Anon., Sermones de tempore et de sanctis; Oxford, England, Fols. 1–197 c. 1460?, rest 1480 × 1484

Title

Anon., Sermones de tempore et de sanctis; Oxford, England, Fols. 1–197 c. 1460?, rest 1480 × 1484

Shelfmark

Exeter College MS. 68

Place of origin

Oxford, England

Date

Fols. 1–197 c. 1460?, rest 1480 × 1484

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment FHHF

Physical extent

235 leaves preceded and followed by a post-medieval paper flyleaf

Hands

Fols. 1–197 (end of quire) written by Scribe 3 (William Osborne?); see MS 51, Script. In this volume he makes no use of high and low decorative ascenders. From there to the end is in several new hands: (1) fols. 198r–201va/48, (2) fols. 201va/48–202vb, then in a number of variable and merging hands. Rector’s Accounts, autumn 1480, refer to payments to ‘uni scriptori pro pargameno et labore circa Sermones Hugonis de Vienna xiiii5 id’ (Boase2, xxxvii n. 1): comparison of this sum with the total sum for writing and illuminating paid by John Combe (see History below) suggests that it was the fee of the principal scribe, Osborne.

Decoration

Of the same type as MS 51 but mainly by Artist D (Bray). On fol. 1r is an illuminated border on three sides by Artist D: see headnote to MSS 51–68; q.v. also for a characterization of his work.

Otherwise 3/6-line red-and-blue lombards, flourished red, and 3-line plain blue initials, which seem to be in the same hand throughout; also rubrics, red running numbers of sermons, red marginal authorities, and chapter divisions. The Rector’s Accounts, ut supra, record payment in autumn 1484 to ‘John Bray pro ligacione et illuminatura duorum voluminum operis Hugonis de Vienna, xxd pro incathenacione eorundem in libraria’, one of which is certainly this volume and the other probably MS 60. On him see also headnote to MSS 51–68. Alexander and Temple, no. 593.

Binding

Stamped leather bindings over square-edged wooden boards, (presumably) rebound; stamp used was employed in Oxford between 1535 and 1621, here in the second phase state, probably c. 1605–10. Two straps held by nails. Refurbished in the 19th century (1839?): that volumes were resewn is indicated by the very tight binding, which makes collation difficult, and by the provision of new endbands; edges were stained red; book was reinforced by pasting long strips of canvas round the spine and attached to the boards, and the old spines were replaced. Sewn on five bands. No headbands. For other details see Watson, Exeter, p. 87.

Provenance

One of the group of manuscripts, now 51–68, given to the College by Roger Keys, whose arms have been excised from the lower margin of fol. 1r. Keys’s ex dono inscription was probably on a lost preliminary leaf; see MS 53, History. This volume seems, however, to be a kind of appendix to the series: it contains sermons and not biblical commentaries atttributed to Hugo de S. Caro, it is not numbered as the 18th volume, as MSS 51–67 are each numbered 1–17, and the Rector’s Accounts make it clear that writing and illumination were completed in 1480 × 1484 (see Script and Decoration, above) and that M. John Combe (d. by April 1499: see BRUO) paid 26s 8d towards this—‘xxvis viiid a M. Johanne Combe pro complecione operis Hugonis de Vienna’—and perhaps a second volume referred to (see Decoration, above).

Exeter library identifications are, on the front pastedown, bookplate 3, and on it ‘173.H.8’, deleted and replaced by ‘213.G.7’, and ‘Coxe LXVII’ (pencil). On fol. 1r is ‘Liber Coll: Exon’ (s. xvi/xvii?).