PHYSICA; S. XIII ex.

Title

PHYSICA; S. XIII ex.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 261

Place of origin

script of English appearance

Date

S. XIII ex.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

119 leaves (vi + 114) The edges retrimmed, affecting marginalia, and spattered with red.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii; sewn on five bands; formerly chained from the usual position. fols. i-ii and 113–14 are paper binding leaves; on f. 113 is a partial transcription of the note on f. 112v. f. iii was a pastedown in an earlier binding. f. 12 was possibly a pastedown in an earlier binding sewn on four bands, and has rust-marks from furniture of uncertain form.

Provenance

On f. 112v are notes of s. xiv on studies and lectures at Oxford, pr. Powicke, p. 34 n.: Nota quod hec est forma inceptorum in artibus. In primis iiior libri Metheorum Item iiiior de Celo et Mundo Item quartus Topicorum Boycii a Marchal Item Algarismus inicium a Payn Item Compotus cum Spera Item Aritmetica cum Gemetria Item x. libri Eticorum Item xii. libri de Animalibus Item x. libri Methaphysice 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 a Play. Memorandum quod I. T. audiuit librum De Sompno et Vigilia et librum De Memoria et Reminiscentia a m. suo magistro N. K. postquam gratia fuit impetrata quod quilibet istorum duorum librorum staret pro quocunque libro sue forme uoluntarie. Item librum de Inspiracione et Respiracione. Item librum de Sensu et Sensato. Item librum De Motu Animalium. (In a later hand, over er. Viue Deo gratus toto mundo tumulatus Crimine mundatus semper transire paratus.) Memorandum quod habui a Bokynham xii. dies in gemetria et totalem literam 2i libri geometrie et a Wescot ix. dies in gemetria. Item a Bokenham literam totalem primi libri Arsmetrice et xii. dies Arsmetrice. Item a Hobul in’. It is remarkable that none of the persons named can be securely identified. ‘Bokenham’ was perhaps the theologian Thomas Buckingham (BRUO 298–9), fellow of Merton in 1324, until 1340. In that case, ‘Westcot’ cannot have been John Westcote (BRUO 2021–2), fellow of New College in 1380, d. by June 1418. On f. viv is ‘liber collegii’, in the large humanistica used for the inscriptions associated with Thomas Bloxham, ‘Merton’ Oxon’’ added, s. xvii.

Inside the front board is the College bookplate and the modern shelf-mark ‘P. 4. 12’ in pencil, canc., and replaced with ‘C. 2. 12. (CCLXI)’ in red. At the head of f. viv is ‘8’, s. xvii. ‘12’ is inked on the foredge.