Add MS 56252

ST AUGUSTINE: collection of treatises attributed to St Augustine and St Ambrose, probably written in Eastern England; mid 13th cent. Latin. Owned by the Augustinian Abbey of St Osyth, Chich, Essex, see inscription in a 15th-cent hand, f. iii verso: 'Liber Monasterij sancte Osithe virginis martiris et regine ordinis canonicorum sanctissimi doctoris Augustini'. On a blank page (f. 47) are contemporary copies of two documents concerning the grant of the advowson of the perpetual vicarage of Great Cornard, co. Suff., to William Golding, 1577-1578. William Golding was the brother of Arthur Golding, the translator, see

P. Morant, The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (1763-1768), ii,

p. 328. The manuscript was subsequently in the library of the Tollemache family at Helmingham Hall. Helmingham number '3' in pencil on and inside the front cover. See M. R. James, 'Manuscripts from Essex monastic libraries', Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society, n.s., xxi (1937), p. 36, and

N. R. Ker, Medieval Libraries of Great Britain (1964), p. 170. A list of contents on the front cover, and other references (ff. 1, 199v) to C. Gesner, Bibliotheca, are in an early 17th-cent. hand that also occurs in three St Osyth manuscripts sold from the Helmingham Hall Library at Sotheby's on 6 June 1961, lots 1 and 2, and 14 June 1965, lot 2. Sotheby's sale-cat. 14 June 1965, lot 4. Quaritch Cat. 880 (1967), item 3. Purchased 11 April 1970.

Vellum; ff. iv+216. Sec. fol. 'ad id quod debent'. 285 x 200mm. Gatherings: i12, ii14 (lacks 14), iii-v8, vi-xviii10, xix12, xx8, xxi14, xxii irregular. Art. 8 begins on a new quire, f. 48. Double columns. In possibly three gothic bookhands: A. ff. 1-13 (art. 1); B. ff. 14-115v (art. 2-10); C. ff. 116-216 (art. 11-13). From ff. 14-46 column signatures a-z at base of each column in dry-point, perhaps a reference mark. Headings, capitals and decorated penwork initials in red and blue. Original monastic binding, vellum over boards, slightly torn. 285 x 205mm. Back strengthened with brown leather. Clasps missing. Memorandum of contents on back cover, 15th cent. Contents listed in an early 17th-cent. hand, front cover. Damage from damp at foot of last ten leaves, no loss of text.

Contents:

1. ff. 1-13. St Augustine, 'De spiritu et anima'. Migne, PL, xl, 779-832. Twenty-five chapters. Beg. 'Quoniam dictum est michi . . .'. Ends '. . . aliud non sit quam ratio' (ibid., 803, ch. 33).

2. ff. 14-32. St Augustine, 'De gratia Novi Testamenti'. Ibid., xxxiii, 538-577. Beg. 'Quinque michi proposuisti . . .'. Preceded by the appropriate chapter (36) from the Retractions, Book II (ibid., xxxii, 645).

3. ff. 32-46v. St Augustine, 'De utilitate credendi'. Ibid., xlii, 65-95. Beg. 'Si michi Honorate . . .'. Preceded by the appropriate chapter (14) from the Retractions, Book I (ibid., xxxii, 605).

4. ff. 48-61. St Augustine, 'Soliloquiorum', in two books. Ibid., xxxii, 869-904. Beg. 'Volventi michi diu multa ac varia . . .'.

5. ff. 61v-70. St Augustine, 'De octo dulcitii quaestionibus'. Ibid., xl, 147-170. Beg. 'Quantum michi videtur fili dulcissime'.

6. ff. 70-73v. 'Quorundam capitulorum sibi falso imputatorum catholica confutatio', ascribed to St Augustine and to St Prosper of Aquitaine. Beg. 'Quidam christiane ac fraterne caritatis obliti . . .'. Ibid., xlv, 1843-1850, li, 177.

7. ff. 73v-77v. 'Liber contra pellagianos de predestinatione', ascribed to St Augustine. Beg. 'Addere etiam hoc quam maxime huic operi oportet . . .'. Described as Book 7 of 'Hymnasticon [Hypomnesticon?] contra Pelagianos' at the appropriate index entry for Vatican Pal. Lat. 226 in In principio. Incipit index of Latin texts. Brepols CD Rom 1993.

8. ff. 77v-99. St Augustine, 'De quantitate animae'. Beg. 'Quoniam video te habundare ocio . . .'. Migne, PL, xxxii, 1035-1080. Preceded by the appropriate chapter from the Retractions.

9. ff. 99-105v. St Augustine, 'De immortalitate animae'. Beg. 'Si alicubi est disciplina . . .'. Ibid., xxxii, 1021-1034. Preceded by the appropriate chapter in the Retractions.

10. ff. 105v-115v. St Augustine, 'De duabus animabus'. Beg. 'Opitulante Dei misericordia . . .'. Ibid., xlii, 93-112. Preceded by the appropriate chapter in the 'Retractions'.

11. ff. 116-155v. St Augustine, 'Retractions'. Beg. 'Cum ergo reliquissem . . .'. Preceded by the Prologue and a table of chapters. Ibid., xxxii, 583-656.

12. ff. 155v-199. St Augustine, Ten sermons on the Epistle of St John. Beg. 'Meminit sanctitas vestra . . .'. Ibid., xxxv, 1977-2062.

13. ff. 199v-216v. St Ambrose, 'De penitencia'. Beg. 'Si uatum finis est ille maximus . . .'. Ibid., xvi, 465-524.