AUGUSTINE ON JOHN; S. XIII ex.

Title

AUGUSTINE ON JOHN; S. XIII ex.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 2

Place of origin

England

Date

S. XIII ex.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

290 leaves (i + 289)The edges heavily retrimmed, the feet stained yellow.

Hands

One large, variable English gothic rotunda hand, at first of liturgical appearance.

Decoration

Each homily opens with a handsome large (usually 6-line) red and blue flourished initial, probably by more than one hand. The scribe of the text writes explicits and lengthy incipits in red. As far as Tract. LXVII the numbers are given as running heads in red and blue capitals. Blue, red and green script, and red or blue initials flourished in the other colour, are used in thecapitula, as well as red patterned line-fillers. Occasional highlighting in red or yellow.

Binding

As for MS 1; sewn on five bands. Formerly two broad leather straps from the front to clasps at the rear; marks of brass chain-staples at the foredge of the front board, near head and foot. The rear pastedown has two marks of pins from an earlier binding.

Provenance

At the foot of f. 289v are two thoroughly-erased inscriptions, one of which can be read as ‘liber primus’ (probably meaning that the book was once part of an electio); on the rear pastedown is one more.

On f. 1v are: in a formal gothic quadrata hand with red initial flourished in violet, ‘Liber Magistri Iohannis Tailour sacre theologie professoris’; lower down, in an untidy secretary hand of c. 1500, ‘Librum istum dedit collegio bone memorie uenerabilis pater magister Iohannes Taylour nuper sacre theologie professor doctissimus ad communem utilitatem in hac bibliotheca studentium; et continet omelias beati Augustini super Iohannem. Oremus igitur omnes pro eo ut a peccatis soluatur’. Taylor (BRUO 1850–1) was provost of Oriel College (1479–92) and chancellor of Exeter Cathedral. This was one of three books brought to Merton by his executors on 16 Jan. 1493 and deposited in the Library on 2 Aug. 1494 (Registrum, pp. 168, 184). The other survivor is MS 316.

At the head of f. 1 is ‘M. A. 6’, s. xvii. On f. 1v: ‘N. 1. 2. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced by ‘A. 2. 2’ in purple ink; modern ‘(II).’ in red; the College bookplate. ‘2’ is inked on the foredge. (7) At the head of f. 2 is the James no. ‘9’ (wrongly), s. xvii in.