AURORA ; S. XIII

Title

AURORA ; S. XIII

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 8

Place of origin

France, Paris (?)

Date

S. XIII

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

201 leaves (iii + 198)The edges retrimmed and spattered with red. The outer col. of fol. 163 excised. (fols. 2–7, 191–3)

Hands

The main text is written throughout in a practised French early gothic bookhand; the additions are in a similar hand.

Decoration

Red and blue flourished initials; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; extensive rubrication. The decoration is sometimes omitted altogether, e.g. for all of the additional material on fols. 2–7, 191–3v.

Binding

s. xix, sewn on five bands; fols. i-ii, 197–8 are blank paper binding leaves. fols. 1 and 196 were pastedowns in an earlier binding. At the foot of fol. 1 is the mark of the large iron chain-staple. At the foot of fol. 196 is the mark of another, smaller iron chain-staple. Both leaves have faint marks of two straps and catches.

Provenance

French, probably Parisian.

Given to the College by William Reed in 1374: UO49. 2. On fol. 1 is an erased two-line inscription, probably a title of s. xvii. On fol. 1v, erased, ‘Iste liber est nostri quidem / magistri haberi direxit’, in a French cursive hand of s. xiii; ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed emptus de donis sibi datis per M. Nicholaum de Sandwych’, in Reed’s hand, then ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed’ archidiaconi Roffensis nuper ex dono reuerendi domini sui M. Nicholai de Sandwico. Oretis igitur pro utroque’, ‘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 benefactoribus eiusdem ac fidelium animabus a purgatorio liberandis.’ The last two inscriptions and ‘Aurora Petri’ are in the hand of Reed’s clerk Walter Robert. William Reed (BRUO 1556–60), fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, archdeacon of Rochester 1359–68, provost of Wingham, Kent, 1363–8, bishop of Chichester from 1368/9, d. 1385. Nicholas of Sandwich (BRUO 1639–40), Kentish cleric and gentleman-scholar, was Reed’s great benefactor. He was still alive in 1347, his death-date unknown.

Below is the College bookplate. At the head of fol. 2 is ‘Cantori’, s. xv. Inside the front board is ‘N. 1. 8’, canc., and another bookplate, with ‘A. 2. 8 (VIII)’ in red. ‘8’ is inked on the foredge.