Summary Catalogue no.: 1223
Wisdom Books; Germany, 12th century, first half
Contents
(fols. 1v–137v)
Wisdom Books fol. 1r blank except for some later pentrials.
(fols. 1v–33r)
Proverbs (fols. 1v–2r)
Prologue to Proverbs (Stegmüller, Bibl. 457) Rubric: Incipit prefatio sancti Iheronimi in librum Salemonis.
Incipit: ⟨C⟩romatio et Heliodoro episcopis Iheronimus. Iungat epistula quos iungit
Explicit: suum saporem servaverint
Final rubric: Explicit prefatio
(fols. 2r–3r)
Rubric: Incipiunt capitula in librum Prouerbiorum
(fols. 3v–33r)
Rubric: Incipit liber Proverbiorum quem Hebrei Masloth appellant.
Incipit: Parabole Salemonis filii Dauid regis Israhel ad sciendam
(fols. 33v–45v)
Ecclesiastes (fol. 33v)
Rubric: Incipiunt capitula libri Ecclesiastes
(fols. 34r–45v)
Rubric: Verba Ecclesiastes, filii Davit, regis Iherusalem.
(fols. 45v–51v)
Song of Songs Rubric: Incipiunt Cantica Canticorum quod hebraice dicitur Syrasirim
(fols. 51v–74v)
Wisdom (fols. 51v–52r)
Rubric: Incipiunt capitula libri Sapientie
(fols. 52r–74v)
Rubric: Incipit liber Sapientie
(fols. 74v–137r)
Ecclesiasticus (fols. 74v–75r)
Prologue to Ecclesiasticus Rubric: Incipit prologus libri Ihesu filii Syrach
Incipit: ⟨M⟩ultorum nobis et magnorum per legem
Explicit: uitam agere
(fols. 76v–137v)
Rubric: Incipit liber Ecclesiasticus
Rubric: (fol. 135v) Oratio Jhesu filii syrach
Rubric: (fol. 137r–v) Oratio Salemonis
Incipit: Et inclinauit salemon genua sua in conspectu tocius ecclesie
Explicit: Et exaudias et propicius sis. si peccauerit uir uite
Interlinear and marginal glossing, fols. 88v-92v.
'Modern' chapter numbers added in the margins, probably by the same hand that added the chapter numbers in MS. Laud Lat. 97.
Language(s): Latin
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i + 137 + i leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 294 × 195 mm.
Dimensions (written): 200–205 × 120–125 mm.
Layout
Written in 23 long lines, except for lists of chapter headings that are in 2 columns. Above top line.
Hand(s)
Protogothic. Added flex (‘Cistercian’) punctuation.
Decoration
Fine initials. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 1299, pl. CXVIII)
Large zoomorphic and foliate painted initials, fols. 1v, 34r, 52v; medium foliate initial, fol. 45v.
Space for some initials not filled in.
Small red ink initials with very modest decoration (added?), rubrics in red.
Binding
Brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard for Abp. Laud, 1637–1639; rebacked.
History
Origin: 12th century, first half ;
German Provenance and Acquisition
Eberbach, Cistercian abbey (?): possibly identifiable with a7 in the library catalogue of 1502 (Palmer p. 261: 'Libri salominis initium Chromatio et heliodoro', without this identification).
William Laud, 1573–1645, 1638.
Part of his third donation to the Bodleian, 1639.
Record Sources
Description adapted by Tuija Ainonen and Matthew Holford (May 2020) from the following sources (with additional description of contents, physical description and provenance):
H. O. Coxe, Laudian Manuscripts, Quarto Catalogues II, repr. with corrections, 1969, from the original ed. of 1858–1885 [contents, acquisition, origin]
Bibliography
Last Substantive Revision
2020-05-14: Description finalized for Polonsky.
