AVERROES, AVICENNA; S. XIV in.

Title

AVERROES, AVICENNA; S. XIV in.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 282

Place of origin

script of English appearance.

England, Oxford

Date

S. XIV in.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

179 leaves (i + 178) Retrimmed with loss of marginalia, the edges spattered with red.

Hands

A single English gothic rotunda bookhand of university type.

Decoration

Blue initials flourished in red; red or blue initials and paraphs. On f. 175v is the miniator’s computation, in red: ‘de magnis litteris viij c; item de paruis litteris v c.’

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii; sewn on five bands; chained from the usual position. The stubs conjugate with f. i and f. 178 were formerly pastedowns in an earlier binding. On f. i are marks from two foredge straps and one each at head and tail; also possible marks of the large iron chain-staple.

Provenance

Probably made and used at Oxford.

Given to the College by William Reed in 1374: UO49. 21. On f. iv (1) autograph, ‘Liber M. Willelmi Red ex dono magistri Nicholai de Sandwyco. Oretis igitur pro utroque.’ (2) ‘proprietas domus Mertone’. (3) In the usual hand, ‘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.’ For William Reed, fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8. (4) ‘2usde sorte Mothyrby’. William Motherby (BRUO 1324) was fellow in 1390, no longer in 1401. (2), (4) and the table of contents are in a single hand.

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a short note of contents, s. xvii, ‘Q. 1. 14. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘O. 2. 3’ in red ink, and ‘(CCLXXXII)’ in pencil; the College bookplate.