IOANNITIUS, GALEN; 1458–9

Title

IOANNITIUS, GALEN; 1458–9

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 268

Place of origin

England, Salisbury

Date

1458–9

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

303 leaves (ii + 301) The feet stained yellow. Foliated 1–292 (mod. 1–293), in a hand of c. 1600, which also inserts the numbers in the index on fols. 293v-300.

Hands

Written in the archaizing bookhand of Hermann Zurke of Greifswald. On 189v,‘in uico draconum’ = Dragonhall St, now Exeter St, Salisbury. He also wrote Oxford, Bodl. Libr., Bodl. 361, 362, Laud. misc. 558, and BL, Lansdowne 555.

Decoration

The stub of the original first leaf has the remains of a full border; on f. 1 a 6-line champe initial C with partial foliate border; on f. 190 a 6-line T in colours on a gold ground with 3-sided floral border; blue initials flourished in red; red or blue paraphs, red underlining.

Binding

s. xv, blind-stamped leather over wide-bevelled flush oak boards; sewn on six bands, raised on the spine; endbands formerly oversewn with red and green silk. From the same workshop as BL Add. 28870, the register of Vallis Scholarum at Salisbury. Two straps from recesses in the front board to pins in the rear, replaced by broader straps and clasps (the lower now missing) to catches in the back. Nail-holes from two labels, one above the other, on the rear cover. The stamps comprise mottoes ‘Mon bien mondain’ and ‘Jesu Mercy Ladi help’ (as also on its companion volume Bodl. Libr., Laud. misc. 558), a vase of flowers motif, and Oldham 405. Near the foot of the front board are two brass nails, arranged vertically, doubtless from a medieval chain-staple. Later chained from the foredge of the front board, near the foot.

Provenance

Written at Salisbury by Hermann Zurke of Greifswald for Gilbert Kymer (BRUO 1068–9), chancellor of Oxford University 1447–53, dean of Salisbury from 1449 (d. 1463). One of a group of four medical manuscripts, written by the same scribe, presented by Kymer to the old University Library. At the head of the front pastedown is ‘prec’ iii s. ?d.’ Below, three lines of inscription have been erased: ‘Liber magistri Gilberti x d. ’. This was read as a record of gift to the University Library by E. W. B. Nicholson, who made it more illegible by using reagent.

On f. 300v, in an italic hand of s. xvi, ‘Liber Richardi Phillipps ex dono magistri Henrici Morgan’. Morgan was perhaps BRUO 1501–1540, p. 401, BCnL 1522, DCL 1525, canon of Exeter and Hereford, d. 1559. Phillipps may have been ibid. 449, educated at Worcester, BA 1540, MA 1543, still alive in 1570.

At the foot of f. 176 is scrawled, s. xvi, ‘7 l. vi s. viii d.’

At the head of f. 2 ‘Isagoge in Iohannicium una cum quaestionibus huic operi ualde necessariis et quaestiones super librum Tegni sunt Collegii Mertonensis ex dono Roberti Barnes medici cuius animam omnipotens Deus perducat ad uitam aeternam.’ Robert Barnes (ibid. 28), from Worcestershire, fellow of Merton 1538–58, MD, d. 1604 at Oxford. He made his donation of this and many other books in 1594 (ibid. 714–5).

On the front pastedown is ‘P. 4. 19. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced by ‘O. 1. 10 (CCLXVIII)’ in red; the College bookplate. ‘19’ is inked on the foredge.