SUBJECT INDEXES TO WORKS OF THEOLOGY AND CANON LAW; S. XIV in.

Title

SUBJECT INDEXES TO WORKS OF THEOLOGY AND CANON LAW; S. XIV in.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 234

Place of origin

script of English appearance.

England, Oxford

Date

S. XIV in.

s. xiv ex.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

222 leaves (v + 217) The edges retrimmed and spattered with red. f. 194 is only one col. wide.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on six bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i and 217 are modern paper blanks. Fols. ii-iii are paper binding leaves, s. xvii. On f. iv are the marks of two foredge straps or clasps, and of the large iron chain-staple. This mark suggests that the bifolium Fols. iv-v was once at the end of the book.

Provenance

At the head of f. 77, cropped by the binder, ‘Ista tabula est concessa usibus fratri Ric’ / de Insula de ordine fratrum minorum’, s. xiv in., in the sort of hand used by the English friars, partly over an earlier erased inscription, which seems to have included the same name. Presumably it refers to the man of that name (BRUO 1003) who was born 1270, studied at Oxford and Orleans, and joined the Franciscans.

On f. ivv ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed episcopi Cicestrie cuius partem primam habuit ex dono reuerendi domini sui M. Nicholai de Sandwyco, secundam uero emit ab executoribus uenerabilis patris domini Iohannis de Schepeya episcopi Roffensis, sed tertiam emit ab executoribus uenerabilis patris domini Simonis de Islip archiepiscopi Cantuariensis. Oretis igitur pro singulis supradictis.’ Followed by a table of contents in the same hand, and a lengthy erased inscription of four lines, beg. ‘Liber’. ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ in communi libraria eiusdem, et ad usum communem sociorum ibidem studencium cathenandus. Ex dono uenerabilis patris domini Willelmi tercii episcopi Cicestrie. Oretis igitur pro eodem et animabus omnium fidelium defunctorum. ix. uolumen.’ At the head, cropped by the binder, ‘pertinet librarie’, s. xiv. For William Reed, fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8. For Nicholas Sandwich, see MS 8. John Sheppey, bishop of Rochester, d. 1360. Simon Islip, archbishop of Canterbury d. 1366. Part of Reed’s bequest.

At the head of f. 1 is the James no. ‘283’ (recte 177), s. xvii. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with table of contents and ‘F. 4, 2’ (canc.), s. xvii, and ‘P. 3. 1. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘O. 1. 1’ in red and ‘(CCXXXIV)’ in pencil; the College bookplate. ‘1’ is inked on the foredge.