Biblia; England, s. xiiiin

Title

Biblia; England, s. xiiiin

Shelfmark

Exeter College MS. 45

Place of origin

England

Date

s. xiiiin

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment HFFH

Physical extent

271 good-quality leaves preceded by two medieval membrane flyleaves.

Hands

Good gothic bookhand by several scribes, some writing quadrata and some semiquadrata. The insular symbol for est is used. Punctuated by punctus elevatus, punctus interrogativus, and low point.

Decoration

At the beginning of books, 4/11-line blue-and-red lombards flourished red, some with extenders; at beginnings of prologues, 2/3-line blue lombards flourished red. Otherwise 1-line plain red and blue initials flourished in the other colour. Red-and-blue running titles and marginal book numbers; rubrics. There is guide-wording for rubricators in bottom margins but, although spaces were left for others, only those for Baruch and Apocalypse were inserted. Alexander and Temple, no. 178.

Binding

Sewn on four bands between wooden boards (the front with outward bevel, the back with inward bevel, and therefore perhaps reversed before the rebinding) covered with blind-stamped leather (Oldham, EBSB, MW. d(11), Oxford, 1613–14; Ker, Pastedowns, Roll xx (1)). On the front cover are the remains of two straps each held by five of the usual Oxford nails (one of which is lacking from the lower position). The thongs enter the boards through a tunnel in the edge. Endbands blue and ?brown; red edges, fore-edge title. Spine renewed; red leather label with gold title. The front pastedown and fol. i have holes from an iron chain-plate and stains which run as far as fol. 1.

Provenance

Fol. 3r, in top margin, ‘Iste liber constat Willelmo Elyot capellano Rectori Ecclesie de Byrynerber [Berrynarbor, Devon] quem quidem librum idem Willelmus emit a domino Waltero Baway.’ Fol. 271r, at end of text, ‘liber Willelmi Elyot clerici quem emit a domino Waltero Boway nuper vicario de heuytre’. Boway’s institution as vicar of Heavitree, Exeter, an ecclesiastical peculiar of the Dean and Chapter, is recorded in The Register of Edmund Lacy, Bishop of Exeter. Part 1. The Register of Institutions, ed. F. C. Hingeston-Randolph (London, 1909), 10, and The Register of Edmund Lacy, Bishop of Exeter, 5 (Canterbury and York Society, lxvi/5, 1972), ed. G. R. Dunstan, 24, contains references to his further preferments.

Fol. 3r, in bottom margin, ‘Hunc librum Willelmus Elyot Clericus Magister Domus dei de Portesmouth Wintoniensis diocesis in Comitatu Sutht’ olim Registrarius bone memorie Edmundi Lacy Exoniensis Episcopi quartodecimo die mensis Julij Anno Regni Regis Ricardi tercii primo [1483] dedit legauit ac in vita sua naturali disposuit Collegio Exon’ in Oxon’ ...’ [as in MS 14 above]. On Elyot see BRUO.

On the back pastedown is ‘Ad Collegium Exon’ in Oxon’ pertinet’ (s. xv). Not recorded in Ecloga, but nevertheless probably in the College in the medieval period: see Watson, Introduction, pp. xxii–xxiii. Not in CMA.

Exeter library identifications are, on the front pastedown, ‘H—3—10’, ‘H—3—11’, ‘N—7—11’, ‘C—2—7’, ‘V—4(?)—7’ (all deleted), bookplate 3, on which are ‘E—6—10’ (deleted), ‘37–E–1’ and ‘No. XLV. in Catal: MSS.’ On fol. iiv is bookplate 1.