Alcuin, Sulpicius Severus, Ps.-Martin of Tours, Gregory of Tours, John the Deacon, Ps.-Melito of Sardis, Odo of Glanfeuil, Paschasius Radbertus — 12th century, first half; England

Title

Alcuin, Sulpicius Severus, Ps.-Martin of Tours, Gregory of Tours, John the Deacon, Ps.-Melito of Sardis, Odo of Glanfeuil, Paschasius Radbertus — 12th century, first half; England

Shelfmark

MS. Bodl. 354

Place of origin

England

Date

12th century, first half

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

ii + 289 leaves

Decoration

Initials

A figure of a kneeling monk is in the margin of fol. 119r

Binding

The binding was made for Henry VIII, and his librarian John Lelandwrote a title for the volume ('Vitæ illustrium virorum ...') and also a short 'Carmen Joannis Leylandi Londinensis', a comparison of Plutarch and Sulpicius Severus as biographers (fol. ii verso). The sides (only) of the old binding are inlaid in the brown leather cover of the latter part of the 17th century, and each bears within a border of gold ornament the arms and badges of the king with: DIEV: ET: MON: DROIT .:. REX: HENRICVS: VIII', and twice a crowned rose between K and H.: there is now an American cloth cover. Illustrations of the binding, with accounts of it, are in W. S. Brassington's Historic Bindings in the Bodleian Library(London, 1891, Pl. viii), and C. Davenport's Royal English Bindings (London, 1896, Fig. 2)

Acquisition

Presented by Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, in 1604 ( MLGB3)

Provenance

Owned by Henry VIII