Royal MS 15 A V

HISTORIA APOSTOLICA of Arator the subdeacon, with the biblical Acts of the Apostles prefixed, &c., viz.:

1. Acts of the Apostles, Vulgate version, with the usual preface (Berger, Préfaces, 1902, no. 244) beg. 'Lucas natione Syrus, cuius laus in euangelio', and table of chapters. The verse viii. 37 is included in the text, but instead of Si credis ex ioto corde licet it reads 'Si credis in filium dei'. In a small hand, 32 lines to a page. f. 1.

2. 'Domino sancto ac uenerabili et in Christi gratia spiritaliter erudito Floriano abbati Arator subdiaconus': the verse epistle to Florianus, followed by that to Pope Vigilius and the poem itself, 'Incipit historie apostolice liber Aratoris subdiaconi ecclesie, Rome' (cf. 7 C. VII, art. 5). Printed by Migne, Patr. Lat. lxviii. 63. Letter to Florianus beg. 'Qui meriti florem maturis sensibus ortum'; dedication, 'Moenibus undosis bellorum incendia cernens'; text, 'Vt sceleris Iudea sui polluta cruore'. A few interlinear glosses and a longer marginal note (part of the gloss contained in art. 5) at the beginning. Twenty-six lines to a page. f. 30.

3. Note on the repeated recitations of the above poem at Rome A. D. 544; printed in Arntzen's preface (Migne, 55) and in Philippe Labbé's Bibl. MSS., Paris, 1657, i, p. 668. Beg. 'Beato domino Petro adiuuante'. Followed by six lines of verse in praise of the work beg. 'Versibus egregiis decursum clarus Arator'. f. 81.

4. S. Columban's Monosticha (205 hexameters); printed by Migne, lxxx. 287. Without title. Beg. 'Hec precepta legat deuotus et impleat actu'. f. 81 b.

Artt. 2-4 are in the same hand; art. 5 in a small hand resembling, but not identical with, that of art. 1.

5. Commentary on art. 2. Beg. 'Arator subdiaconus fuit sancte, Romane ecclesie tempore Vigilii pape'; ends 'decollatus est. hic finiunt glosse. Deo gratias'. f. 86.

At f. 29 b a hand of circ. 1500 has inserted the verses' Accede ad musas vatum, Thamesina iuuentus, perdocte ut valeas verba Latina loqui. Cedite, barbariem colitis quicumque, nec ullus hac tanta vobis pareat urbe locus'. On ff. 29 b, 85 is also written .

Vellum ; ff. 147. 7 in. x 4¹/₂ in. Late XI cent. Sec. fol. 'viiii in Lystris'. Initials in red. On f. 147 b is an owner's note (15th cent.), 'Possidet hunc librum vero sub nomine Wodson, qui pro teste suo Winsor habere potest. Si quisquarn dubitet cuius foret ista (sic) libellus, is dominum noscat Woddeson esse suum'. Old Royal press-mark of a seal (a ship). Not in cat. of 1666; CMA. 8637.