Augustine &c., ASTRONOMICA; S. XIV in.

Title

Augustine &c., ASTRONOMICA; S. XIV in.

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 35

Place of origin

France, south (?), or Italy (?)

England, probably professionally made at Oxford

Date

S. XIV in.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

249 leaves (ii + 247) the edges lightly retrimmed and stained yellow.

Binding

s. xv, heavily restored: cushion-bevelled oak boards with slightly projecting foredges, now bare; two straps from shallow recesses in the front board to catches on the back, all gone. Rebacked with modern vellum; sewn on six bands. On the rear board, near the foot, is the mark of the large ?brass chain-staple. Possible marks on fol. 247v of the large iron chain-staple. A brass chain-staple was once at the foredge of the front board, near the foot.

Provenance

On fol. i are a number of partly-obliterated notes: at the head ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed x E ’; the remains of an early table of contents; a single-line note of s. xiv ‘ Ioh. Malteby nuper defunct requiescat in pace’. At the head of fol. 1 is ‘Liber’, s. xiv, followed by a thorough erasure. On fol. iv: all in the hand of Walter Robert, ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed socii domus scolarium de Merton’ in Oxon’ quem emit ibidem a quodam stacionario de bonis sibi datis per reuerendum dominum suum M. Nicholaum de Sandwico. Oretis igitur pro singulis supradictis.’; ‘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 purgatorio liberandis. Walterus Roberti.’; ‘xxvii uolumen.’ For Reed, fellow from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8. This was apparently one of the books willed by him to the College. Between the first and second inscriptions, probably in Reed’s hand, is a lengthy table of contents, including the first art. of II.

On fol. 247 ‘Istum librum fecit reparari M. Ioh. Burbage sacre pagine professor’. For Burbage, see MS 3.

On fol. ii: ‘N. 3. 9. Art:’, s. xvii, canc. and replaced with ‘A. 3. 9 (XXXV)’, in red; ‘M. A. 4’, canc. and replaced with ‘M. 7’, s. ?xvii. ‘9’ is inked near the foot of the foredge, upside down.