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

MS. Laud Misc. 544

Summary Catalogue no.: 1410

Theological texts, Sermons; 13th century, first quarter

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1r–4v)
Alan of Lille, De uirtutibus et uitiis (excerpts, ch. 1 art. 1 & ch. 2 art. 1)
(fols. 1r–2v)
Rubric: De virtutibus
Incipit: Tractaturi de uirtutibus et viciis, primo de uirtute agendum est hoc ordine. Primo consideranda quid sit uirtus genere, secundo quid sit uirtus cum potentia, tercio quomodo ordinentur singule uirtutes in predicamento uirtutis.
(fols. 2v–4v)
Rubric: De viciis septem
Incipit: Postquam dictum est de uirtutibus, consequenter agendum est de uiciis. Uicium aliquando dicitur infirmitas uel potius designet penam quam culpam, unde cecitas uel surditas potest dici uicium

Includes chapters on: De inania gloria, De ira, De invidia, De accidia, De auaritia, De symonia, De usura, De periurio, De gula, De luxuria

Ed. Odon Lottin, 'Le Traité d'Alain de Lille sur les Vertus, les Vices et les Dons du Saint-Esprit', Medieval Studies 12 (1950) 20–56, pp. 39ff.

2. (fols. 4v–8r)
Stephen Langton (?), Conflictus vitiorum et virtutum (excerpts: chapters 2–6 (Prologue, De superbia), 8 (De invidia), 13 (De auaritia), 15 (De gula), 17 (De luxuria))
Rubric: De septem viciis principalibus. Primo de superbia
Incipit: Vidi de mari bestiam ascendentem habentem capita septem et cornua decem. Verba sunt Iohannis in Apokalypsi. Bestia dyabolus est

Bloomfied 6450. Ed. in R. Quinto, 'The Conflictus uitiorum et uirtutum attributed to Stephen Langton', in Virtue and Ethics in the Twelfth Century, eds. István P. Bejczy and Richard G. Newhauser (Brill 2005), pp. 197–267 (pp. 223 ff.).

3. (fols. 8r–16r)
Ps.-Grosseteste (Pope Celestine V?), Summa vitiorum
Rubric: Tractatus de viciis principalibus. Primo de superbia
Incipit: Superbia est elatio uiciosa, que inferiorem despiciens, superiorbus et paribus satagit dominari

Bloomfield, in Traditio 11 (1955) p. 367 no. 979, Thomson, Grosseteste (1950) 267 n. 62.

4. (fols. 16r–17v)
Philippus Cancellarius, Sermon
Rubric: In natale beate virginis
Incipit: Egredietur virga etc. Prophetia est de nativitate beate virginis que per uerbum egrediendi designatur

Cancellarius written in the margin.

Schneyer, Repertorium, 4.834 (233).

5. (fols. 17v–18r)
Sermon
Rubric: In annunciatione beate virginis
Incipit: Quatuor habet interpretationes hoc sanctissimum nomen Maria. Interpretatur primo stella maris
6. (fol. 18r–v)
Sermon
Rubric: De septem principalibus peccatis
Incipit: Super tribus sceleribus Moab et super quatuor non convertar[sic] dicit Dominus. Primo ab intelligitur dyabolus. Duplici de causa
7. (fols. 18v–19r)
Sermon
Rubric: De omnibus sanctis
Incipit: Quoniam uicia Christus repressit, et uirtutes augmentauerit. Ideo Iohannes ewangelista in apokalipsi sua loquitur et dicit
8. (fol. 19r–v)
Sermon
Rubric: De Andrea
Incipit: Uenite post me etc. Notandum quod tres sunt modi ueniendi ad Dominum. Primus modus est penitentia

Cancellarius written in the margin. Not in Schneyer, Repertorium.

9. (fols. 19v–20r)
Sermon
Rubric: De natiuitate Domini
Incipit: Plenitudo legis est dilectio. Verbum est apostoli ad Romanos hortans ad dilectionem
10. (fol. 20r–v)
Sermon
Rubric: In palmis
Incipit: De asina super qua Dominus sedit, quando venit Ierosolimam
11. (fols. 20v–21r)
Sermon
Rubric: De sancto spiritu
Incipit: Tempus est dilectionis et tempus odii. Est maius et difficilius loqui de Spiritu Sancto quam de alia re
12. (fols. 21r–23v)
Sermon
Rubric: De predicatione
Incipit: Dominus per Ysaiam dicit Annuncia populo meo peccata eorum que si non feceris sanguis eius etc. Item alibi Maledictus canis non uolens latrare. Canis interpretatur sacerdos

Verse on confession, in the margin: Suscipe clementer, intellige compacienter. Queras prudenter, fac noscas queque patenter. Erige fidenter, penas impone medenter. Ora feruenter, et contege cuncta silenter. (cf. Stiftsbibliothek zu Wilhering, Cod. IX 138, fol. 60v)

13. (fols. 23v–24v)
Sermon
Rubric: De contemptu mundi
Incipit: Sapientia edificauit sibi domum etc. In principio sermonis huius tria nobis investiganda sunt
14. (fols. 24v–25v)
Sermon
Rubric: Dominica secunda post Pentecosten
Incipit: Homo quidam fecit cenam magnam etc. Fratres karissimi, non spe temporalis mercedis sed potius eterne remunerationis semen Dei inter nos seminare proposui

cf. Bodleian MS. Digby 172, f. 155v.

15. (fols. 25v–26r)
Sermon
Incipit: Quis est cibus in celo sanctorum
16. (fol. 26r–v)
Sermon
Incipit: Filia mea modo defuncta est sed ueni et impone manum tuam super eam, et viuet. In ista siquidem Ihesus difficultatem ostenderes
17. (fols. 26v–27v)
Sermon
Rubric: In passione Domini
Incipit: Christus assistens pontifex etc. Qui ex Deo est uerba Dei audit . In ewangelio Iohannis quis fructus sit in hoc ostendit dicens

Four line verse: Efficit audacem petitorem passio Christi (in the margin, fol. 27r).

18. (fols. 28r)
Geoffroy Babion, Sermon
Rubric: De Maria Magdalena
Incipit: Rogabat Ihesum quidam phariseus etc. Multis modis, fratres karissimi, uoluit Dominus inuitare peccatores ad penitentiam

Schneyer, Repertorium, 2.156 (75).

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: ⟨cardi⟩nem et ita
Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i (paper) + i (parchment) + 28 + i (parchment) leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 250 × 176–78 mm.
Dimensions (written): 185–195 × 130–135 mm.
Foliation: i-ii, 1–29

Collation

18, 2–310

Layout

Written in 2 columns, 41–44 lines. Written above top line.

Hand(s)

Protogothic.

Decoration

Simple red initials.

Red rubrics.

Binding

Bound in limp vellum.

History

Origin: 13th century, first quarter ; Germany

Provenance and Acquisition

William Laud, 1573–1645, 1638.

Part of his third donation to the Bodleian, 1639.

Record Sources

Description adapted by Tuija Ainonen (September 2020) from the following sources (with additional description of the content and physical description):

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2020-09-30: Description revised for Polonsky digitization project.