Theological and philosophical texts by William of Auvergne, Simon de Cassia, Konrad von Dryburg, and Heinrich von Langenstein. Germany, 15th century, first half

Title

Theological and philosophical texts by William of Auvergne, Simon de Cassia, Konrad von Dryburg, and Heinrich von Langenstein. Germany, 15th century, first half

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Misc. 146

Date

15th century, first half

Language

Middle Low German

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment, frequently with uneven edges and flaws within the text area

Physical extent

ii (paper) + i + 163 + i + ii (paper)

Hands

Cursive, by four scribes: A fols. 1r-16r; B fols. 16v-51r; C fols. 51r-118v; D fols. 119r-163v. The last signs as Johannes de Attendern (fol. 163v) (i.e. Attendorn, Westphalia?; perhaps to be identified with ‘Johannes de Attendern clericus Coloniensis’ who signed and dated Munich, BSB, Clm 3821 in 1416 at Konstanz: see N. Palmer, Zistercienser und ihre Bücher (1998), p. 289; Colophons, no. 8592).

Decoration

One large puzzle initial in a white metal (now oxidised) edged with red, and blue, with penwork in red and a gray-green (fol. 1r); others smaller, and with less metal (fols. 16v, 25r), one without penwork (fol. 65v).

One initial in the form of a fish with its head nearly cut off, a spear in its mouth (fol. 119r).

One pen-drawn initial in the form of a biting dragon (fol. 140v).

Other initials in plain red, 2 to 4 lines high.

Some cadels with human heads e.g. fols. 15v.

One marginal diagram of an isosceles or equilateral triangle with sides of different length (fol. 105v).

Binding

Laudian binding. Sewn on six bands laced into pasteboards covered with brown leather, each cover stamped in gilt with the arms of Archbishop Laud; traces of two ties; the spine renewed.

Acquisition

Part of his third donation to the Bodleian, 1639. Former Bodleian shelfmarks: ‘F. 109.’ (inside front cover, fol. iii verso) and ‘Laud 146’ (inside front cover).

Provenance

Eberbach, Cistercian Abbey of the Virgin Mary, with their 15th-century ownership inscription, ‘Liber Sancte Marie virginis in Eburbach’ (fol. iii verso); in their 1502 library catalogue as H 20 (‘Tractatus divinalis wilhelmi parisiensis … Initium Secunda tabula post naufragium etc.’) (Palmer, op. cit., p. 240).

Archbishop William Laud (1573–1645), with the usual inscription, here dated 1638 (fol. 1r) and binding; inscribed ‘8’ (fols. iiir, 1r).

Title

Gulielmus Alvernus, etc.

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Misc. 146

Summary

William of Auvergne, works

Theological treatises

Henry of Langenstein, works

Date

15th century, first half

Language

Latin

Physical extent

163 Leaves

Custodial history

Manuscript 2645 acquired by the Bodleian Library