DUNS SCOTUS ON I SENT; 1455

Title

DUNS SCOTUS ON I SENT; 1455

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 59

Date

1455

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Thick parchment

Physical extent

194 leaves (i + 193)The edges retrimmed, cropping marginalia by the scribe, and stained yellow.

Hands

Written for Richard Scarborough, along with MSS 60–4, by Johannes Reynbold from Zierenberg in Hesse in a formal bookhand, elongating ascenders into the upper margin, descenders into the lower, the quaestiones in quadrata script two lines high. Quaestio-numbers are written in large script in the margins. The original accounts for writing these books, now lost, are described by Anthony Wood in Bodl. Libr., MS Ballard 46, fol. 70: ‘A writing of a little piece of parchment shewing of John Reynbold did agree with Rich. Scarburgh fellow of Mert. coll. for the writing of every 4to book of the 3 last books of the subtile Doctor on the books of the Sentences, for 2s. & 2d. apeici — 21 June an. reg. H. 6 31 — notwithstanding an indenture dat. 14 June eiusd. an. by him signed and sealed’. Reynbold copied another, very similar, set of Scotus’ works, now Balliol Coll. 202–6, 209, 216 and 261, a few years later. On him, see P. L. Meier, ‘Die Skotusausgabe des Johannes Reinbold von Zierenberg’, Scriptorium 7 (1953), 89–114.

Decoration

On fol. 1 is an initial (excised) and full border in colours and gold, with ornament of feathers, bezants, flowers and foliage. Scott, DDEMB, pl. XXVI, illustrates the same man’s work in Balliol Coll. 204 (dated 1461), and comments that he was not English. Very many large coloured initials on squarish gold grounds with sprays of feathers, bezants and foliage. Large dark-blue initials elaborately flourished in red; red or blue paraphs.

Binding

Modern; bare oak boards backed with modern vellum; resewn on seven bands. fols. i and 193 are paper blanks from an earlier (s. xix) binding.

Acquisition

MSS 59–64 are a set, made for Richard Scarborough (see MS 17), and bought from him by Thomas Bloxham (see MS 41), who bequeathed it to the College on his death in 1473. On the first paper blank is ‘N. V. 4.’, s. ?xix, canc. and replaced with ‘G. 2. 4 (LIX)’ in red. An indecipherable number, perhaps ‘3’ changed to ‘4’ is inked on the foredge.