The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

Shelfmark O.5.4
Manuscript Title

Grammar etc

Alternative Title

Grammatica. Dictionarium etc

James Number 1285
Century 15th
Physical Description

56 lines to a page. In a good small hand: pretty borders of English work on f.1 and elsewhere.

Provenance

Part of the Gale collection, given to T.C.C. by Roger Gale in 1738. Marked A 4.

On f.15b Thomas Phillipps of Darlaston in the parish of Stone owneth this Booke November the 17, 1662. On f.79b: Richard Phillipps anno dom. 1674. Also on f.294.

On f.294b sqq. are copies of documents in a late hand.

1. Writ of Henry (III.) reciting a privilege given by Innocent IV. at the Council of Lyons to the capellae regiae. 41 Hen. III.2. Agreement between Richard Bp of Coventry and Lichfield, and the Deans and Canons of S. Mary Shrewsbury, Stafford, Penkreth, Tettenhall, Woluerhampton and Brogenorth as to their immunity, as Chapels Royal, from episcopal jurisdiction. 6 Kal. Jun. 1281.3. Prima institucio vicarij de my ’elskyrke super Wyram Eborac. dioc. 296.Stephanus le Scrope Archidiac. de Richmond... Dno Johanni de Dalleley presbitero... York, 27 Jan. 1411.4. Attestation of the copy by John Maretcalff notary,5. Composicio inter magistrum siue custodem Collegii b. Marie Magd. de Batelfild lich. dioc. et vicarium Eccl. S. Michaelis super Wyram in Archidiaconatu Richmond Ebor. dioc.Roger Yve de leton is the Warden. The parish church of My ’elkyrke super Wiram with the Chapel of Plompton had been granted to the College by Henry IV. Given at Batelfyld, 24 Feb. 1411.6. Ranulph Husey of Adbrighton Husey gives to the College of St Mary Salop †4 yearly for 100 years. Given at Adbrighton Husey, 4 March 1173.

The volume belonged, therefore, in all probability to the College of Battlefield, three miles from Shrewsbury, which was founded by Henry IV. in 1410 to commemorate the battle of Shrewsbury (1403).

Second Folio strandi aut
Religious House Battlefield, Shropshire, Collegiate Church
Donor Gale, Roger (1672-1744), Antiquary
Size (cm) 42.5 x 28.5
Folio 4 + 294 ff.
Binding Original binding of white skin over boards: two clasps gone
Material Parchment
Language LatinMiddle English
Collation

2 flyleaves, 18 28 (one canc.)-108 (wants 8): a quire gone: 118-378: 2 flyleaves, one stuck to cover. The leaves have a modern foliation which is incorrect, but I have adopted it.

IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/O.5.4/manifest.json
Online Since 17/05/2017

Contents

[Note that James' list of contents in some instances does not now match the modern foliation which has been adopted for the digitisation process]

On the flyleaves at the beginning are two xvth cent. notes on Prouidencia etc.

Contents.

1. (Donatus de octo partibus orationis)
f.1 Partes oracionis quot sunt. octo.
-ante metum, ut atat, et si qua sunt similia
I loue thu louest he loueth
f.3b Amo amas amat
(Paradigms of verbs amo, doceo, lego, audio.)

2. f.3 A tract in English and Latin on composition
In how many maners schalt thou by gynne to make Latyn.
By foure, by ryghtfull order of constructyon.
The following sections deal with Nouns, Pronouns, Interrogatives, Verbs, Adverbs, Participles, Conjunctions, Prepositions, Interjections, Constructions, and Cases, ending with the ablative:
ut dicit catholicon in .j. parte ex vi intransicionis.

3. f.8 Notule excerpte de libro magni doctrinalis
Voces in primo etc. Hic notat autor de quibus in presenti opere est dicturus
-post donatum capitulo primo
f.13 hic inc. 2 a pars doctrinalis
Pandere proposui etc. In hoc primo capitulo 2 e partis doctrinalis tangit idem autor.
-ita concludit librum suum. Doctrinale dei uirtute iuuante peregi. Phiraque signaui que non debes imitari.

4. f.13 Verses on quantities
Que non ponuntur hic omnia corripiuntur.
Scabidus et labes et labi fabula tabes.
See Ch. Thurot, Notices et Extraits, XXII.509.
V. super V solam produc dant cetera curtam.
Expl. utilis tractatus de primis sillabis.

5. Inc. alius tractatus de primis sillabis.
Kegula splendescit qua sillaba prima patescit.
Ante b sit breuis a ύ sunt quinque sed inde retracta.
Cetera ui iuui sunt curta vel excipe pluui.
Expl. Utilis tractatus de breuibus et longis primarum sillabarum

6. f.15b Quot et quibus modis prime medie et ultimo sillabe in uersibus cognoscuntur
De literis dictum est sufficienter infra in tractatu de regulis versificandi.
...
Nec mea post maria potis est perstringere iura.

7. f.16 Synonyms in verse, called Bursa latini
Equus caballus pullus dextrarius equa
Taurus bos vacca vitulus buculusque iuuenca.
...
Comes et baro miles iudex vicecomes
Prepositus balliuus rusticus et colubertus
Villicus et proceres natiuus et est generosus.
Expl. bursa latini.

8. f.17 Catonis Disticha (headed "Robertus Grostest" in hand of cent. xvi, xvii)
Prologue:
Cum animaduerterem
-libenter ferto amorem.
Si deus est animus nobis ut carmina dicunt
...
Hec breuitas sensus fecit coniungere binos.

9. f.18b
Os facies mentum dens guttur lingua palatum
Barba supercilium cilium frons tempora labrum.
...
Et career collistrigium compesque catena
Virgula cauda pilus cor tucetum tenor exta.
(See Leyser Hist. Poet. Med. Aev. 998.)

10. [Grostest, at top.]
f.19 Stans puer ad mensam domini bona dogmata ducas
Priuetur mensa qui spernit hec documenta.
(See Leyser, p.997.)

11. (Liber Cartule. P.L. CLXXXIV.1307.)
f.19 a. Cartula nostra tibi portat dilecte salutes
b. Huius amor mundi.
c. Pauper amabilis.
Hoc tibi det munus qui regnat trinus et unus.
Text throughout as in Migne, l.c., with only slight differences.

12. (Headed IOHAN. GARLANDIUS: xvi.)
f.20b Peniteas cito peccator cum sit miserator
...
Et cure grauitas et consuetude ruine.
(P.L. CCVII.1153)

13. (Facetus: Notices et Extraits, xxvii. 2, 16: Leyser, p.437.)
f.21 Est nichil utilius humane credo saluti
...
Hic liber est morum qui doctrinam tenet horum
Finis et illorum caput est deus ipse deorum.

14. (Alani de Insulis Prouerbia: P.L. CCX.581.)
f.22b b. phebo phebe lumen capit a sapiente
...
Insipiens sensum quo quasi luce micat.
Hunc igitur sensum uero de sole receptum
Inseruit stolidis qui sibi uita fuit.

15. [Iohannes Garlandius cl. 1040 sub Haraldo.]
(Synonyma; see M. Kurz Progr. des Staatsgymn. im IX. Bez. in Wien 1883.)
f.26 Ad mare ne uidear latices deferre, camino.
Igniculum, densis uel frondes addere siluis.
...
Virginis est aluus et sic ab alendo vocatur
Ex utero dicti germani sunt uterini.

16. f.29 [Joan. Garlandi, Aequivoca.]
(See Hauréc)au in Notices et Extr. XXVII. l.583: Leyser, p.338.)
Augustus ti to cesar uel mensis habeto
...
Zelus suppoto zelus et inuidia.

17. f.32 Theoduli Ecloga
Ethiopum terras iam feruida torruit estas
...
Desine quod restat ne desperacio ledat.

18. In rhyming verse.
f.33b Deus nichil fecerat frustra dum creauit
Mundum sed res singulas sagax deputauit
Propriis operibus ut precogitauit
Nec quicquam defuerat postquam consummauit.
...
Hec sunt data paruulis qui uolunt audire
Et suis pectoribus tenus corde scire
Parua cum maioribus autor vult inquire
Que contingunt paruulis his noli obire
Pauca pro rumoribus possunt inuenire
Sed deus omnipotens nos sibi seruire.

19. f.36 Inc. 2 da pars doctrinalis in qua tractat de pedibus uersuum 2 o de longitudine et reuitate in primis penultimis et
ultimis sillabis. 3 o de accentu dictionum. 4 o de figuris in gramatica
Spaces are left between the lines for notes, many of which are corrected.
Pandere proposui per uersus sillaba queque
...
Grates reddo tibi genitor deus et tibi christe
Quas tres personas in idem credo deitatis
Laus tibi sit christe quoniam liber explicit iste.
f.45 Inc. prima pars doctrinalis in quo primo tractat de declinacionibus etc. -10o de constructione
Voces in primis quas per casus uariabis
...
Plurali numero similes sunt quos ego cerno.

20. f.59 Licet in presenti opusculo omnium sillabarum naturam declarare proponimus
On metres.
f.60 Istis itaque prosaice prelibatis si uidere desideratis tractatum autenticum utilem et compendiosum de pedibus predictis (refers to the doctrinale)
-Sed propter simpliciores sunt hic de ultimis sillabis prosaice aliqua plenius inserenda. et sic Dictiones terminantes in A. etc.
-et regit hoc metrum ympnum sequentem Martiris ecce dies.
f.63b Quia sequens tract. docet de formacione preteritorum etc.
...ideo dictum tract. hic superioribus combinaui
Prima coniugacio quatuor habet diuersas in preterito formaciones.
This section largely consists of verse, and is written in double columns.
-Et gerundiua aiendi. do. dum.
f.66b Sequitur nobilis tract. de mediis sillabis, et versificis ualde necessarius
Vocalis ante uocalem in latinis diccionibus
...
V ante z producitur ut casuza .i. iris.
f.69b Quia superius in diuersis tractatibus sufficienter actum est de regulis versificandi et de metris hie consequenter dicet de rethorica de dictamine et de modo faciendi literas
Regina sedens rethorica in suo solio maiestatis
-predicta sufficiunt pro tempore moderno.
f.70* Forms of letters begin here
Litera transmissa de Papa ad regem.
Simon ep. seruus seruuorum dei metuendissimo filio nostro H. dei gratia R. A.
On heresy at Oxford. E. Lincoln is mentioned as chancellor. Letters from 'the Prince' to the King of Denmark, from the Duke of Lancaster to the Earl of Arundel, from the Abp of Canterbury to the Bp of Lincoln.
On f.72b one from John de Waldeby to Thomas, Abbot of St Alban's, on the apostles' creed.
Salutationes, 'Narraciones,' Petitions, and Conclusions begin on f.25b.
Ending with forms of farewell on f.78b.
On f.79a is an insertion of an omitted passage. The verso is blank.

21. f.80 Prologue
Diuiditur iste liber in 2 as partes principales in quarum prima de regulis agitur gramaticalibus... et sumitur a Preciano Petro helia et hugucione. In 2 a parte agitur de uocabulorum significatione et sumitur a Papia Rabano et Bartho. The first part is in five particulae. ...Ego denique huius operis autor non sum, presertim cum pauca in eo uel nulla de meo apposuerim sed omnia pocius de libris autenticis excipiens sub compendio pariter compilaui. Id tantum ab omnibus peto remuneracionis ut cum ad legendum hunc librum susceperint pro peccatis ad dominum cor(dialiter ?) intercedant. Expl. prol.
Ortographia est prima pars gramatice regularis de qua dicit Joh. Garland in accentario.
The fifth section is in double columns, and contains verses.
f.91 It is headed: Tract. de regimine casuum et primo de regimine nominatiui secundum usum modernum
Secundum auctorem Catholicon triplex est nominatiuus.
Ends f.94b:
Istis prolempsis que negacio consocientur.
f.95 is blank.

22. f.96 Dictionary (Part II. of No. 21)
With good initial and border.
Alma interpretatur uirgo abscondita uel absconcio uirginitatis sicut dicitur in interpretacionibus.
There are many later additions, and many English equivalents. These were copied by Mr W. Aldis Wright, and printed by Wulcker.
Ends f.275.
Zubrones ferocissime bestie ad longitudinem quindecim
cubitorum et cornua maxima habent.
Zuzistime. mes. 4 te deis intur magistro magno.
Autores de quorum scriptis sunt hec tracta sunt isti. Aug. Ambr. Alquinus Brito Anselmus Albertus Auicenna Adelmus Asclepius Basilius Beda Bernardus Boetius Bartholomeus Ciprianus Garlandius Crisost. Hugucio Cato Catholicon Constantinus Damascenus Diascorides Doctrinale Fulgencius Phisiologus Gregorius Galienus Jeronimus Isidorus Innocencius Jorath Jacobus Aquinensis Juuenalis Kyllewardby Leo papa Macrobius Metodius Macer Marbodus Origenes Orosius Ouidius Petrus Papias Plato Platearius Persius Plinius Priscianus Rabanus Strabus Secundus Sedulius Solinus Trimegistus Theofrastus Tullius Varro Virgilius Ypocras Ysaac.

23. f.275b Hic inc. Algorismus integrorum
In double columns, verse and prose intermixed.
Hic Algorismus ars presens dicitur in qua
Talibus indorum fruimur bis .5. figuris
-per hos uersus uel discontinua. Explicit.
f.281a blank.

24. f.281b Massa compoti
Licet modo in fine temporum
-et ista sufficiunt de massa compoti.
Expl. massa compoti.

25. f.285 Compotus manualis
Compotus iste diuiditur in .6. partes.
-Sed isti duo ultimi uersus decent quot dies habet quilibet mensis.
f.287a, col. 2, blank.

26. f.287b De composicione quadrantis et eius operacione
Geometrie due sunt partes. Theorica et Practica.
Ends unfinished f.289a
Si autem habueris aliam mensuram paruam.
A table follows.

27. f.289b De composicione Chilindri et eius operacione
Inuestigantibus chilindri composicionem.
Ends with a table.

28. f.290 Tractatus de Spera (Johannis de Sacro Bosco)
Tractatum de spera in quatuor capitulis distinguimus
-mundi machina dissoluetur. Expl. tract. de spera.
Diagram follows.

29. Notes.
a. Saturnus 7 o celo Jupiter i ffeton 6 o celo
Post sun sum sequitur ultima luna. subit.
b. Pictagora testante didicimus a terra usque ad lunam 206 milia stadiorum
-quod miliare sit 2000 passuum siue cubitorum.
c. Totus autem terre ambitus... 25200 stadiorum.
d. Sanctus Aug. dicit de itinere solis.
e. A note of measures of length.

Bibliography

Bonaventure, B., 'The Teaching of Latin in Later Medieval England', Mediaeval Studies 23 (1961), 1-20

Gieben, S., 'Robert Grosseteste and Medieval Courtesy-Books (with Mention of the MS. Copy of Grosseteste's Poem Stans puer ad mensam in Trin. Coll. Camb. O.5.4 f.18ra', Vivarium 5 (1967), 47-74

Hellinga, L., and J. B. Trapp, ed., The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain, vol. 3, 1400-1557 (Cambridge, 1999)

Ker, N. R., Medieval Libraries of Great Britain, Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 3, 2nd edn (London, 1964)

Mooney, L. R., The Index of Middle English Prose Handlist 11: Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (Cambridge, 1995), pp. 115-16 and 160

Morrin, M. J., John Waldeby, O.S.A., c.1315-c.1372: English Augustinian Preacher and Writer: with a Critical Edition of his Tract on the Ave Maria, Studia Augustiniana Historica 2 (Rome, 1975)

This work is copyright the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License