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

MS. Wood empt. 23

Summary Catalogue no.: 8611

Contents

1. (fol. 1)
Benedict XII, Constitutiones ad monachos nigros

The statutes of pope Benedict XII for the reformation of monasteries

Language(s): Latin
2.
English provincial constitutions:
(fol. 57)
The councils of London, 1237, 1269
(fol. 105)
Oxford, 1222
(fol.116v)
Lambeth, 1261
(fol. 127v)
Reading, 1279
Incipit: Cum recolende memorie
(fol. 134v)
Lambeth [1281]
(fol. 153v)
St. Paul's, 1328/1329
(fol. 153v)
Peckham's statute on the obligations of parishioners in churches
Incipit: Vt autem certiores reddantur parochiani
(fol. 157v)
Peckham's statute (really Boniface) concerning the payment of tithes
(fol. 158v)
A constitution on mortuaries
(fol. 159)
A constitution of Winchelsea about tithes
Incipit: Inter ecclesiarum rectores
(fol.160 )
A council of St. Paul's, 13[42]
(fol. 173)
A constitution of Simon Islip
(fol. 174v)
Constitutions of Robert Winchelsea, in visitation, 1305
Incipit: Presbyterii nec non filii sacerdotes
(fol. 175v)
Notes about excommunication, from the decretals and provincial councils
Incipit: Quoniam malum vbi cognitum de facili
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: v + 180 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 6.1 × 3.5 in.

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander iii. 731

Good border on fol. 1r; animal head has a sprig of daisies protruding from its mouth

Good historiated initial (fol. 1r): Pope (probably Benedict XII) in tiara, amice, chasuble with red jewels, and alb with apparel, seated with cross staff, handing a document to a kneeling cleric in black habit (probably Benedictine) who is outside of the initial (The Bodleian Library, Oxford. III: MSS e Musaeo - Wood [Harvey Miller 2002], No. 1051). Kathleen L. Scott suggests that the image is by the same illustrator as MS. Bodley 316 (Later Gothic Manuscripts 1390-1490 [Harvey Miller, 1996], II, p. 35)

Coloured initials, e.g. fols 106r, 117r, 135r and 160r

Binding

Inboard binding, allum-tawed skin over wooden boards, with contemporary chemise of allum-tawed skin (originally pink). Single left-to-right long strap and side pin. Kept in a pre-1937 box, with catch, covered with brown book cloth (6.9" x 5.3")

History

Origin: 14th century, end ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Fol. 56: 'Iste liber pertinet ad Robartus Tirroldus [sic], si quis inueniet et ego perdeo, adferet ad me et habet duos denarios a me. Johannes Derkes scripsit et si quis queratur pro me habebit me in Abindoni' (c. 1500)

Anthony à Wood

Bought by the library in 1690

Record Sources

Description adapted (March 2025) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1937). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973)

Surrogates

The online 'Thinking Inside the Box' exhibition has a 3D rendering of the chemise binding, plus images of fols 88v and 89r

Last Substantive Revision

2025-03-10: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1937)