Life and miracles of St Gilbert of Sempringham ('The Book of St Gilbert'), Vita Sancti Gilberti Confessoris, Mass and Office of St Gilbert — 15th century, middle
MS. Digby 36
Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Description
From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.
Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries contains descriptions of all known Western medieval manuscripts held in the Bodleian Libraries, and of medieval manuscripts in selected Oxford colleges. Learn more.
Title
Life and miracles of St Gilbert of Sempringham ('The Book of St Gilbert'), Vita Sancti Gilberti Confessoris, Mass and Office of St Gilbert — 15th century, middle
Shelfmark
MS. Digby 36
Date
15th century, middle
Language
Latin
Contents
Form
codex
Support
parchment
Decoration
Two to four-line champ initials (generally gold with rose infill on blue ground, or vice versa) extending into spraywork, forming full or partial borders, mostly in rose, red and blue, at major text divisions (fols. 4r, 7r, 38r, 52v, 57r, 59v, 63v, 77v, 97v, 110v, 115r). The initial on fol. 7r contains a coat of arms (see provenance) and that on fol. 63v contains a lion mask.
Generally two-line initials in blue with red flourishing at minor text divisions.
Space left for a 3-line initial, fol. 63r.
Other initials touched in red.
Decorated descenders in some lower margins (fols. 7r-v, etc.)
Rubrics in red.
Acquisition
Donated by him to the Bodleian, 1634.
Provenance
Fol. 7r, shield of arms in the initial: barry of eight, sable (or argent?) and gules. Unidentified; possibly intended for the arms of the Gilbertine order (barry of six argent and gules differenced by a prior's staff in gold: Herald and Genealogist 2 (1865) pp. 192, 345).
Probably no. 36 in the list of manuscripts seen by Thomas Talbot, perhaps in or around York, in the late sixteenth century: A. Watson, The Manuscripts of Henry Savile of Banke (London, 1969), pp. 78–82.
Fol. 4, shorthand: 'John Netlton. Hnry Savil', i.e. John Nettleton of Hutton Cranswick, d. c. 1597 (Watson, op. cit., pp. 7–9), and from him to Henry Savile of Banke, no. 106 in his catalogue (Watson, op. cit.)
Possibly owned by John Dee: a Jupiter symbol resembling his, fols. 1, 4; cf. R. J. Roberts and A. G. Watson, John Dee's Library Catalogue (London, 1990), DM110.
Kenelm Digby, 1603–1665.
View full record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
From Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts.
Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts contains descriptions of the Bodleian Libraries’ archival collections, including post-1500 manuscripts. Some manuscripts with records in other catalogues are also described here as part of a description of a larger archive. Learn more.
Title
Life and miracles of St Gilbert of Sempringham ('The Book of St Gilbert'), Vita Sancti Gilberti Confessoris
Shelfmark
MS. Digby 36
Date
15th century, middle
Language
Latin
Physical extent
116 Leaves
Custodial history
Manuscript 1435 acquired by the Bodleian Library (51)
View full record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts
Collection contents
Life and miracles of St Gilbert of Sempringham ('The Book of St Gilbert'), Vita Sancti Gilberti Confessoris
