WORKS OF AUGUSTINE; S. XIV

Title

WORKS OF AUGUSTINE; S. XIV

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 37

Place of origin

England, Oxford

Date

S. XIV 2/4

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment

Physical extent

389 leavesThe edges lightly retrimmed and stained yellow.

Hands

English gothic rotunda bookhands of medium quality.

Decoration

On fol. 4 an 11-line initial D in colours (pink, blue, orange) and gold, historiated in two registers: the Nativity above, Augustine preaching to a cleric below; three-sided bar border with vine-leaves, on the lower limb a hound chasing a ?rabbit (excised). Red and blue flourished initials; red initials flourished with violet, blue initials flourished in red; red or blue paraphs.

Binding

Modern, style of MS 36, but with new boards; sewn on six bands. An earlier binding had two straps or clasps, and an iron chain-staple in the middle of the foot of the front board.

Provenance

Doubtless made professionally at Oxford.

Coxe, p. 27, records a note on the verso of the former end flyleaf, now lost: ‘Caucio M. Ricardi Elyngdon exposita domui scolarium de Merton in Oxonia pro xx. s. in festo S. Fredeswyde anno Domini millesimo CCCº quinquagesimo’. Elindon (BRUO 634) occ. as fellow in 1334–5, 1353, rector of Lapworth, d. by Dec. 1367.

On fol. 1v ‘Varii Tractatus Augustini quaere Titulos fol. 2 p:2’ and ‘N. 3. 11. Art:’, s. xvii, the second canc. and replaced with ‘B. 3. 1 (XXXVII)’, in red.

On fol. 2 ‘M. A. 3. 6’ (canc.) and ‘Liber Collegii Mertonensis Oxon:’, s. xvii. On fol. 3v is the College bookplate.