Eadmer, Vita Oswaldi etc.

Title

Eadmer, Vita Oswaldi etc.

Shelfmark

St John's College MS 96

Associated place

Winchcombe

Palestine

Place of origin

England

Date

s. xii ex.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Vellum (HSOS/HFFH).

Physical extent

Fols. iii + 152+ i (numbered fol. iv). Tabs at some text heads.

Hands

Written in several hands, all using protogothic bookhand; see N. R. Ker, English Manuscripts in the Century after the Norman Conquest (Oxford, 1960), 20 n. 5.The first scribe copied fols. 1–2 the second, fols. 3–46v; the third, fols. 47–80; the fourth, in a very spiky hand, fols. 80v–149v, with the table of chapters, fols. 104v–6, probably a fifth scribe. Scribes 2–4 punctuate by point and punctus elevatus; scribe 3 also uses the punctus interrogativus.

Decoration

Throughout the MS, red headings in rustic capitals, although many spaces are blank.

At the head of item 1, a 10-line green, blue, and orange arabesque capital with vine interlace and human and animal figures and heads; at the head of item 2, a large blue arabesque initial in a different slate colour and with red and green vine pattern.

At chapter divisions of item 1, plain 3-line arabesque capitals in slate-blue, violet, and red; in item 2, arabesque capitals in red and green, at least one unfilled.

In booklet 2, a purple arabesque initial at the head, a 6-line red initial with blue vine at the head of the Passion; small red and green arabesque capitals for chapters.

In booklet 3, a 9-line gold and red arabesque capital (fol. 106); regularly alternating red, gold, and green arabesque capitals at chapter divisions.

Both books of the ‘Translation’ begin with 6-line arabesque capitals in gold and red with vine and leaf design; chapters introduced by 2-line red or gold arabesque capitals (occasionally with floral decoration in the other colour).

A plain 4-line red capital at the head of St Letard.

See AT, no. 84 (12), dating s. xii3/4, and plate v (fol. 1). The authors connect the book with Dublin, Trinity College MS 53 (‘the Winchcombe Psalter’)and more distantly, BodL, MS Douce 368, another book from Winchcombe, with Bede’s Historia (PA 3, no. 104 [13]).

Binding

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

Acquisition

Given to St John’s college by John White; in the Benefactors’ Book (col. ii) as ‘Vita et miracula Oswaldi Mariae Magdalenae Sancti Edwardi Augustini MS’.

Provenance

A contents list (s. xiii in., with an addition s. xiii/xiv); and ‘liber Gilleberti prioris’ (s. xiii) (fol. ii). On this basis, as well as the added text (d), the book is associated with Pershore (Worcs., OSB) (Ker, MLGB 550, 293). Two other surviving books, both of patristic authors, belonged to prior Gilbert : Cambridge, Emmanuel College MS 38 ; and Oxford, Jesus College MS 4.

Pen-trials and verses from hymns, s. xv and xv/xvi (fol. ii).

‘Orate pro anima Rogeri Euyrton patris domini Symonis Euyrtonvicarie chorali ecclesie cathedralis Wellen’ Et animabus fratrum consanguiniorum que dicimus et animabus Omnium fidelium defunctorum Amen’ ( fol. iii; s. xv ex., anglicana).

A table of contents s. xvii, with additions s. xviii (fol. iiiv).