HOMILIES, BEDE ON LUKE; S. XIII in.

Title

HOMILIES, BEDE ON LUKE; S. XIII in.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 176

Place of origin

script of English appearance.

Date

S. XIII in.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

353 leaves The edges heavily retrimmed affecting early marginalia.

Hands

A single English early gothic bookhand.

Decoration

Appearing to be later than the work of the scribe, red and blue flourished initials, those on fols. 180, 183, 218v, 246, 273v, 302 12- (fol. 180) and 9-line, with display-script; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; plain red or blue initials. Running heads to art. 2 in the colours. Small sketches in ink of text appear in the margins of art. 1 pt. 2 as nota marks. In the lower margin of fol. 13v is a competent pencil-sketch, s. xiii, of the Annunciation.

Binding

Oxford, s. xvi in., blind-stamped calf over slightly bevelled wooden boards with projecting squares, rebacked and repaired s. xx. The binder was George Chastelaine (d. 1513), for whom see MS 119. Here he used Oldham stamps 179, 180, 182, 191 and the half-stamp Pearson 7. Sewn on five bands; straps from recesses in the front board to clasps in the back, replaced with cloth ties s. xvii. Marks of two post-medieval chain-staples, near the foot of the foredge of the front board, and near the top of the foredge of the rear. On the front cover is ‘Homiliae Bedae’, s. xvii. On the back, near the head, is ‘Omelie uenerabilis Bede’, s. xv. Other partly obliterated words include ‘B’ twice, and ‘Cella[ ... ] S .5.us’

Provenance

On fol. 1v is an erased distich, perhaps an anathema incorporating the name of the original owner, in the hand of the text, with red initials.

On fol. 353v are three notes: s. xiii, ‘Liber [3 erased lines ending amen ... sis et amplius]’; two lines, thoroughly erased; ‘C. [M. T. Westone] exposita in cista de Langtone xv. die mensis Decembris anno Domini MCCCCXXXIII et habet 3ª supplementa 2º (fº) primi mate 2º fº 2i sit eo 2º fº 3i ciacis et iacet pro [xx s.].’ Presumably the Thomas Weston (BRUO 2025) who was principal of Beam Hall 1436–8, keeper of the Guildford chest 1439–40, fellow of Eton c. 1441–50, still alive 23 Apr. 1453.

At the head of fol. 1 is ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ ex dono Magistri Iohannis Burbache doctoris in theologia et quondam socii eiusdem ut incathenetur in libraria communi ad perpetuum usum studencium ibidem.’ For Burbage, fellow 1411–35, d. by Dec. 1451, see MS 3.

Just below is the James no. ‘227’, s. xvii in. On the front pastedown are ‘E. 5, 8’ (canc.) and tables of contents, s. xvii, and ‘O. 7. 4. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘O. 3. 4 No. CLXXVI’, in red; the College bookplate.