand.
Decoration
Scribal initials alternate red and blue, mostly decorated with fine lines.
Line-fillers.
Scribal red rubrics.
History
Provenance
Mainz, Charterhouse St Michael: late 14th-century ex-libris inscription inscription at the lower centre of fol. 10v.
MS. Laud Misc. 44 – Part B (fols. 11-49)
Contents
Imperfect at the beginning, opening at the end of (ed.) cap. 4.
Ascribed to Lucius Archidiaconus
The text is an extract of the interpolated version of Paul the Deacon’s Life of St Gregory.
This late 12th-century copy of Brendan’s seafaring is imperfect, and breaks off at the end of fol. 49v ((ed.) cap. 25). It was supplemented at the Mainz Charterhouse in s. xv, by a hand which is also responsible for the chapter division (the complete text divided into 21 textual units by arabic numerals in the margins), amateurish sketches in the margins, (fols. 27v–49v) a few intertextual corrections, paraphs, nota marks and pointing hands, as well as for the catchword on fol. 49v, ‘locum istum’.
BHL & BHL nov. suppl. 1437Physical Description
Layout
Ruling in lead point and ink, one column of 22 lines, above top line. Ruled space c.133–40 × 86–90 mm.
Hand(s)
Italian (?) protogothic script, presumably a single hand.
Corrections and marginalia mainly in a hand from the Mainz Charterhouse, s. xv, which is responsible for part C.
Decoration
Miniatures (rough marginal sketches) added by a hand of s. xv from the Mainz Charterhouse.
History
Provenance
Mainz, Charterhouse St Michael: part C written at the Charterhouse as supplement to part B, in s. xv.
MS. Laud Misc. 44 – Part C (fols. 50-54)
Contents
Part C is a 15th-century replacement of missing 12th-century text, written at the Mainz Charterhouse; see above.
Physical Description
Layout
Palimsest: Most leaves originally ruled in brown ink, approximately 36–40 lines; the pages laid out in at least two columns of unequal size, suggesting that it contained a text with a commentary or gloss (e.g. Bible text).
Ruling in ink, one column of 27–29 unruled lines. Ruled space c.132–35 × 93/94 mm.
Hand(s)
Palimpsested text: textualis quadrata
Bastarda by a single hand from the Mainz Charterhouse; the same hand is responsible for corrections and marginalia in part B. Scribal chapter numbering and sketches in the margins
Decoration
Rough sketches (miniatures), relating to Brendan’s voyage: supplied by hand C; a clumsy imitation of those in MS. Laud Misc. 173.
History
Provenance
Mainz, Charterhouse St Michael: part C written at the Charterhouse as supplement to part B, in s. xv.
MS. Laud Misc. 44 – Part D (fols. 55-117)
Contents
See below.
Physical Description
Layout
(fol. 55) 21 written lines per page; ruled in lead point
(fols. 56 ff.) Ruling in ink, one column of 33 lines. Ruled space c.134–38 × 94–97 mm.
Hand(s)
(fol. 55) Late protogothic script, a single hand;
(fols. 56r ff.) Regular German textualis by a single hand
Decoration
Initials in red.
Scribal red rubrics and paraphs.
Binding
Fol. 55r very dirty, probably the opening leaf in a previous binding. Marks from former binding furniture on both sides: two circular rust stains in the outer margin from fore-edge clasps or anchor plates; at the inner upper and lower corners rust stains from bosses.
History
Provenance
Mainz, Charterhouse St Michael: 15th-century ex-libris inscription at the upper centre of fol. 56r and upper margin of fol. 117v, and in a different, late 14th-century hand, at the lower centre of 56r.
MS. Laud Misc. 44, fol. 55
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Discarded leaf
A parchment leaf, slightly larger than the rest of part D, hooked around quire ix, its counterpart cancelled, stub between quires ix & x; the lower margin badly cropped.
fol. 55r: Pen trials (?) written over the original text at the centre of the page, upside-down, in (presumably) German textualis formata, s. xiv
Physical Description
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Bibliography
Published descriptions:
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2023-01-16: Description revised for Mainz digitization project to include additional information from Mairhofer catalogue.