Orosius, History

Title

Orosius, History

Shelfmark

St John's College MS 95

Place of origin

England

Date

s. xii med.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Vellum (HSOS/HFFH).

Physical extent

Fols. iii + 114 + iii (numbered fols. iv–vi).

Hands

Written in caroline. Punctuation by point, punctus versus, and occasional punctus elevatus.

Decoration

Headings in red, but most spaces for them unfilled.

At the head (fol. 1rb), a 7-line arabesque initial with descender to the page foot, in blue and violet, with vine interlace, on gold leaf.

Books introduced by 6-line arabesque capitals (10-line for book 7, fol. 89vb) in red or green, sometimes both and sometimes with floral ornament in the contrasting colour (that for book 6, fol. 71va, is especially opulent, in green with red, blue, green, and gold leaf and flower infill.

At the heads of chapters, 2-line arabesque initials, usually alternating red and green, occasionally slate blue (and sporadically, gold).

Occasional 1-line red or green arabesque capitals to divide the text.

See AT, no. 82 (11), dating s. xii3/4, and plate v (fol. 1).

Binding

A modern replacement. Sewn on five thongs. At the front, a marbled paper leaf and two modern paper flyleaves; at the rear, two modern paper flyleaves and another marbled leaf (iv–vi).

Provenance

‘Orosius de ormessta [last four letters re-inked, s. xv] mundi ijdo fo Et sub [boxed] I xvij.’ (fol. 1, upper margin; s. xiv ex. or xiv/xv). The shelfmark is that of Chichester Cathedral (Ker MLGB 51).

‘Liber Collegii Divi Johannis Baptistae Oxon’ (fol. 49, upper margin; s. xviii or xix).