VINCENT OF BEAUVAIS; S. XIV in. (before 1330)

Title

VINCENT OF BEAUVAIS; S. XIV in. (before 1330)

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 126

Place of origin

France, Paris

Date

S. XIV in. (before 1330)

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

293 leaves (ii + 291)

Hands

The expert French gothic rotunda bookhand of Robert of Longjumeau, the same scribe as MSS 123–4; ‘cor’ at the end of quires.

Decoration

Splendid 9- or 10-line historiated initials in colours and gold with partial vinet borders open each book. The major initials are as follows: fol. 3 3-line U with coiling foliage and 2-sided border, on the lower limb hound chases hare, another hound peeps from the foliage; fol. 4 R enclosing seated emperor with erect sword, in conversation with a king and his retainers, full border, across the lower limb two hounds pursue a stag, a hare looks on (a late medieval hand has sought to copy the stag in ink near the head of fol. 3v); fol. 34v 2-line U with coiling foliage, 3-sided border with hound and hare as usual; fols. 35v, 76v H with coiling foliage and 3-sided border, across the lower limb a ?beagle (with long floppy ears) and hare; fol. 75v 3-line U with coiling foliage and 2-sided border, hound and hare as usual; fols. 106v, 141 2-line U with coiling foliage and 3-sided border, seated beagle and hare; fol. 107v D with 3-sided border, hound and hare as usual; fol. 142 A with coiling foliage, 3-sided border and beagle and hare as usual; fol. 173v 2-line T with 3-sided border, hound and hare as usual; fol. 174v A with coiling foliage, beagle and hare as usual; fol. 214 4-line T with 2-sided border, crouching hound and hare; fol. 215 O with coiling foliage and 3-sided border with hound and hare as usual; fol. 252v 4-line T with 2-sided border, beagle and hare; fol. 254v D with 2-sided border, beagle and hare.

Binding

s. xvii, brown polished calf, rebacked s. xix, sewn on five bands. Fols. i-ii, 291 are paper blanks, fols. i and 291 of s. xix, fol. ii of s. xvii. Between fols. i and ii are the stubs of a parchment bifolium, once the front pastedown.

Provenance

Made in Paris, vol. 4 of the set with MSS 123–5.

On fol. 1 ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ ex legato Magistri Rogeri de Martiuall’ quondam episcopi Sarum’, in the same hand as the inscriptions in MSS 56, 123–5. For Martival see MS 123. UO47. 12.

On fol. 289v, s. xvi, ‘Hic liber partinet ad collegium de Marto’.

Scribbles and pen trials of s. xvi include: fol. 121v ‘Robert Lukyn’; at the head of fol. 141v, ‘Robert Lukyn ys a good son’; below, in ornamental script, ‘ROBERT LUKYN’; fol. 164v ‘Herry the kyng’; fol. 217v ‘Wyllyam Slowne’, ‘Dennes Twattocke’, and ‘Mistur Harry the Kingis fole’.

On fol. 290v ‘Iste liber pertinet ad me Edmundum Palmerum’, repeating the name in Greek script, the name also in MS 275. Palmer (BRUO 1501–1540, p. 428) was fellow 1540–43, when he died.

On fol. 1 is ‘O. 2. 10. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘M. 2. 10 (CXXVI)’ in red. ‘10’ is inked on the foredge.