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Harley MS 3083
- Record Id:
- 040-002048914
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002048914
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000761.0x0001a9
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100059346809.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Harley MS 3083
- Title:
- St Ambrose, Epistulae, De Obitu Theodosii and De Nabuthe Jezraelita
- Scope & Content:
-
This volume preserves most of St Ambrose (b. c. 339, d. 397)'s Epistulae (Letters). It also includes two other works by Ambrose: De Obitu Theodosii (On the Death of Theodosius I) and De Nabuthe Jezraelita (On Naboth the Jezreelite). The manuscript may initially have been part of a larger volume since the first text in the manuscript is only the latter part of Ambrose’s Letter 7, and the closing text contains only the first part of De Nabuthe Jezraelita.
Contents:
ff. 1r-2r: Ambrose, Letter 7, beginning: 'Amici persuadent tibi manis et necessitatem inferre Indorum philosophis'.
ff. 2r-3r: Ambrose, Letter 8, beginning: 'Acerbo te doliturum dolore obitum'.
ff. 3r-3v: Ambrose, Letter 9, beginning: 'Iacta tuam te gravi aegritudine'.
ff. 3v-9r: Ambrose, Letter 6, beginning: 'Videbamur proxime in disceptationes incidisse philosophiae'.
ff. 9r-10v: Ambrose, Letter 12, beginning: 'Ubi superiorem absolvi epistolam'.
ff. 10v-11v: Ambrose, Letter 13, beginning: 'Differentia caritatis utrum sit aliqua'.
ff. 11v-12v: Ambrose, Letter 14, beginning: 'Superiore epistola scripsimus liberandam ab adversariis'.
f. 12v: Ambrose, Letter 15, beginning: 'Pertulisti ad me quasi filius'.
ff. 12v-14r: Ambrose, Letter 16, beginning: 'Poposcisti ut summam aepistolae quae ad Ephesios'.
ff. 14r-15r: Ambrose, Letter 17, beginning: 'Plerumque humanis obrepit mentibus ut aliqua levi'.
ff. 15r-17v: Ambrose, Letter 18, beginning: 'Prophetae quidem congregationem gentium atque ecclesie adnuntiarunt'.
ff. 17v-18r: Ambrose, Letter 19, beginning: 'Superiore epistola de ea anima sermonem contulimus'.
ff. 18r-19v: Ambrose, Letter 20, beginning: 'Non otiose quaerendum putasti quae sit rei divine’.
ff. 19v-20v: Ambrose, Letter 21, beginning: 'Quesisti a me utrus anima caelestis'.
ff. 20v-22r: Ambrose, Letter 22, beginning: 'Superior epistola tuae inquisitioni respondit'.
ff. 22r-22v: Ambrose, Letter 23, beginning: 'Concatenantur sibi epistole nostre utaquam'.
ff. 22v-23v: Ambrose, Letter 24, beginning: 'Apud me decursus est tui textus negotii'.
ff. 23v-24r: Ambrose, Letter 25, beginning: 'Silentium meum rupit sermo clementie tuae'.
ff. 24r-24v: Ambrose, Letter 26, beginning: 'Apparitor prefecture qui propter opera portuenses'.
ff. 24v-25v: Ambrose, Letter 27, beginning: 'Paulinum splendore generis in partibus'.
ff. 25v-27v: Ambrose, Letter 28, beginning: 'Num quid nam mentitur deus'.
ff. 27v-29v: Ambrose, Letter 29, beginning: 'Moveri te insinuasti mihi'.
ff. 29v-31r: Ambrose, Letter 30, beginning: 'Et si superioris legationis meae fides ita approbata sit'.
ff. 31r-33r: Ambrose, Letter 31, beginning: 'Divisionem egregie advertisti propheticam vel potius'.
ff. 33r-34r: Ambrose, Letter 32, beginning: 'Remisisti mihi libellos quos tuo'.
ff. 34r-35r: Ambrose, Letter 34, beginning: 'Lecto exameron utrum paradisum subtexuerim requirendum'.
ff. 35r-35v: Ambrose, Letter 35, beginning: 'Quid filio nostro remisisti meo rogatu quia te'.
ff. 35v-39r: Ambrose, Letter 36, beginning: 'Suscepisti munus sacerdotii et in puppe ecclesie sedens'.
ff. 39r-39v: Ambrose, Letter 37, beginning: 'Transmisi petitum codicem scriptum apertius'.
ff. 39v-40r: Ambrose, Letter 38, beginning: 'Faustinus uterque tibi redditus est nobis utrumque Ambrosium'.
ff. 40r-41v: Ambrose, Letter 39, beginning: 'Quem scripsisti maledici seminatorem sermonis'.
ff. 41v-42v: Ambrose, Letter 40, beginning: 'Clamavit perdix congregavit quae non peperit'.
f. 42v: Ambrose, Letter 41, beginning: 'Prisco amico et aequaelio meo dedisti advenienti litteras'.
f. 42v: Ambrose, Letter 42, beginning: 'Prisco meo dedisti litteras Priscus meus'.
ff. 42v-43r: Ambrose, Letter 43, beginning: 'Misisti mihi tubera et quidem mirae magnitudinis'.
f. 43r: Ambrose, Letter 44, beginning: 'Cum sis in agro miror qua ratione de me querendum'.
ff. 43r-43v: Ambrose, Letter 45, beginning: 'Venit tibi innocens victori aut sine voti amaritudine'.
f. 43v: Ambrose, Letter 46, beginning: 'Gratum est mihi cum litteras accipio tuas'.
ff. 43v-44r: Ambrose, Letter 47, beginning: 'Holibius filius noster cum de Affricanis regressus partibus in quibus'.
ff. 44r-44v: Ambrose, Letter 48, beginning: 'Epistularum genus propterea repertum ut quidam nobiscum absentibus sermo'.
f. 45r: Ambrose, Letter 49, beginning: 'Ex ultimo persidis prefectus sinu Iacobis'.
ff. 45r-45v: Ambrose, Letter 50, beginning: 'Recognosco purae affectum mentis et fidei studium'.
ff. 45v-47r: Ambrose, Letter 51, beginning: 'Sacerdotibus et omni clero et plebi'.
ff. 47r-47v: Ambrose, Letter 52, beginning: 'Iam dudum teneo etsi nunc primo lego meritisque'.
f. 48r: Ambrose, Letter 53, beginning: 'Summus quidem splendor in sermone est tuo'.
ff. 48r-48v: Ambrose, Letter 54, beginning: 'Quaeris a me cur Dominus manna pluerit populo patrum'.
ff. 48v-49v: Ambrose, Letter 55, beginning: 'Negant plerique nostros secundum artem scripsisse'.
ff. 49v-52v : Ambrose, Letter 56, beginning: 'Prospiciendum esse ne de nostro obloquantur iudicio'.
ff. 52v-55r: Ambrose, Letter 57, beginning: 'Quae sint in nostro iudicio decursa comperta retines'.
ff. 55r-56r: Ambrose, Letter 58, beginning: 'Paterni quidem unanimi mei salutationem legi'.
f. 56r: Ambrose, Letter 59, beginning: 'Quam ingenuo commendasti pudore quia de eo'.
f. 56r: Ambrose, Letter 60, beginning: 'Numquam es tacitus mihi nec umquam tuo me transmissum'.
f. 56r: Ambrose, Letter 61, beginning: 'Anthiochus vir cum reddidit mihi eximietatis'.
ff. 56r-60r: Ambrose, Letter 62, beginning: 'Poposcisti a me institutionis tuae insignia'.
ff. 60r-61v: Ambrose, Letter 63, beginning: 'Decursa lectione apostoli non perfunctoriae motus es'.
ff. 61v-62v: Ambrose, Letter 64, beginning: 'Audisti fili hodie lectum in apostolo quia lex'.
ff. 63r-63v: Ambrose, Letter 65, beginning: 'Etsi sciam quod nihil difficilius sit quam'.
ff. 63v-64v: Ambrose, Letter 66, beginning: 'Si Abraham credidit domino et reputatum est ei'.
ff. 64v-65v: Ambrose, Letter 67, beginning: 'Audisti frater lectionem evangelii in qua decursum est'.
ff. 65v-67v: Ambrose, Letter 68, beginning: 'Etsi iam superiore epistola hanc quam propuisti'.
ff. 67v-70r: Ambrose, Letter 69, beginning: 'Non mediocris plerosque movet questio'.
ff. 70r-70v: Ambrose, Letter 70, beginning: 'Non habet quod urgeat Evagrius'.
ff. 71r-71v: Ambrose, Letter 71, beginning: 'De Bonoso direxistis episcopo quibus vel pueritate'.
ff. 71v-73r: Ambrose, Letter 72, beginning: 'Cum omnes homines qui sub dicione romana sunt vobis militent'.
ff. 73r-74v: Ambrose, Letter 72a, beginning: 'Vidit purgari famam temporum proximorum boni'.
ff. 74v-78r: Ambrose, Letter 73, beginning: 'Cum vir clarissimus prefectus urbis Symmachus'.
ff. 78r-81r: Ambrose, Letter 74, beginning: 'Exercitus semper iugibus seu curis sum'.
ff. 81r-82r: Ambrose, Letter 75, beginning: 'Dalmatius me tribunus et notarius mandato ut alligavit'.
ff. 82r-86r: Ambrose, Letter 75a, beginning: 'Video vos preter solitum subito esse turbatos'.
ff. 86r-88v: Ambrose, Letter 76, beginning: 'Quoniam omnibus epistolis fere sollicite queri de ecclesia accipe'.
ff. 88v-94v: Ambrose, De obitu Theodosii, beginning: 'Hoc nobis motus terrarum graves hoc'.
ff. 94v-97r: Ambrose, Letter 77, beginning: 'Domine soror vite atque osculis preferendae'.
ff. 97r-100v: Ambrose, De Nabuthe Jezraelita, beginning: 'Nabuthae historia tempore vetus est usu quotidiana'.
Decoration:
Numerous large initials in red, occasionally with some penwork decoration in red or with a reserved line, several with some green (ff. 82r, 88v, 97r). Spaces for rubrics have occasionally been left blank. There is one incorrect initial (f. 3r).
Numerous instances of pen-flourishing (ff. 1r, 2r, 17v, 18r, 25v, 33r, 48r, 63v, 78r, 88v, 94v) forming a one-sided foliate border including a bird (f.1r), and one line-filler (f. 100v), all added in the 16th or 17th century.
Quire marks and quire signatures: 'A', 'q xiii' (both f. 41v); 'q xv' (f. 50r); 'q xvii' (f. 59r); 'q xviii' (f. 63r); 'q xviiij' (f. 68v); '.a.' (f. 76v), '.B.' (f. 84v).
Some marks indicating leaves facing each other within quires: 'a' (ff. 23v, 24r; 34v, 35r), 'b' (ff. 25v, 26r; 36v, 37r), 'c' (ff. 27v, 28r).
The spaces between words are occasionally stretched towards the end of a quire (see ff. 33v, 62v, 68v).
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- England and France 700-1200 Project
Harley Collection - Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "040-002048914", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 3083: St Ambrose, Epistulae, De Obitu Theodosii and De Nabuthe Jezraelita" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002045828
040-002048914 - Is part of:
- Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts
Harley MS 3083 : St Ambrose, Epistulae, De Obitu Theodosii and De Nabuthe Jezraelita - Hierarchy:
- 032-002045828[3084]/040-002048914
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
-
A parchment codex
- Digitised Content:
- https://iiif.bl.uk/uv/#?manifest=https://bl.digirati.io/iiif/ark:/81055/vdc_100059346809.0x000001
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Latin
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1075
- End Date:
- 1099
- Date Range:
- 4th quarter of the 11th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment.
Dimensions: 285 x 170 mm (text space: 230 x 140 mm).
Foliation: ff. 100 (+ 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 3 at the end).
Script: Caroline minuscule.
Binding: British Museum/British Library in-house. Gold-tooled red leather with Harley bookplate gold-stamped on the upper and lower covers; marbled endpapers.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: ? England or France.
Provenance:
Richard Jones (d. 1722), bookseller: bought from him for the Harley Collection on 15 August 1715, together with other manuscripts; see Diary, ed. by Wright (1966), p. 14 and Wright, Fontes (1972), p. 207.
The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts, inscribed as usual by their librarian, Humfrey Wanley ‘15 Augusti 1715’ (f. 1r).
Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish, née Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d. 1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.
- Publications:
-
A Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 4 vols (London: Eyre and Strahan, 1808-12), II (1808), p. 734 (no. 3083).
The Diary of Humfrey Wanley 1715-1726, ed. by Cyril E. Wright and Ruth C. Wright, 2 vols (London: Bibliographical Society, 1966), II, p. 14 (no. 7).
Cyril E. Wright, Fontes Harleiani: A Study of the Sources of the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts Preserved in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1972), p. 207.
Tina Chronopoulos, ‘Brief Lives of Sidonius, Symmachus, and Fulgentius Written in Early Twelfth-Century England?’, The Journal of Medieval Latin, 20 (2010), 232-91 (p. 262).
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)
- Notes:
- This manuscript is part of The Polonsky Foundation England and France Project: Manuscripts from the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, 700-1200.