The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

B.15.5

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Shelfmark B.15.5
Manuscript Title

Peter Comestor, Historia Scholastica
Alternative Title

Historia Scholastica.
James Number 342
Century 12th13th
Physical Description

Double columns of 38 lines. Finely written.
Provenance

Given by Nevile.

From Christ Church, Canterbury. On the fly-leaf is the name Iohannes Parker in red chalk. Also at the top de secunda demonstracioneandHystorie manducatoris nigelli. Further, a quatrainOcia cum fugerit studiosi cura nigelliTexuit ex uariis presentis scripta libelli.Quern superesse sibi uoluit post fata futurumNominis et meriti memorabile non moriturum. Edwards, p.198 Libri Nigello (sic). Hystorie manducatoris. The owner was most likely Nigellus Wireker, precentor of Christ Church, and author of the Speculum Stultorum, etc. On the fly-leaf is Peter Comestor’s epitaph and date (xvi).
Religious House Canterbury, Kent, Benedictine Cathedral Priory (Christ Church)
Donor Neville [Nevile], Thomas (c. 1548–1615), College Head and Dean of Canterbury
Size (cm) 36.5 x 28
Folio 228 ff.
Material Parchment
Language Latin
Collation

a10 18-268 2710.
IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/B.15.5/manifest.json
Online Since 10/06/2014

Contents

1. f.1 Genealogical Table with marginal comment, from Adam to Christ

2. f.7 Chronology
Adam cum esset cxxx annorum genuit seth etc., down to the present year, dcccx (=a.m. ĪĪĪĪ dcc-lxii), the 42nd of the reign of dominus carlus.

3. f.7b In a narrow close hand, two columns of verse
Tange camena stilum faleratos exue cultus.
Rerum magestas induat istud opus.
Ends
Cuncta tuis pateat uirtutibus area . nullis
Laudum fasciculis claudere lingua potest.

4. f.8 Capitula in 3 columns
Inc. liber hystorialis quem magister petrus comestor compegit.
f.10 Followed by the epitaph
f.10b is blank.
f.11 Text with marginal notes in a hand of earlier type
Inc. hysteria scolastica magistri petri.
Imperatorie maiestatis.
Ends f.226b
et in loco honorabiliori in cathacumbis. Per omnia benedictus deus. Amen.
Expl. liber historialis de actibus apostolorum.

Bibliography

James, M. R., The Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover (Cambridge, 1903), p. 510.

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

O’Daly, I., ‘Reading the Historia Scholastica at the Close of the Twelfth Century: Nigel of Canterbury and Trinity College, Cambridge, MS B.15.5’, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 71, 2 (April 2020)

Strongman, S., 'John Parker's Manuscripts: an Edition of the Lists in Lambeth Palace MS 737', Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society 7 (1977-80), 1-27, no. 41.

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