Terence, Comedies

Title

Terence, Comedies

Shelfmark

St John's College MS 117

Place of origin

French

Date

s. xv 2

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Vellum (FSOS)

Physical extent

iii + i86 + iii (numbered iv–vi)

Hands

Written in French lettre bâtarde . Punctuation by medial point, with occasional double point, punctus versus, punctus elevatus, and punctus interrogativus.

Decoration

Red headings and indications of speakers in the plays (three verso-recto openings in the last quire unfilled).

At the heads of the plays, 6-line large champes, with infilled vines and flowers (the last one diapered in blue and gold leaf), with demivinets of vines, leaves, buds and fruits, occasionally a bird.

At the heads of scenes, three-line champes.

Running titles in red give the names of the plays.

See AT, no. 771 (76).

Binding

Brown leather over millboards, with a stamped gold fillet, s. xvii. Sewn on five thongs. Inked ‘117’ (partly defaced) on a paper lozenge at the head of the spine, in black ink on the leading edges. Pastedowns of old paper, on the front one the nail-holes and verdigris from a chain-staple in Watson’s position 6, as well as a College bookplate. At the front, two modern paper flyleaves and one medieval vellum one (waste from the MS, ruled on both sides); at the rear, another medieval vellum flyleaf (waste like the previous one, but this example was formerly a pastedown) and two modern paper flyleaves (iv–vi).

Acquisition

Liber Collegij Sancti Johannis Baptistae Ex dono Guilielmi Laudesacrae Theologiae Doctoris et eiusdem Collegij Socij Anno Domini 1610(fol. 1, upper margin). Exhibited Laud Exhib, no. 2 (7). The old shelfmark ‘Abac: ij. N. 89/ [beta]’.

Provenance

'Anno Domini Millesimo CCCClxxvijo (anglicana) and ‘The Book I gyve and Dove with all Laude and Harte Happe what shall quod Hanley’ with mark (fol. iii, bastard secretary, s. xv ex. ).