LATIN BIBLE; S. XIII ex.
Merton College MS. 235
Merton College, University of Oxford
Description
From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
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Title
LATIN BIBLE; S. XIII ex.
Shelfmark
Merton College MS. 235
Place of origin
France, Paris
Date
S. XIII ex.
Language
Latin
Contents
Form
codex
Support
Parchment
Physical extent
460 leaves (iv + 456)
Hands
A small, neat early gothic bookhand of the type usual in this sort of book.
Decoration
Handsome historiated and decorated initials in colours and gold, with drolleries, in Parisian style: fols. 1, 3, 4 (full-length I with eleven separate scenes and an archer, two peacocks in the lower margin), 20v, 34, 43, 57, 69v, 70, 78v, 87v, 89, 89v, 102, 111v, 123, 133v (2), 143, 154rv, 158, 162v (2), 165v-6, 170 (2), 174 (2), 174v-5, 184 (Beatus, David harping), 187 (Ps. 26), 189 (Ps. 38), 191 (Pss. 51–2), 193 (Ps. 68), 195v (Ps. 80), 198 (Pss. 100–1), 200v (Ps. 109), 205rv, 213 (3), 215v-16, 217 (2), 222v-3, 237v-8, 254v-5, 275 (2), 277rv, 294v-5, 302, 304–5v, 307, 307v (2), 308, 308v (2), 310 (2), 310v (2), 311v (2), 312 (2), 312v (2), 315v (2), 316, 316v (3), 327v, 334v-5, 345v (2), 352 (3), 363rv, 372 (2), 376 (2), 380 (2), 383 (2), 384v (2), 386 (2), 387 (2), 388 (2), 389 (2), 389v (2), 390v (2), 391v (2), 392 (3), 392v, 395v, 396 (2), 407v-8, 409 (2), 410v (2), 411v, 412v (4), 413v (2), 420.
Red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; running heads and chapter-numbers in capitals of the colours.
Binding
s. xix, sewn on four bands. Fols. i-iii, 455–6 are paper leaves from this binding; f. iv is a paper leaf from a previous binding of s. xvii. This leaf and f. 1 have the mark of an iron chain-staple at the foredge, near the foot. On f. 454 are the marks of two clasps, and perhaps of a chain-staple at the foot.
Provenance
Made in Paris, in England early. Probably at the College before the Reformation.
Distinctive marginal pointing hands and sleeves, s. xiii ex., as found in books from Gloucester Abbey, Worcester Cathedral Priory and other houses in the west midlands (fols. 1–419v).
On f. ivv is a table of contents and ‘P. 3. 2. Art:’, s. xvii. ‘Biblia MS 2’ is inked on the foredge. Inside the front board is the College bookplate with ‘P. 3. 2’, canc. and replaced with ‘H. 2. 2 (CCXXXV)’ in red.
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