Add MS 62130

FOUNTAINS ABBEY (VYNER) MSS. Vol. II. Miscellaneous theological treatises and sermons, England; 13th-14th cent. Latin. 15th cent. ex libris and pressmark 'lib(er) s(an)c(t)e M(ari)e de ffontib(us) Th(eca) 3 in nov(is) arm(ariis) lib(er) 16', f. v verso, with numbers altered over erasures, followed by a contents list in another 15th cent. hand; partially repeated by a later 15th cent. hand on f. 254v). A record of entry into the novitiate at Fountains of William Dernton, Thomas Deconsone, John Hewtone, William York, Roger Hardy and John Yonge, under their master, Thomas Kyde, dated 1512 (f. ii verso). At Ripley Castle in 1864 (HMC, 6th Report, p. 356). Sold to the Vyner family at Sotheby's, 21 Oct. 1920, lot 125. On deposit at Leeds Archive Department as VR 6108 (in pencil, f. ii).

Vellum; ff. ix+254. Sec. fol.: 'male fecerint'. 193 x 132mm. '27' on cover of upper board, repeated with a list of contents in an 18th cent. hand as 'No. 27' on f. ii. Offset of text from former pastedown (possibly 12th-13th cent.) occurs on the inside of the upper board (f. i) and 'Fountains Abbey 1658 (?)' on the turn-in of the lower board (f. x). 4 early vellum flyleaves to front (ff. ii-v; ff. iii-iv taken from a 13th cent theological text) and 4 to back (ff. vi-ix, taken from a 13th cent. theological text, not that of the front flyleaves). Gatherings (28) of 8, except ii12, iv12, viii12 (wants 5-8, blank), ix4, x10, xi10 (wants 10, blank), xii10, xiii10 (wants 6-10, blank), xiv12 (wants 4-6 and 12, blank), xv12 (wants 1, blank), xvi10 (wants 10, blank), xvii10, xviii8 (wants 5-8, blank), xix14, xxiii-xxiv12, xxv12 (wants 3), xxvi-xxvii12, xxviii10 (wants 6-9, blank). Ruled (single and double bounding lines) in lead-point and ink for double columns of 30-57 lines (varying according to section, with single columns on ff. 190-254). Written space 150 x 110mm (first section, but variable thereafter). Script is by a variety of hands of late 13th to early 14th cent. date which employ Gothic textualis rotunda (e.g. ff. 130-151) and a cursiva anglicana (e.g. a small version on ff. 1-89) and cursiva anglicana formata (e.g. ff. 89-95). Quire numeration (probably added in the later Middle Ages) on final verso and first recto of quires, with horizontal catchwords. Text is 'below top line'. Extremely fragile medieval binding, with lower board possibly original and upper board reused, probably rebound 14th-15th cent. Channelling and pegging clearly visible. Sewn on 5 split cords, white oversewn end-bands. Sheepskin cover, single strap and pin mechanism fastening onto lower board, with pink staining of strap.

Contents:

1. ff. 1-13. Parabole Salomonis. Beg. 'Parabole salomonis filii david...', ends '... emendate voluerint'.

2. ff. 13-16v. De vite ordine et morum institutione, printed in Migne, PL, 184, cols 559-584. Falsely attributed to St Bernard, but ascribed by A. Wilmart to Joannis Hominis Dei (see Migne, PL, 147, col. 477) in Revue Mabillon, Jan.-Mar 1925. Beg. 'Morum insignia...', ends '... poterat penitere'.

3. ff. 17-40v. De XV signis ante judicium, etc., attributed to St Jerome. Beg. 'Cum appropinquaret ...', ends '... generatione sunt sua'.

4. ff. 41-48v. Epistolae Canonicae, with both verses of the Witnesses of 1 John 5.

5. ff. 49-58v. Apocryphum de Joseph et Assenech. Beg. 'Et factum est ...', ends '... doctrine sue'.

6. ff. 59-76v. Computus manualis (liturgical and astronomical). Beg. 'O compotus per versus compotus iste ...', ends 'Et hec de compoto ad presens sufficiunt', followed by tables and a homily.

7. ff. 77-95v. Alexander Neckam, In expositiones rerum theologicarum (ff. 77-95). Beg. 'Omnis scientia suis ...', ends '... carere debeat'. Finished and continued by another hand to include Alanus de Insulis, Regulae de sacra theologia (ff. 89v-95v), printed in Migne, PL, 210, pp. 622-683. Beg. 'Sicut in homine ...', ends 'Expliciunt regule Magistri Alani'.

8. ff. 96-110v. Johannes Damascenus, De vita Domini et beatae Mariae. Beg. 'Vitam virginis ...', ends '... per infinita seculorum secula. Amen, amen' (f. 109v). Followed by 4 columns by another hand, beg. 'Luna speculi ...'.

9. ff. 111-113. Seneca, De Libero Arbitrio. Beg. 'Honesta, inquit Epicurus, res est ...', ends '... socios tue virtudinis(?)'.

10. ff. 114v-118v. Treatise on the Seven Sacraments and the Decalogue. Beg. 'Articulis est ...', ends '... et usus superflui'.

11. ff. 119-129v. Excerpts from the letters of Cassiodorus. Beg. 'Solent qui ...', ends '... votum est prestitisse'.

12. ff. 130-136v. Pope Clement III, Ars fidei, ed. Nicolaus Ambiacensis. Beg. 'Clemens papa cuius ...', ends. '... et sic propositum patet'.

13. ff. 136v-138. Symbolical treatise, Novem Musae. Beg. 'Legimus in mercuriano ...', ends '... oblectat et temperat'.

14. ff. 138-138v. Dio (Distinctio?) Philosophie. Beg. 'Sicut co(-)is philosophorum ...', ends. '... largo ymbre descendunt'.

15. ff. 139-144. Moral Latin verses. Beg. 'Undique suscepit qui miscuit utile dulci ...', ends '... dicior esse potest'.

16. ff. 144-147v. Latin hexameters. Beg. 'Prima die ...'.

17. ff. 148-151. Speculum humane fragilitas. Beg. 'Lapsum proposui fragilis describere vite ...', ends 'Laus tua sit nobis gloria vita decus'.

18. ff. 152-165v. Latin sermons, ending with one by Ricardo Fissacre (f. 165v). Beg. 'Beatus est symon ...', ends '... consuetudinem peccandi'.

19. ff. 166-189v. Treatise on penance, with tables of sins.

20. ff. 190-253v. Treatise, De malo et bono. Beg. 'Rationalem creaturam a deo factam esse', ends '... periculosissimo evaserunt'.

Decoration consists of pen-flourished initials in sporadically alternating red and green or just red (with a human-head infill on f. 4v) of 2-11 lines (ff. 1-76v) with abstract line-fillers resembling colophon decoration. Pen-flourished initials change to blue with red flourishing or just blue on ff. 77-151, with some guide-letters. Red initials occur on ff. 152-189v, along with the line-fillers mentioned above. The decoration of the remaining section is unfinished.

Theology LATIN: Sermons: Art. Illuminations and Drawings ENGLISH: Parables of Solomon, misc. theological treatises, etc., from Fountains Abbey: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.

includes:

• ff. 13-16v John, Abbot of Fécamp: Saint Bernard,; Abbot of Clairvaux: De vite ordine et morum institutione probably by John and falsely attributed to Bernard: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 17-40v Saint Jerome: De XV signis ante judicium attributed to Jerome: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 77-95v Alexander Neckam, scholar: In expositiones rerum theologicarum by Alexander Neckam: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 89v-95v Alanus, de Insulis: Regulae de sacra theologia by Alanus: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 96-109v Saint John,; of Damascus: De vita Domini et beatae Mariae by John: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 111-113 Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the younger; philosopher and statesman: De libero arbitrio by Lucius Annaeus Seneca: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 119-129v Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus: Excerpts from letters of Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 130-136v Clement III; Pope: Nicolaus, Ambiacensis: Ars fidei of Clement III, ed. by Nicolaus: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.
• f. 165v Ricardo Fissacre: Sermon by Ricardo Fissacre: 13th-14th cent.: Lat.