Royal MS 3 D I

1. 'TABULA septem custodiarum' (the title better fits art. 2): a bibliography of theological commentary, in order of the Bible text, giving references to the works of the commentators dealing with each passage. Beg. 'In princibio', &c. : 'Augustinus exponit hec analytice quantum ad hoc '. Nearly all the references are to the commonest authors, such as Augustine, Jerome, Bernard, Gregory, &c. A list of the authors and works quoted is given on f. 232, entitled 'Nomina autorum et opuscula eorum ex quibus coligitur liber iste'. For another copy see Magd. Coll. Oxford MS. 150. ff. 1-105, 113-232.

2. List of monastic libraries in England, with a catalogue of theological literature, showing by reference numbers in what libraries each work is contained : a Franciscan work which is the basis of the Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiae of john Boston of Bury [fl. circ. 1410], printed in Tanner's Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, 1748, pp. xxiv-xli. The list of monasteries is divided into eight sections according to the custodiae (originally seven) of the English province of Franciscans, and is numbered from i to 167; but between 110 and iii are inserted 16 names with Roman numerals from xiii to xxvi, followed by v and vi (corresponding to nos. 180-i94 and I77 in the list in Tanner, p. xxiv), and between nos. 129 and 130 are inserted nos. xi and xii (= nos. I78, 179, ibid.). Cf. the list in the register of W. Molash, summarized in Tanner, p. xxv, which is similarly numbered and divided. The catalogue of authors is much shorter than that printed by Tanner, containing 80 names as against 676, and the list of works of the several authors is often less full. The references to the libraries correspond in general, but with considerable differences in detail ; in particular, the references to Bury St. Edmunds, which habitually stand first in Boston's list, are here often wanting or placed elsewhere, and the first place is often assigned to one of the northern monasteries. The biographical details and the first and last words of the several works are also omitted. Part of the list stands (with the order of leaves misplaced) between the sections of art. i dealing with the Old and New Testaments, and the rest at the end of the volume. ff. 106, 110, 108, 109, 107, 111, 112, 233, 234.

Vellum; ff. 234. 1 ft. 3 in. x 10.1/2 in. Written in 1452 (see below). Gatherings of 8 1eaves (xxvo), with catchwords, andrernains of quire-numeration on the first four leaves of each. Double columns. Sec. fol. 'Aug. de bono'. Initials flourished in red. On f. 234 b is a half-erased subscription, 'Finitum (or Scriptum) per Ricardum Bottisham ... anno domini mcccc quinquagesimo secundo vigesima die Decembris [in] collegio Annunciationis (?) beate Marie [Canta]brigic vulgariter nuncupato Gonnvillhalle' [Gonville Hall, afterwards Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]. A Nicholas Bottisham was a member and benefactor of the College about this time; sec J. Venn, Biographical History of Gonville and Caius College, 1897, i, p. 7, where he is identified with the prior of the Cambridge Carmelites (Tanner, Bibliotheca, p. 114), who died in 1435. In a later hand is written (f. 234b), 'Hunc librum dedit conventui fratrum minorum Lichefeldie magister Radulfus Collynwod quondam huius venerabilis clausi decanus qui erat famosus predicator et sacre theologie doctor' [Ralph Collingwood, Dean of Lichfield 1512-1521]. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 876' (in cat. Of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, f. 36); cat. of 1666, f. 7 ; CMA. 8133.