MARTIANUS CAPELLA; S. XII 2/4

Title

MARTIANUS CAPELLA; S. XII 2/4

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 291

Place of origin

England (?)

Date

S. XII 2/4

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

103 leaves (iii + 100) The edges drastically retrimmed and spattered with red.

Hands

The text in a single excellent English protogothic bookhand, much resembling McLachlan’s Scribe A at Bury Abbey (E. Parker McLachlan, The Scriptorium of Bury St Edmunds in the Twelfth Century [New York & London, 1986], pp. 38–42, pls 8, 10). The main glossing hand is of French appearance. The same hands write the text and gloss in Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 57 (Juvenal and Persius).

Decoration

The opening initial on f. 1 not supplied. Otherwise red, blue or green initials, occasionally arabesqued in 1–3 of the colours. Lines of verse begin with initials in alternating colours. Running heads in red. Geometrical diagrams on fols. 44v-7, astronomical and metrical on f. 94v.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, repaired and rebacked; resewn on four bands. fols. i-iii and 98–100 are paper binding leaves, fols. iii and 98 modern paper blanks, the rest s. xvii, the outermost from the copy of the Bible in English also in MS 118. f. 97 was formerly the front pastedown in an earlier binding sewn on three bands; it has the marks of two foredge straps.

Provenance

Probably made in England, given to the College by William Reed in 1374: UO49. 1. On f. 96v, autograph: ‘Liber M. Wilelmi Red ex dono Magistri Nicholai de Sandwyco. Oretis igitur pro utroque’, and a table of contents; in the hand of Walter Robert ‘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.

At the head of f. 1 is the James no. ‘70’, s. xvii in. On f. iiv is a long title, c. 1600, describing the book as ‘in medio lacunosis et ualde mancus’. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a title, s. xvii, and ‘Q. 2. 7. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘O. 2. 7’ in red, washed out and replaced with the same and ‘(CCXCI)’ in pencil; the College bookplate. ‘7’ is inked on the foredge.