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Ancient manuscripts summary listing 451 - 475

Mynors' catalogue ends with MS 450.

March 2014: the descriptor [good/fair/poor/unusable] in square brackets following a manuscript's title indicates its current physical condition as assessed by Oxford Conservation Consortium in January-July 2014. Those in poor condition will not normally be produced for researchers, and those rated unusable not produced at all, until conservation treatment has been carried out in order to prevent further damage during consultation. Poor or unusable manuscripts may also not be fit to photograph safely, including by staff. If you do want to consult or request images from a manuscript that is not currently in a state to produce or photograph safely, please let us know - active research interest is of course a key factor in determining our conservation priorities.

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Digital images of the college's medieval manuscripts are placed online as they are created, usually on demand. Images are linked to from individual entries on these catalogue pages. The digitisation programme is shaped by researchers' requests rather than e.g. starting with MS 1, so if you require images for your research from a manuscript only partially photographed or not yet represented in the Flickr collection, please get in touch to have it added to the 'to-do' list.

451. Book of Hours (use of Rome) (Ghent? mid-late 1480s) [condition: good]

Description by Nicholas Rogers, Archivist and Bye Fellow, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, 1988. Reproduced here by permission (2005).

pp. iii + 356. 103 x 73mm. Text area, 62 x 40mm. 16 lines. Ruled in red. Text written in littera bastarda. Collation impracticable, but mostly in 8s, with full-page miniatures on inserted singletons.

2o folio: -gneris. viuis misericordiam.

Binding: early 19th century, red leather by C. Kalthoeber of London.

Contents

p.iii. Hours of the Cross (Incipiunt hore de sancta cruce).

p.16. Hours of the Holy Spirit (Incipiunt hore de sancto spiritu).

p.31. Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Missa beate marie virginis): Introit: Salue sancta parens.

pp.44-55. Gospel sequences.

p.44. Inicium sancti euuangelii secundum Johannem. In principio erat verbum.

p.47. Euuangelium secundum lucam. In illo tempore missus est angelus.

p.50. Euuangelium secundum lucam. [sic; recte mattheum] In illo tempore Cum natus esset ihesus.

p.53. Euuangelium secundum marcum. In illo tempore Recumbentibus vndecim.

p.55. Deuota oracio ad sacratissimam virginem mariam. Obsecro te (prayer in masculine form).

p.65. Deuotissima oracio ad beatissimam virginem mariam et Johannem euuangelistam. O Intemerata (prayer in masculine form).

p.73. Hours of the Virgin, use of Rome (Incipiunt hore beate marie virginis secundum consuedudinem Romane curie). Ferial psalms and seasonal variants not provided.

p.186. Salue regina. Ends imperfectly in middle of collect on p. 187 (a recto).

p.191. Penitential Psalms (Septem psalmi penitenciales).

pp.207-216 a misbound section, probably formerly at end, to judge by heavy staining of p.216. p.207. A devotion based on the Ave, and serving as a form of Litany of the Virgin, beginning imperfectly: Dominus tecum virgo preciosa. Dominus tecum virgo pulcra. French rubrics occur on p.209. The prayer ends imperfectly on p.216 at 'clamauit dicens'.

p.223. Letanie. Features to be noted are the Ghent martyr Livinus, and Bernardinus of Siena (canonised 1450). Although the lists of saints are quite different, the precatory clauses belong to the same general family as those in Vienna, Ö.N.B. Cod. 1857, executed in Ghent for Mary of Burgundy in the mid-1470s.

p.245. Office of the Dead (Vigilie mortuorum). This is a variant form of the Use of Tournai (in which diocese Ghent was situated at this period). Characteristic of this use is the provision of just three lessons at Matins. Another example is to be found in Chicago UL MS 184.

p.307. The Fifteen Oes (Eensuyuēt les .xv. oraciones de la passion n're s'r q' co'posa mo's'r sai't gregoire). This devotion, usually attributed to St Bridget, although popular in England at this period, occurs very rarely in Netherlandish or French Horae.

p.327. Oracio deuota de predulci nomine ihesu. p.328. O Bone ihesu. O dulcissime ihesu.

p.332. Ceste oroison composa mons' sai't augustin et est de moult grant vertu. p. 333. Deus propicius esto michi peccatori et custos mei.

p.337. Ceste oroison e' de m'lt de v'tus. Domine deus omnipotens pater et filius et spiritus sanctus Da michi famulo tuo N. victoriam.

p.341. Ascendat ad te domine oracio mea et ne revertatur.

p.342. Septem versus beati gregorij pape. Domine ihesu christe Adoro te in cruce pendentem.

p.345. Commemoratio de sancto christoforo. O Martir xpristi christofore.

p.348. Commemoratio de sancto Anthonio. Uox de celo ad beatum Anthonium.

p.349. de sancto nicholao. Beatus nicholaus adhuc puerulus.

p.351. Commemoratio de sancta katherina. Ave virginum gemma katherina (cf. Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery W.170, f.152).

p.353. Commemoratio de sancta barbara. Ave eterna lucifera. post mariam flos virginum.

p.355. Commemoratio de sancta oncciomera. Ista est virgo sapiens. V. Diffusa. Collect. Omnipotens sempiterne deus misericordiam tuam ostende... beate onccoomera virgine... (cf. Vienna, Ö.N.B. Cod. 1857, f.125v.).

Decoration images online - illuminated pages only

Two-line initials in gold on white-flourished pink-purple and blue throughout. 'Strewn' borders and vynets with flowers, most notably red roses, branchwork and birds casting shadows on a yellow ochre ground. 5-line initials usually composed of rustic branchwork. An unusual feature are the spiders found in many of the borders and initials. These may possibly be the 'signature' of a particular vignetteur.

Certain features of the artist's style, such as his treatment of hair, are reminiscent of early work by the Master of Mary of Burgundy, who was one of the first to use 'strewn' borders, in the early 1480s. This artist's work is rougher and more impressionistic. Figures sometimes have frog-like faces with pursed lips.

p.ii. Full-page miniature. Crucifixion, with BVM kneeling on left., St John Evangelist standing behind. Group of Jews on right.

p.iii. Full border.

p.15. Full-page miniature. Pentecost. BVM at prie-dieu in vaulted building surrounded by apostles mostly kneeling, though one (St John Evangelist?) sits on floor at front right. Border includes a hybrid, strawberries and thistles.

p.16. Full border.

p.30. Full-page miniature. BVM and Child seated in room, with two kneeling angels.

p.31. Full border.

p.55. 4-line initial O in gold on pink-purple and blue with white flourishing.

p.65. 3-line initial O of p.55 type.

p.72. Full-page miniature. Annunciation. Angel on left holds sceptre.

p.73. Full border.

p.96. 5-line initial D in white flourished blue on gold, with gold-flourished dull claret infill, of a type similar to ones in the Hastings Hours. Similar initials on pp.121, 131, 141, 150, 160, 177.

p.190. Full-page miniature, very rubbed. David, hat and harp on ground, kneeling in prayer. Border includes carnations.

p.191. Full border, including carnations.

p.244. Full-page miniature. Raising of Lazarus, in churchyard. Christ accompanied by two angels. Mary Magdalene kneels. In the border at bottom left is the figure of Death with a coped coffin under his arm, the other arm raised as if to hold a dart. This motif occurs as a full-page miniature on f.221 of Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett 78.B.12.

p.245. Full border. At bottom right, Death's prey, a man in furred gown.

p.345. Vynet, possibly by an assistant also responsible for the other vynets. The spider motif is not found in this section. Small square miniature of St. Christopher.

p.348. Vynet. Small square miniature of St Anthony, with his pig. Lower edge of vynet features a peacock among flowers. [description added by Anna Sander, 2017.]

p.349. Vynet. Small square miniature of St Nicholas, with three children in tub.

p.351. Vynet. Small square miniature of St Catherine, holding sword, wheel on ground. The model used by this artist for SS Nicholas and Catherine was also employed by the stylistically unrelated artist of a book of hours which was lot 101 at Sotheby's, 21 June 1988.

p.353. Vynet. Small square miniature of St Barbara seated reading to left of round tower.

p.355. Vynet. Small square miniature of St Uncumber crucified on T-cross, her dress bound at bottom, flanked by men including king. The same iconography is found in Ö.N.B. Cod. 1857, Walters W.170 and a wall-painting in the crypt of St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent.

- Description by Nicholas Rogers, 1988.

452. Koran. [condition: unusable]

453. Copy of the Liber de Moribus Hominum et Officiis Nobilium by Jacobus de Cessolis, (ca 1450-1500. Made at Christchurch, Hampshire. 25 leaves) images online here [condition: good]

454. English MS containing contemporary account of the execution of the Duke of Norfolk on 2 June 1572. (C16. 2 leaves) [condition: good]

455. Nicholas Crouch, ca 1618-c1690. Fellow from 1640. A collection of 11 C17 MSS, mostly in the hand of Nicholas Crouch, including 'Quaeryes propounded by sundry of the Clergy of the Diocese of London touching the Oath enioyned by the late Synod...', lists of Bishops from Oxford and Cambridge colleges, notes on medicine, lists of dates, places, itineraries etc. (see also Mynors MSS 334-6, 339, 355.) [condition: good] See detailed description here.

456. Eugenius Narbon. Rules of Policy. (mid-late C17. 77pp - 69 pp of text) [condition: good]

457. Samuel Butler. Will, 1626. Contemporary copy made at time of probate. 8pp. [condition: fair]

458. Nicholas Crouch, ca 1618-c1690. Fellow from 1640. 2 small notebooks covered in grey paper, C17. Both [condition: good]

• A: French vocabulary. Note at end: ' B Brought from Oxon: May 16. 1649 & Novem. 14' followed by list of books 'Librorum Catalogus.' 60 pp (38 pp of text).
• B: Prayers in French and Greek. 16 pp. (8 pp of text)
• C 1 folded A3 leaf of French vocabulary.
• D 1 folded A3 leaf of French vocabulary.

459. Joseph Sanford, ca 1692-1774. Fellow 1714. 'Old Joe Sanford's Notebook.' Kept by JS on facts unearthed by him on history and genealogy of the Balliols. Loose insertions including note by Richard Jenkyns on its provenance. a) [condition: fair] b) [condition: good]

460. John Parsons, Fellow 1785, Master 1785-1819. A: Notebook recording corrections to be made to an edition of Strabo. Signed by JP, 1786. B: Notes on Aristotle's Rhetoric. 20 pp. (see also collection of letters in printed book 570 e.17a, Correspondence Collection. a) [condition: fair] b) [condition: good]

461. Jeremiah Milles, 1675-1746. Fellow 1696. Diary kept at Oxford, 1 January 1701 - 26 June 1704. 39 leaves; 19 x 31 cm. With transcript. [condition: poor] images online here

462. George Coningesby, ca 1693-1768. Senior Commoner 1739. Pages from 17th or 18th century notebook and other material relating to G Coningesby, mostly extracted from library books now in the college's collection of early printed books. 2 items, both [condition: good]

463. George Powell, ca 1765-1830. Fellow 1786. Sermon dated 10 Feb [18]23. 58 pp. [condition: good]

464. Sir Walter Raleigh. Verses copied from Annual Register, 1762. 1 leaf. [condition: good]

465. 'Nobility and Gentry...' MS transcript from Bloome's Brittania; pages sewn into crude book. 18th c. [condition: fair]

466. Louis XVI. Lettre de cachet signed by him 4 October 1775, with notes about it. 1 leaf. [condition: good]

467. Diary, in French, 21 March - 24 June 1806. Contains accounts, inventory, book list etc. Small paper covered notebook. Formerly with New Inn Hall books. [condition: good]

468. Hebrew vocabulary, with Greek and English translations, made on scraps of paper torn from official University notices, 1799-1814, and of MS accounts, enclosed in copy of the Morning Chronicle, 30 September 1807. [condition: fair]

- descriptions pending -

469. Pugin volume [condition: good]

470. RLN Moral Phil [condition: good]

471. Triumph of Time [condition: good]

472. Shirley MS [condition: fair]

473. Kells facs + comm vol [condition: good]

474. JLSD DCL letters [condition: good]

475. John Evelyn, 'proto-diary' MS annotations in 1630s printed almanacs. Library shelfmark 670 a 13. Not yet catalogued on SOLO. [condition: fair-poor] [images of front pages and those with MS notes only].

Parts:

670 a 13 (1) Gresham. 1603. A new almanack and prognostication... [London]...

670 a 13 (2) Gresham. 1603. A Prognostication of the foure quarters of the yeere. MCDIII...

On the blank bound in between items 2 and 3, MS annotation 'These early and rare almanacks were formerly in the possession of the celebrated John Evelyn Esq of Wotton & possess several of his autograph notes & memorandums.'

670 a 13 (3) Dove. 1636. An Almanack for the yeare of our Lord God 1636... [Cambridge]... A few MS notes.

670 a 13 (4) Dove. 1637. An Almanack for the yeare of our Lord God 1637... [Cambridge]... MS notes in blank spaces for each month, monthly sums (?) on endleaf.

670 a 13 (5) Langley. 1637. A New Almanack and Prognostication for this yeere of our Lord God 1637...[Shrewsbury]... MS notes in blank spaces for most months, many obliterated (heavily scribbled over with the same pen)

670 a 13 (6) Dove. 1640. An Almanack for the yeare of our Lord God 1640... [Cambridge]... MS notes in blank spaces for each month.

476. MS on palm leaves. Condition not assessed.

477. Frances Merivale, Commonplace book. (Description) | [condition: good]

478. H.C. Beeching, Liber Amicorum. (Description) | [condition: good]

MSS 1-50

MSS 51-100

MSS 101-150

MSS 151-200

MSS 201-250

MSS 251-300

MSS 301-350

MSS 351-400

MSS 401-450

- Anna Sander