Royal MS 11 B V

CANON LAW TRACTS, viz.:-

1. 'Constituciones seu statuta curie Cantuariensis': constitutions of the Court of Arches, issued by Robert de Winchelsea, Archbishop, in 1295 (Wilkins, Concilia, ii, p. 204). f. 2.

2. Letter of Thomas de Jorz, Provincial of English Dominicans (1296-1303, afterwards Cardinal), to R[obert de Winchelsea], Archbishop of Canterbury, acknowledging his letter [of 22 Aug. 1297, ib. p. 228] complaining of abuses in absolution committed by friars, and announcing that he has had it read at the general chapter at Oxford, Dat. Chelmsford, 8 Nov. [1297]. f. 9.

3. Four decretals of Boniface VIII, viz.:-(a) To the bishops, barons, &c., of France [25 July, 1297], 'Etsi de statu' (Potthast, Regesta, 24549). f. 10;-(b) 'Super cathedram', concerning the mendicant orders, 18 Feb. 1300 (ib. 24913). f. 10 b;-(c) 'Clericis laicos infestos', against subsidies from religious, 24 Feb. 1296 (ib. 24291). f. 12b;-(d) 'Quorundam oculos', on elections in religious orders, dated here like the preceding, but in Potth. 24491 dated 29 Mar. 1297. f. 13. At the end is added an extract apparently from the statutes of Merton or some other Augustinian house. f. 13. Artt. 1-3 are in charter-hands of the beginning of the I4th cent., artt. 4-8 in book-hands of a peculiar, possibly senile, type, resembling those in use before 3250, but very possibly written a good deal later.

4. Decretals, or novellae constitutiones, of Innocent IV, chiefly those issued at the Council of Lyons, 1245, with marginal gloss. The collection, which comprises thirty-one of the forty-four Innocentine decretals contained in the Sext, is nearly, but not quite, the same as in 9 F. II, art. 2. The gloss is apparently not identical with any of those mentioned by Schulte, Gesch. der Quellen des can. Rechts, but the first note seems to be taken from the gloss of Petrus de Sampsone. It begins 'Cum in multis. Per generalem: Nam omnes expressi in litteris'. f. 14.

5. 'Summa super titulis decretalium compilata a mag. Gofrido domini pape subdiacono et capellano'; by Goffredus de Trano (cf. 10 A. X, art. 1). Preceded by a table of tituli. Beg. 'Glosarum diuersitas non. numquam'. Colophon, 'Explicit summa magistri Gaufridi. Gracia sit Christo, de cuius munere sisto'. f. 26.

6. 'Concilium Othonis legati in Anglia': constitutions of the legate Otho in 1237 (cf. 9 B. II, art. 1, &c.). At the end (f. 185 b), as if forming part of the constitutions, is a ceremonial (not in Wilkins) for the dedication of a church, beg. 'In primis depingantur xxiiii. cruces', and ending 'absentibus infligenda'. f. 182 b.

7. 'Concilium Oxoniense ex parte Cantuar. archiepisc. mag. Stephani de Langetun, cuius anime deus misereatur': the provincial Council of Oxford, 1222 (Cf. 9 B. II, art. 3). Printed, with slight variations, in Wilkins, i, p. 585. f. 186.

8. 'Concilium Lugdunense ex parte Gregorii pape decimi': the second General Council of Lyons, 1274. Printed, with some variations, in Mansi's Concilia, xxiv.

81. f. 189. Art. 9 is in a late 13th cent. hand, apparently by one scribe, but the formulae are in various types of charter-hand to discriminate them from the text.

9. Treatise on elections by Laurence de Summercote, composed circ. 1254 (cf. 8 C. XVI, art. 1). Without title. Preface (somewhat abridged) beg. 'Omnibus sancte matris . . . Laurencius de N.'; text, 'Defuncto igitur episcopo'. In the margin are the author's annotations marked 'Laur.' f. 194.

10. Copies of (a) Protestation by the Prior William [de Broxbourne] and conventus of Merton [co. Surrey] touching their refusal to admit to profession johannes de Sar[esburial who had contracted 'debilitas et deformitas' in his greater members during the year of probation. T. de Eyton, subprior, J. de Farligh, 'magister ordinis', J. de Suaueseya, almoner, R. de London, 'defectorarius' (refectorarius?), and other officers are witnesses. Dated 29 Nov. 1315. f. 204 b ; -(b) Charter ofthe same giving to the same john, 'dictus le Botiler', an annuity of sixty shillings. A copy of this is in the Merton register (Cotton MS. Cleop. C. VII, f. 163 b). f. 205.

11. Copy of letter of Berengarius [Fredoli], Bishop of Frascati, Papal Penitentiary, in the vacancy of the Roman see, to the Prior of Merton on questions of discipline. Beg. 'Porrectis nobis ex parte'. Dated Avignon, 5 Dec. 1315. f. 205 b.

12. Decretal (not given in art. 4 above) of Innocent IV, 'Non solum in fauorem conuersi' (Potthast, 11416). Followed by other notes relating to probation. f. 206.

13. Two leaves, in a well-formed book-hand of the end of the 13th cent., with initials in red and blue, containing six decretals (the last is imperfect) of Innocent III and Alexander III. They do not seem arranged so as to form part of any systematic compilation, but are all included in the compilation of Gregory IX (lib. v, tit. xxxiv, cap. 16, tit. iii, cap. 31; lib. ii, tit. xxviii, capp. 3, 9; lib. iii, tit. v, capp. 29, 28). f. 207. Artt. 14-16 are in charter-hands of the early 14th cent.

14. Two constitutions of Gregory X, 'Licet canon' and 'Nemo deinceps', Liber Sextus, lib. i, tit. vi, capp. 14, 15; and one of Boniface VIII, 'Quia per ambitiosam', ib. lib. ip tit. iii, cap. 15. f. 209.

15. Case upon the canon 'In Genesi', in Decretals of Gregory IX, lib. i, tit. vi, cap. 55. f. 209 b. i6. Decretal of Boniface VIII, Clericis laicos' (cf. art. 3 c), Liber Sextus, lib. iii, tit. xxxiii, cap. 3. f. 21O. Art. I7 is in a i4th cent book-hand. I7. Two decretals, viz..-(a) Gnegory IX, 'Si quorundam et infra Firmiter', lib. iiii tit. xxiii, cap. 2;-(b) Alexander III, 'Fraternitatem tuam', lib. iiii tit. xxiv, cap. 2. f. 210b.

18. Case upon the canon Tertio loco', lib. ii, tit. xixp cap. 5, with some other notes. f. 210 b. Art. ig is in a 14th cent. charter-hand. ig. Six decretals of Boniface VIII, all in Liber Sextus, viz. lib. ip tit. vi, capp. 34, 35, 26; lib. v, tit. iv, capp. 3; lib. iii, tit. iv, cap. 37. f. 2li b. Vellum; ff. i + 212. 101/2 in. x 7 in. Late XIII and early XIV centt. Gatherings of 12 leaves (last⁸). Sec. fol. 'quantum recipitur' or (art. 4) '-tur electio'. Art. 5 has five illuminated frameborder initials ; others are flourished in red and blue. Belonged to Merton Priory, 'Liber ecciesie beate Marie Mertoii'. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 835' (Westm. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, 35); cat. of 1666, f. 10; CMA. 8387, 8418, 8422, 8424, 8434.