JOSEPHUS; S. XII 3/4, XIV in.

Title

JOSEPHUS; S. XII 3/4, XIV in.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 317

Place of origin

England, Oxford

Flanders, Liège (?)

Date

S. XII 3/4

s. xiv in.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

166 leaves (iii + 162, incl. 66A) The edges heavily retrimmed and spattered with red; the top half of f. 66A excised.

Binding

s. xix, doubtless replacing one of s. xvii; rebacked and resewn on four bands; fols. i-ii, 160–2 are modern paper blanks. f. iii was formerly a pastedown in an earlier binding. Its lower edge was excised and has been replaced with modern paper. The mark apparently of a brass chain-staple at the upper edge near the spine. Rust probably from an iron chain-staple is at the foot of f. 1.

Provenance

Erased inscriptions occur on fols. 158v and 159. On f. iiiv ‘[?Liber] Nigelli de Wauere’. On f. 1, s. xiv in., ‘Liber domus scolarium de Merton’ Oxon’ et scolarium eiusdem domus ex dono magistri Nigelli de Wauere quondam socii eiusdem domus quem dedit ad incathenandum in loco communi et inde non transferatur ad usus priuatos nisi de consensu scolarium predictorum qui presentes fuerint pro tempore in collegio eorundem.’ Waver (BRUO 2000) was fellow from c. 1312 until c. 1330, when he was elected chancellor of the University; he was canon of St David’s, Lichfield and Chichester, d. by Sept. 1339. He also gave the College Powicke, no. 269, Peter Comestor, Historia Scholastica, which does not survive: UO47. 13.

On f. iii is ‘Liber Coll: Merton: Oxon:’, s. xvii, and a sheet of paper with contents and notes, and ‘O. 2. 13. Art:’, s. xvii. Inside the front board is the College bookplate with ‘O. 2. 13”, canc. and replaced with ‘M. 2. 11’ in red, and ‘No. 317 in Mr Coxe’s Catalogue’. ‘1’ is inked on the foredge.