Royal MS 7 B XIII

THEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS, in Latin, viz.:-

1. 'Excepciones ex libris 23 auctorum': an anonymous compilation of passages arranged in the order in which they occur in the authors. The list of these begins with SS. Augustine, Gregory, and Jerome, and ends with Baeda, Prosper, Petrus Ravennas, Boethius, and Seneca. The excerpts are divided into 44 'distinctiones', subdivided by the letters of the alphabet; and 'concordancie' or subject-indices, partly alphabetical, are added (f. 170) at the end. The excerpts begin 'Non paruum in philosophia profectum'; the concordantiae, 'Abducere, dist. xix a, Magni'. f. 2.

2. Narrative of the apparition of the spirit of Guido [de Torno, al. de Corvo], a native of Alais, twenty-four miles from Avignon, and its disputation with the Prior of the Dominicans, 26 Dec. 1323. The name of the prior [Jean Gobi the younger, who is probably the author of the tale, see Hauréau's Not. et Extr. ii, p. 328] is not given here, nor the surname of Guy. The date agrees with the Cotton MSS. Vesp. A. VI and Vesp. E. I, and Harley MS. 2379. Beg. 'Qvoniam, vt dicit beatus Augustinus in libro de fide ad Petrum, miraculum est quoddam arduum'. f. 239.

3. 'Liber commonitorius de contemptu mundi cuius nomen est paupertas': a devotional treatise in twentytwo 'divisiones'. The subdivisions are also marked by letters of the alphabet. From the prologue it would appear that the author had resigned high ecclesiastical preferment ('ecclesiastici regiminis grauissima cura', 'pastoralis cure sarcina grandis') to enter religion. Other copies are in 8 D. XIX, and at Oxford (Linc. Coll. xviii), Cambridge (Kk. iv. 23), and Durham (B. iii.

22). The only English bishops who joined a mendicant order seem to be Ralph Maidstone, Bishop of Hereford (d. 1246), and Walter Mauclerk, Bishop of Carlisle (d. 1248), but the author was very possibly a foreigner. Prologue beg. 'Optatus mihi dies aduenerat in quo visitante me'; text beg. 'Beati pauperes spiritu, &c. [Matth. v. 3]: Pauperes spiritu sunt non inflati', and ends 'desiderium meum'. f. 245. On f. 238 b is a draft of part of a letter of G[ilbert de Stratton], subdean of Lincoln, to J[ohn] de Daltrebi [al. Dalderby], chancellor, n. d. [ante 1293]- Vellum; ff. 297. 121/4 in. x 8 in. End of XIII (art. 1) and late XIV cent. Gatherings in art. 1 of 12 leaves (i¹³), in art. 2, of 8 (ii⁷), with catchwords. Double cols. in art. 2. Sec. fol. laudientium . initials in red and blue. Belonged (f. 2) to Rochester Priory. Lent (f. 1 b) to Christ Church, Canterbury, 'Liber de quibusdam sentenciis 23 auctorum ecclesie cathedralis beati Andree apostoli Roffensis expositus venerabili ac religioso viro domino Wyllelmo Thornden sacre pagine bachalario monacho ecclesie Christi Cantuarie pro secundo sentenciarum doctoris subtilis [Duns Scotus] vltimo die mensis Decembris anno domini 1469. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 327' (Westrn. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, 28) ; cat. of 1666, f. 16 b ; CMA. 8155-8157.