SENECA, CICERO; S. XIV med.

Title

SENECA, CICERO; S. XIV med.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 297

Place of origin

script of English appearance.

Date

S. XIV med.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

260 leaves (iv + 256) The edges retrimmed and stained yellow at the foot.

Hands

A single proficient bastard anglicana.

Decoration

On fols. 1–107 red initials flourished in violet; from f. 113 blue initials flourished in red; occasional plain blue initials and paraphs.

Binding

s. xix, sewn on four bands. fols. i-ii, 255–6 are paper binding leaves. f. iii, probably once a pastedown, has paper pasted to it for strengthening. On the verso are the marks of two straps, and of brass chain-staples near the head and foot. On f. 254v are the marks of the large iron chain-staple.

Provenance

On f. iiiv(autograph?) ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed episcopi Cicestrensis quem emit de executoribus uenerabilis patris domini Simonis Islep’ Dei gracia archiepiscopi Cantuariensis. Oretis igitur pro utroque’, followed by a table of contents; in the hand of Reed’s clerk Walterus Roberti, ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ in communi libraria eiusdem et ad usum communem magistrorum et sociorum ibidem studencium cathenandus. Ex dono uenerabilis patris domini Willelmi tercii episcopi Cicestrie. Oretis igitur pro eodem et benefactoribus eiusdem ac fidelium animabus a purgatario liberandis. xxviii uolumen.’ For William Reed, fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8. Simon Islip d. 26 Apr. 1366. This book was part of Reed’s legacy.

At the head of f. 1 is the James no. ‘94’, s. xvii in.

On f. iv is ‘Q. 2. 3. Art:’, s. xvii. Inside the front board is the College bookplate with ‘Q. 2. 13. Art.’, canc. and replaced with ‘G. 1. 1. (CCXCVII)’ in red. ‘2’ is inked on the foredge, probably replacing a different number.