Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS R.7.23

Miscellany

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: 3: Ue rubeo draconi nam exterminacio eius festinat
Secundo Folio: 5: effundere uacabit
Form: codex
Support: All medieval leaves parchment.
Extent: Codex: i + 4 | 130 | 4 + i leaves. 175 × 110 mm.
Foliation:

Pagination sequence in use in this record: 17th-/18th-century pagination, with later additions.

[a]-[b] + [i]-[viii] | [ix]-[x], 1-30, 31-32 (stubs), 33-154, 155a-155b, 156a-156b, 157-162, 163-164 (stubs), 165-262 | [xi]-[xviii] + [c]-[d]

The core leaves are paginated in ink in Hindu-Arabic numerals by an early-modern hand in the upper outer corner of each recto, pp. 1-262. There are several additions and disruptions to this sequence:
  • The leaf comprising pages 31-32 is now a stub; partial remains of a pen-floruished initial visible on the stub of p. 31.
  • The leaf after p. 155 was omitted accidentally; in pencil, a 20th-century hand amended 155-156 to '155a-155b' and numbered the omitted leaf '156a-156b'.
  • The leaf comprising pages 163-164 is now a stub; partial remains of a gilded decorative initial visible on the stub of p. 163.
The parchment endleaves at each end of the volume have been designated pp. [i]-[x] and pp. [xi]-[xviii] respectively, and the paper endleaves pp. [a]-[b] and [c]-[d] respectively.
Foliation:

19th-/20th-century foliation

1-138 (for pp. [i]-[x] | 1-262 | [xi]-[xviii])

Not in use in this record. Foliated in pencil in Hindu-Arabic numerals in the upper outer corner of the recto side of each leaf (excluding the paper endleaves), now cancelled.

Collation

  • One paper endleaf (pp. [a]-[b]) +
  • Four parchment endleaves (pp. [i]-[viii]) |
  • Quire 18 (pp. [ix]-[x], 1-14
  • Quire 2?10-2? (pp. 15-30: ?9th and ?10th leaves missing, ?10th leaf visible as stub pp. 31-32)
  • Quire 310 (pp. 33-52)
  • Quire 410-1 (pp. 53-70: 10th leaf missing)
  • Quires 5-712 (pp. 71-144)
  • Quire 810 (pp. 145-162)
  • Quire 914-1 (pp. 163-190: 1st leaf missing, stub visible as pp. 163-164)
  • Quire 1012 (pp. 191-214)
  • Quires 11-138 (pp. 215-262) |
  • Four parchment endleaves (pp. [xi]-[xviii]) +
  • One paper endleaf (pp. [c]-[d])

One paper endleaf + four parchment endleaves | 18 2?10-2? (?9th and ?10th missing) 310 410-1 (10th missing) 5-712 810 914-1 (1st missing) 1012 11-138 | four parchment endleaves + one paper endleaf

No leaf signatures common to the entire volume.

No quire signatures common to the entire volume.

No catchwords common to the entire volume.

Additions

Quire signatures ('1-13') in the bottom right-hand corner of the recto side of the first leaf of each quire, written in pencil by a hand of the 19th/20th century.

Binding

Half-bound in leather with marbled-paper sides over pasteboards. Four raised bands on spine (not photographed).

Paper pastedowns pasted over the turn ins. The front pastedown contains the alphanumeric components of the present shelfmark 'R.7.23' in ink, a former shelfmark in ink 'R.XI.32' (struck through), and a bookplate recording MS R.7.23 as a donation from Thomas Gale (1635/36-1702) :| Trin. Coll. Cantab.| THO. GALE, S. T. P. Decanus| EBORAC. hujus Collegii quon-| dam Socius| DONO DEDIT

A paper endleaf at each end of the volume, pp. [a]-[b] and [c]-[d], probably contemporary with the binding, both blank.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

One of the manuscripts of Thomas Gale (1635/6-1702) , dean of York, antiquary and fellow of Trinity College Cambridge.

ODNB

Probably one of the manuscripts of Roger Gale (1672-1744) , antiquary and scholar, son of Thomas Gale. Inherited from his father.

ODNB

Donated to Trinity College by Thomas Gale , son of Roger Gale, in 1738. The Gale donation is recorded in .

Part 1: medieval endleaves [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS R.7.23, pp. [i]-[viii] and [xi]-[xviii]]

Contents

Language(s): Latin

[i]-[viii]
Gloss on the Pauline epistles Gilbert de La Porrée
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: || [i] habentes talem spem multa fiducia utimur nec solum exteriores ab aliis(?) aduersitates contempnimus
Explicit: [viii] et priores sancti fecerunt ostendit dicens: Habentes autem et cetera ...(?) ||

Bound upside down relative to the rest of the volume.

Some text on p. [i] illegible due to abrasion and adhesive residue as a result of having been used as a pastedown in a former binding.

Edited (not from this MS) by K. Froehlich and available as an occasional publication via Corpus Christianorum
[xviii]
Gloss on the Pauline epistles Gilbert de La Porrée
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: || [xi] dixit se uenturam ad eos
Explicit: [xviii] ad ueniam fueritis faciles ; sicut ad obiurgationem fuisti ...(?) ||

Bound upside down relative to the rest of the volume.

Some text on p. [xviii] illegible due to abrasion and adhesive residue as a result of having been used as a pastedown in a former binding.

Edited (not from this MS) by K. Froehlich and available as an occasional publication via Corpus Christianorum

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: [iii]: dicut experimentum scilicet quo mihi uideor expertus obedientiam
Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFFH)
Extent: Codex: 8 leaves. 165 × 105 mm.

Collation

No leaf signatures particular to this Part.

No quire signatures particular to this Part.

 No catchwords particular to this Part.

Condition

In fair condition. The leaves have been trimmed down significantly from their original size for (re-)use as endleaves in another manuscript and some text has been lost to trimming. The outermost leaves in this Part (pp. [i]-[ii] and [xvii]-[xviii] were once the pastedowns in a former binding, and pages [i] and [xviii] are partly illegible due to adhesive residue and the process of lifting the pastedowns to turn them into free leaves. The leaves in this Part (both front and rear) are bound upside-down relative to the rest of this volume.

Layout

Ruled in leadpoint, frame and lines. Written in single-column format, original lines-per-page unknown due to significant trimming of the leaves. Written above top line.

Hand(s)

Written in a northern textualis libraria.

Additions

Page [xi] contains a Trinity College armorial bookplate with motto: 'Collegium S.S. et Individuae Trinitatis in Academia Cantabrigiensi'.

Binding

The outermost leaves in this Part (pp. [i]-[ii] and [xvii]-[xviii] were once the pastedowns in a former binding, and pages [i] and [xviii] are partly illegible due to adhesive residue and the process of lifting the pastedowns to turn them into free leaves. The leaves in this Part (both front and rear) are bound upside-down relative to the rest of this volume.

History

Origin: Probably early 13th century. ; Probably England.

Date and place of production based on palaeographical details.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS R.7.23, pp. [ix]-[x] + 1-262]

Contents

Language(s): Latin

[x]
Verse on poverty
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: [x] Qui(?) sedis in mensa primo de paupere pensa | Fac quod Christus amat dum pauper ad hostia clamat| In petiri sibi quod dedit ipse tibi

Full transcription. Page [ix] blank.

1-2
List of counties and episcopal sees in England and Wales
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 1 Anglia diuiditur per has prouincias .i. Comitatus numero xxxiiij
Incipit: 1 Cantia - In qua - Cant sedes metropole regni
Explicit: 2 Bangorensis| Tassanensis
2
?16th century list of the contents of the volume
Language(s): Latin

Full transcription of the ?16th century? list of the contents of the volume on f. 2 (numbering as given in the manuscript):| Hoc Volumen continet | 3 Merlini Prophetiam | 15 Epitomen Annalium Nic: Trivetti Gallice Imperf: | 33 Chronicon Ioa: Castorii | 146 Alia Chronica brevis a Xto ad 1291 | 162 Cronicula de Caristia Uictualium | 165 Herbale huncato(?) Potulo | 210 Carmina quaedam de Matrimonio | 212 Tractatum quemdam Aristologice uti sentis(?) | 231 Tractatum Chronologicum | 248 De Uirtutibus Rosae Marinae et alia miscel(?) anglice Latine et gallice

3-13
Prophecies of Merlin
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 3 Ue rubeo draconi nam exterminacio eius festinat . Cauernas eius occupabit albus draco qui saxones quos inuitasti significat
Explicit: 13 Cauda scorpionis procreabit fulgura . et cancer cum sole litigabit

An early modern hand has added a title in the upper margin of p. 3, 'Merlini Prophetia'.

Page 14 blank.

15-30
Chronicles Nicolas Trevet
Language(s): Anglo-Norman
Incipit: 15 Deuaunt la natiuite nostre seigneur mil et deus cent aunz . Brutus le fiz siluii Uint(?) en engletere si fist la uile de lundres
Explicit: 30 Apres lui regnad le rei iohan sun frere . en sum tens fu engletere entredite ||

An early modern hand has added a title in the upper margin of p. 15, 'Annalium N. Trivetti', there is text above this title in the same hand, but it is illegible due to abrasion.

Text ends abruptly in the reign of King John due to the loss of pages 31-32. Pages 31-32 are a stub; before the majority of the leaf was trimmed away p. 31 contained a large pen-flourished initial 'e', the guide-letter and part of the flourishing are still visible.

R.J. Dean, and M.B.M. Boulton, Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts, Anglo-Norman Text Society Occasional Publications Series, 3 (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999), no. 13
33-129
Chronicle Johannes Bever
Language(s): Latin
33
Verse preface to the Chronicle of Johannes Bever Johannes Bever
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 33 Fluxit ab enea primum Romana propago | In siml[sic] et Britones saxonia protulit anglos | Haec patet in lingua niueoque coloreat illa | Olim pagana fuerat simul anglia tota

Full transcription.

33-129
Chronicle Johannes Bever
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 33 Eneas cum ascaneo filio suo fugiens excidium post bellum troianum
Explicit: 129 simile huius inuenitur tempere constantini sexti
Final rubric: 129 Explicit

An early modern hand has added a title in the upper margin of p. 33, 'Chron: Joa: Castorii .v. Bale 1306 aliud Exemplar in Bibl. Cott. Vitell. E.17', there is text above this title in what appears to be the same hand, but it is illegible due to abrasion.

Note in the lower margin of p. 33 in an early-modern hand, 'Castorius scripsit de conquistu . Cotton . Bibl. Vitel E ?(?)'.

129-160
Unidentified Chronicle Text
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 129 Incipiunt alia cronica
Incipit: 129 Post tholam iayr galiditis de tribu manasse iudicat israel .xxiibus annis
Explicit: 160 Anno.d.m.cc.91. Iudei de regno anglie per dominum Edwardum regem eiciuntur tempore paschali . Et ciuita acre aconcapta est et omnes christiani capti et interfecti a saracenis temporibu . Nicholi papam qui fuit frater(?) et obiit sancte memorie . Alienora regina angliae et monialis in crastino sancti Iohannis baptiste

Final entry is for the year 1291 .

Papal titles in the text, i.e., 'papa' 'papam' etc., have been deliberately erased by rubbing or covering with ink, see e.g., p. 160

Begins with an extract from Petrus Comestor Historia Scholastica.

160-162
Unidentified text
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 160 Hugo de studio orandi
Incipit: 160 Qui uult utiliter orare primo exerceat
Explicit: 162 uidet quo considere possit

Incorrectly described as the Studio orandi of Hugh of Saint-Victor.

162
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 162 Cronicula de caristia uictualium
Incipit: 162 Anno milleno trescentis decimo quinto | Cum subsequto ; numerato decimo sexto | Tunc fuerat talis ; nimia caristia salis | Atque super blada ; fuerat defeccio magna | Fructus bladorum . defecit uniuersorum
Explicit: 162 Indicis binis . morina maxima nimis | Pauperes et diuites . minores ac senoires | Sic mors depressit . quod quis resistere nescit | Quid superueniet . in anno semtimo deno | Conditor omnipotens ; disponat nos benedicens
Final rubric: 162 Amen

10 lines of poetry.

Pages 163-164 are now a stub; part of a decorative initial visible on p. 163.

165-209
De proprietatibus rerum - Book 17 (incomplete) [Latin] Bartholomaeus Anglicus
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: || 165 interius accipiatur . addita herba rute
Explicit: 209 et facit pilos in corpore germinare . vt dicit ysaac et constantinus ||
Final rubric: 209 Explicit

Begins imperfectly, part-way through the chapter 'De allium', and ends imperfectly with an incomplete extract from 'De nuce'. Whereas the imperfect beginning is due to the loss of pp. 163-164, the ending of the text appears to have been a deliberate choice on the part of the scribe.

An early modern hand has added a title in the upper margin of p. 165, 'Herbale'.

165-211
Medical recipes
Language(s): Latin and Middle English

Written into the margins by various hands of the 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries.

210-211
Poem against women
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 210 Sit deo gloria laus benedicto | Iohanni pariter petro laurencio | Quos misit trinitas in hoc naufragio | ne me permitterent uti coniugio
Explicit: 211 Semper laboribus labores cumulat| Et labor preterit et labor pullulat| Ipse est asinus quem uxor stimulat | Ut pascat fihos quos ipsa baiulat

A longer version of this poem is printed by T. Wright (see below) under the title 'Golias de conjuge non ducenda'.

T. Wright (ed.), The Latin poems commonly attributed to Walter Mapes, Camden Society (London, 1841), esp. pp. 77-85
212-218
Liber de nativitatibus hominum (with onomantic preface) pseudo-Ptolemy
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 212 Ad inueniendum signum natiuitatis cuiuslibet homines respice[sic] nomen eius et nomen matris sue
Explicit: 218 secundum naturam dies ueneris et lune sunt istis meliores dies martis et saturni mali isti fideliter uiuent tam uir quam mulier et cetera

See Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus for a discussion of this text (but not this MS). The description of this text on the Ptolomaeus project site records four other manuscripts, like Cambridge, Trinity College, MS R.7.23 that begin with a chapter on onomancy that begins 'Ad inuenendum signum ...' etc.

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus
218
Text on dreams and their interpretation
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 218 Si quis somniauerit et inde dubitauerit(?) accipiat spalterium[sic] in manus suus
Explicit: 218 . V . mortem . X . ?(?) amicorum . Y . rem desideratam . z . plenitudinem honorem ||
Final rubric: 218 Explicit interpretaciones somniorum Danielis prophete ei a Deo reuelate in ciuitate babilonie

Also in Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.21, ff. 150r-150v .

Printed (not from this MS) in M. Förster, 'Zwei Kymrische Orakelalphabet für Psalterwahrsagung', Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie, 20 (1936), pp. 228-243, esp. pp. 236-237
218-219
Latin plant glossary with Middle English plant glosses
Language(s): Latin and Middle English

Begins 'Centaurea . sclarega . puliol . betayne'. Most plants have an interlinear gloss of the plant name in Middle English, e.g., 'Celidonia scabeworth', 'abcintheum worwod', 'nepta cat mynt', 'abrotanum soudyrnewod', etc.

'Lacte de boyes .id est. tormentyll' added above the first entry in the same hand.

IMEP 11, p. 154, *[A12]
219-226
Medical recipes
Language(s): Latin and Middle English

Written by several hands of the 15th century, beginning with several electuaries, and progressing into treatments for various internal and external complaints.

Pages 227-230 blank.

231-244
Calendrical text and poem
Language(s): Latin
Calendrical text
Incipit: 231 Per ueterum sagacitatem quia mira subtilitate planetarum cursum et temporum considerabant distinctiones
Explicit: 244 et post festum sancte lucie et post festum pentecostes
244-245
Mnemonic verses
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 244 Circumscisus adam facit epiphania feritur| Illarius fidit fabianus gigintat agnes | Addo vincentem doceat conuersio paulum| Brigida dauiticas eat ut purgacio maris
Explicit: 245 Dat nicholae maria feret det lucia thomas | Exit christe bone natale festa fecuntur

Main text in the main scribal hand.

C. Wordsworth, Ancient Kalendar of the University of Oxford: From Documents of the Fourteenth to the Seventeenth Century Togeter with Computus Manualis Ad Usum Oxoniensium from C. Kyrfoth’s Edition, Oxon, 1519-20 (with Seven Facsimiles), Oxford Historical Society, 45 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1904), esp. p. 251
231-254
Medical recipes
Language(s): Middle English and Latin

Written into the margins by several 15th-century hands, on every page except pp. 237-239, 245 and 249.

245-246
Calendrical notes
245
Calendrical note
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 245 Cuiuslibet festo deseruiunt due dicciones
Explicit: 245 super secundam litteram sedem loco ponitam . et sic deinceps
245
Calendrical poem
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 245 Armis gunfe dei calatos adamare dabatur | Lixa memor conflans gelidos linfancia quosdam | Omne limine aaron bagis consorcia laudat| Chye linquat ei coequata geracta lifardus | Pure due dicciones(?) deseruiunt Ianuario

Full transcription.

246
Calendrical note
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 246 Ita videlicet quod quota est prima littera
Explicit: 245 computato pro littera
246
Charm against fevers
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 246 In nomine patris et fillii[sic] et spritius sancti + coniuro vos febres si estis in hoc homine dei .n. ut vos recedans(?) ab eo so estis cotidiane
Explicit: 245 per iohannem baptistam qui christum baptizant in iordane
247
Unidentified text on moral behaviour
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 247 se abstinere a luxuria et consuestione polluta
Explicit: 247 in qua operari uolueris et cetera

In the hand of the main scribe.

248-255
Treatise on the virtues of rosemary (translated) Henry Daniel
Language(s): Middle English
Rubric: 248 De virtutibus rose marine
Incipit: 248 Rose maryne is boþe tre and herbe . boþe hot and drye in þe thridd degre . þeise be his virtues os it is founden in diuese auctores and bokes of fysik os sais þe lytel book þat þe scole maister of Salerne wret to þe countesse of henawd . and sche sente þat to hire dowter philippa queen of ingeland . and þus begynnes þe vertues þerof here folowyng ffirst his floures or ellis his leues whan ȝe may not haue his floures
Explicit: 254-255 stripe hym not ne make hyn not ouer bare of his braunches bot os i seide before if it be norissched þus ȝe schul haue rose marine plente and gret happ and counfort þer by
Final rubric: 255 explicit

Detailed notes about this text, its tradition, and other prose and verse witnesses given by Mooney in IMEP 11, p. 30.

Partially edited (not from this MS) in J.H. Harvey, 'Medieval Plantsmanship in England: the Culture of Rosemary', Garden History 1.1 (1972), pp. 14-21
IMEP 11, p. 30, *[1]
255
Medical recipes
Language(s): Middle English

Written by a 15th-century hand after the end of the treatise on rosemary.

256-257
Middle English translation of the Dieta ypocratis
Language(s): Middle English
Incipit: 256 Aleyn þe godlech seyth þat in ye moneth of januare whyth wyne is god to drynk erly and blodlatyng fore bere fore þer ben .vij. dayes of grete perell
Explicit: 257 In þe month of decembre hot mete vse and yt is god tyme to be lat blode and fore bere cole wurtys and qwo(?) so þis lyfe ledys he may be sekyr of all his hele but .iij. dayes þer benne of grete perell þe .xv. .xvj. and .xvij day .

The 'Aleyn' mentioned at the opening of the text as a skilled doctor ('Aleyn þe godlech') is also mentioned in several other copies of this text, but probably represents a shared error earlier in the history of transmission of this text as earlier versions of the text are sometimes attributed to the famous Classical medical author Galen - a scribe perhaps introduced the error by copying an exemplar with a missing opening initial and so read 'alen' for 'Galen'.

Detailed notes about this text, its tradition, and other witnesses given by Mooney in IMEP 11, p. 30.

IMEP 11, p. 30, *[2]
257
Notes on the three fortunate days and the three perilous Mondays for bloodletting
Language(s): Middle English
Incipit: 257 In the begyning of aprill lat þe blod in þe .xj day fore hey syth In þe ende of may þe iiij or þe .v. daye fore þe febre In þe xvij day of marche of qweyd(?) arme yow wylt ffore all þe sekenes in þi body . and qwo(?) so lat hym blode in þe laste munday of apryll and un[sic] þe fyrst munday of august and in þe last munday of decembre or any of þeys thre . but þe grace of god be þe more he schall sure be dede

Full transcription. Detailed notes about this text, its tradition, and other witnesses given by Mooney in IMEP 11, p. 30.

IMEP 11, p. 30, *[3]
257-258
Note on the perilous days
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 257 Hij sunt dies periculosi
Explicit: 258 et prima die augusti et die tercia kalendarum decembris
258
Recipe for an electuary to treat stomach pain, head pain, and chest pain
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 258 Electuarium ad omne dolorem ventris et capitis pectoris
Incipit: 258 Recipe j unceam de nepta
Explicit: 258 circa te cum sint ca;ides hec est medicinam probitus
258-259
Medical recipes in Middle English
Language(s): Middle English

Recipes to treat wounds and pains. Partly illegible due to rubbing and staining of the leaf.

260
Note on the perilous days
Language(s): Old French
Incipit: 260 Li mestre qe cest art nous aprist . ont nombre les iours perilous en lan
Explicit: 260 De decembre iij iors le uj le uij ele xx
R.J. Dean, and M.B.M. Boulton, Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts, Anglo-Norman Text Society Occasional Publications Series, 3 (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999), no. 379
260-261
Weather prognostic for the coming year based on the day of the week on which Christmas day falls
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 260 Quondam(?) dies natale deum per diem dominica euenerit tunc yemps .quadragesima. uentosa
Explicit: 261 estas sicca fructus paucus naues peribunt combustio magna eueniet illo anno
261
Weather prognostic on the significance of the winds between the feasts of Christmas (25 Dec) and the Epiphany (6 Jan)
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 261 Quid significant uentus nocturni a feste natale domini usque epiphianum et(?) uentus sit magnas(?)
Incipit: 261 Si prima nocte Natale domini sit magnus uentus multi religiosi morientur eo annus
Explicit: 261 Si xiia guerra magna erit in terra

The rubric is partly illegible due to rubbing and staining of the leaf.

261-262
Text advising on the correct times to perform bloodletting
Language(s): Old French
Rubric: 261 Les houtes ke ensuient(?) de estre seigne
Incipit: 261 Seigner enclarsist la pense de home e dune bone memorie
Explicit: 262 il peria de male mort

The rubric is partly illegible due to rubbing and staining of the leaf.

R.J. Dean, and M.B.M. Boulton, Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts, Anglo-Norman Text Society Occasional Publications Series, 3 (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999), no. 428
262
Songerie
Language(s): Old French
Rubric: 262 Lunarie
Incipit: 262 La premiere lune fet bon de comencer tutes choses
Explicit: 262 en mala die tost mara(?) . ou

Text ends abruptly, at least one leaf probably lost after p. 262.

R.J. Dean, and M.B.M. Boulton, Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts, Anglo-Norman Text Society Occasional Publications Series, 3 (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999), no. 367

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (mixed disposition).
Extent: Codex: 130 leaves. 170 × 115 mm.

Collation

  • Quire 18 (pp. [ix]-[x]-1-14
  • Quire 2?10-2? (pp. 15-30: ?9th and ?10th leaves missing, ?10th leaf visible as stub pp. 31-32)
  • Quire 310 (pp. 33-52)
  • Quire 410-1 (pp. 53-70: 10th leaf missing)
  • Quires 5-712 (pp. 71-144)
  • Quire 810 (pp. 145-162)
  • Quire 914-1 (pp. 163-190: 1st leaf missing, stub visible as pp. 163-164; )
  • Quire 1012 (pp. 191-214)
  • Quires 11-138 (pp. 215-262)

No leaf signatures particular to this Part.

No quire signatures particular to this Part.

No catchwords particular to this Part.

Condition

In good condition. Two leaves (pp. 31-32 and 163-164) cut away with the remains visible as paginated stubs; both stubs have traces of large decorative initials on their rectos (p. 31 and 163 respectively) and so may have been deliberately vandalised.

Layout

Pages 1-2: informally but neatly written; the list of the counties and the episcopal sees is written in a neat list/tabular form.

125 × 75 mm. Leaves written by the main scribe (pp. 3-211, pp. 231-245, and perhaps upper part of p. 247) are ruled in ink, frame and lines. Leaves written by the main scribe are written in single-column format, typically 25 lines to the page and written above top line.

Leaves written by scribes other than the main scribe (pp. 212-230, and significant sections of pp. 245-262) are informally written in single-column format by several different scribes, who typically produced a rather compressed mise-en-page.

Hand(s)

The list of the counties and the episcopal sees on pp. 1-2 is written in a rounded 14th century northern textualis libraria.

The list of the contents of the volume on p. 2 is written in a neat humanistica-influenced minuscule of ?16th century? appearance.

The main scribe writes a neat and somewhat rounded northern textualis libraria. Responsible for the majority of the text in the ruled main-text space in this manuscript (pp. 15-211, 231-245, and possibly pp. 3-13 and p. 247); for an example of their work see e.g., p. 173.

A 'Medical Annotator' scribe, responsible for medical recipes added to the margins of pp. 165-211 and pp. 231-248. According to Mooney, this hand added approximately 245 medical recipes, and writes in an untidy cursiva antiquior with anglicana features. However, variations point to the involvement of other hands as well.

IMEP 11, p. 154, *[A11]

Pages 260-262 written in a cursiva antiquior by a scribe who copied texts in Latin and Old French.

Decoration

Large decorative initial E on gold ground with floral and foliate decoation in the counterspace and zoomorphic beast head and feet. Smaller initial in similar style but without zoomorphic element on p. 87

Additions

Pages 1 and 262: Trinity College Library stamp in black ink.

History

Origin: Probably 14th century. ; Probably England

Date and place of production based on palaeographical features.

Additional Information

Record Sources

This catalogue entry draws on M.R. James, The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College Cambridge - A Descriptive Catalogue: Volume II: Containing An Account of the Manuscripts Standing in Class R (Cambridge, 1901), pp. 233-235, no. 759

Availability

Visitors to Trinity College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Trinity College: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

    Ancient Kalendar of the University of Oxford: From Documents of the Fourteenth to the Seventeenth Century togeter with Computus Manualis Ad Usum Oxoniensium from C. Kyrfoth's Edition, Oxon, 1519-20 (with Seven Facsimiles) Oxford Historical Society, Wordsworth, Christopher (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1904) Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge Index of Middle English prose, Mooney, Linne R. (Woodbridge, D.S. Brewer, 1995) Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts Anglo-Norman Text Society Occasional Publications Series, Dean, Ruth J.Boulton, Maureen Barry McCann (London, Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999) Les Alchandreana primitifs: étude sur les plus anciens traités astrologiques latins d'origine arabe, Xe siècle Brill's studies in intellectual history, Juste, David (Leiden, 152, Brill, 2007)

Funding of Cataloguing

Wellcome (cataloguing). All images provided by Trinity College, Cambridge.

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