Stephen Langton — 13th century, end; English

Title

Stephen Langton — 13th century, end; English

Shelfmark

MS. Kennicott 16

Place of origin

English

Date

13th century, end

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

thin parchment

Physical extent

iv + 572 leaves

Hands

Written below top line.

Decoration

Good historiated and other initials. Fols. 330–4 saec. xv, inserted. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 497) Blue and pink initials on gold background, decorated with floral designs and gold disks. Historiated initials: fol. 1r initial F St Jerome with pen and knife, writing, seated before a lectern (St Jerome's Prefaces). fol. 25r initial H Standing figure with raised hands (Exodus). fol. 43r initial U Moses, holding a book and looking at the golden calf. (Leviticus). fol. 53av initial L Nimbed figure, holding a scroll. (Numbers). fol. 71r initial H Tonsured figure, holding a scroll, standing on the terminal of the initial. (Deuteronomy). fol. 86v initial E Joshua and his army looking at the walls of Jericho. (Joshua). fol. 79r initial P Geometric and floral designs, animal head. (Judges). fol. 107av initial I Floral designs, human head. (Ruth). fol. 110r initial F Young man, holding out hands to two women. (I Samuel = I Kings). fol. 125v initial F David lamenting the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. (II Samuel = II Kings). fol. 138r initial E David, crowned, in bed, with Abishag standing by his side. (II Kings = III Kings). fol. 152r initial P Grotesque with human head; animal head. (II Kings = IV Kings). fol. 192v initial I Floral designs, human head. (I Esdras). fol. 196v initial E Esdras, seated, holding an open book. (II Esdras). fol. 203r initial T Tobias speaking to an angel. (Tobias). fol. 207r initial A Judith slaying Holofernes. (Judith). fol. 212v initial I King Ahasverus. (Esther). fol. 218v initial U Job in bed; his wife standing by his side. (Job). fol. 229r initial B David seated, playing psaltery. (Psalm 1). fol. 235r initial D Tonsured figure, holding an open book. (Psalm 38). fol. 245v initial C Two tonsured clerics, singing from an open book. (Psalm 97). fol. 248r initial D Grotesque. (Psalm 109). fol. 264r initial U Preacher, holding a book, both hands outstretched. (Ecclesiastes). fol. 268v initial O Grotesque. (The Song of Songs). fol. 270r initial D Young man, holding a scroll. Fish. (Wisdom). fol. 277r initial D Young man, seated, holding a book. (Ecclesiasticus). fol. 295v initial U Isaiah with hands raised in admonition. (Isaiah). fol. 318r initial U Jeremiah, finger raised in admonition. (Jeremiah). fol. 351r initial E Ezekiel with a scroll. (Ezekiel). fol. 384r initial U Hosea speaking to God, kneeling before a lectern with an open book. (Hosea). fol. 389v initial U Amos with finger raised in admonition. (Amos). fol. 395v initial O Young man in short tunic. (Nahum). fol. 397r initial O Habakkuk holding a book. (Habakkuk). fol. 398v initial U Zephaniah holding an open book. (Zephaniah). fol. 399v initial I Aggeus holding a scroll. (Aggeus). fol. 404v initial O Tonsured Malachias with raised finger. (Malachias). fol. 418r initial F Tonsured figure holding a scroll. (Machabees II). fol. 428v initial L St. Matthew, seated at desk, writing. (St. Matthew's Gospel). fol. 442v initial I Young man with raised hands, standing on the back of a bird. (St. Mark's Gospel). fol. 452r initial F St. Luke, seated at desk, writing. (St. Luke's Gospel). fol. 478v initial P St. Paul holding a sword. (Romans). fol. 490r initial P Figure in long cloak beating a half-naked kneeling figure with a rod. (Corinthians II). fol. 494r initial P St. Paul holding a sword and a book. (Galatians). fol. 496r initial P Kneeling figure, holding a book. (Ephesians). fol. 498r initial P Two figures holding a book. (Philippians). fol. 499v initial P Half-figure with raised hands. (Colossians). fol. 502r initial P Two figures converse; buildings in the background. (Thessalonians II). fol. 504v initial P Seated figure, holding a scroll. (Timothy II). fol. 506r initial P Figure in hat and cloak, leaning on a staff. (Philemon). fol. 506v initial M Two figures converse. (Hebrews). fol. 511r initial P Grotesque with rabbit's head, playing pipe. (Acts). fol. 528r initial P St Peter, holding keys. (I Epistle of St Peter). fol. 530v initial Q St John, holding a book. (I Epistle of St John). fol. 532r initial S Tonsured figure in short tunic. (III Epistle of St John). fol. 532v initial I St Jude, seated, reading a book. (Epistle of St Jude). fol. 533r initial A Figure with raised hand. (Apocalypse).

Binding

mid 17th cent. calf binding with gold tooling.

Acquisition

Transferred to the Bodleian from the Radcliffe Trust, 1872 (formerly MS. Radcliffe 4).

Provenance

Signature of ‘ C[arolus] Fairfax ’

‘ Hen. Fairfax . Ex dono perclarissimi fratris sui Caroli Fairfax’ (fol. i). On fol. iv and 569v–570v, in the hand of Henry Fairfax, are notices of his own birth and those of his children. On fols. ii–iii in another hand are similar notices of the births and deaths of the family of his father, Thomas, first Lord Fairfax of Cameron Ex antiqua Hieronomi Biblia T.F. apud Ebor. transcript.’ The transcript’s source might have been the Fairfax Bible formerly in the library of Holy Trinity church, Hull, missing since 1899: see N. R. Ker, Parochial Libraries of the Church of England (London, 1959), p. 82.

‘Rad. Thoresby, 1710. Ex dono Dominae Rach. Dixon viduae Rev. Bright Dixon M.A.’ (fol.i). It is in the list of Thoresby's MSS. in his 1715 Ducatus Leodiensis, p. 502.

Benjamin Kennicott (1718–1783), Radcliffe librarian.