Royal MS 15 C XIV

PLINY'S Natural History, abridged, with a few marginal notes, by Robert of Cricklade, Prior of S. Frideswide's at Oxford, in nine books. For Prior Robert see Gir. Cambrensis Opera, Rolls Ser., viii, p. xi. A Wolfenbüttel MS. containing libb. ii-viii only of this recension was collated for Sillig's edition of Pliny. Dedicatory letter to Henry II beg. 'Tibi, illustrissime rex Anglorum, Henrice, ego tuus famulus', followed by a table of contents and (f. 8) life of Pliny from [Suetonius] Tranquillus. Preface beg. 'Studiosis et precipue claustralibus et scolasticis Rodbertus Krikeladensis prior Oxinefordie non superbe sapsre'; and text, 'Mundi extera indagare'. Ends 'argenti modo relucentibus'. A few miscellaneous extracts are appended (f. 75 b) beg. ' Cytisi frutex in Citona' and ending 'loco psilotri est'.

Vellum; ff. 78. 13 in. x 8¹/₄ in. Middle of the XIII cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (last ⁶), numbered in red at the end i-ix, with catchwords. Sec. fol. in table 'Alexandria', in text 'esset toto'. Two illuminated initials, others in red and blue. On f. 1 b is the 13th cent. title 'Historia Crikeladensis', and in another hand 'Gunthorp x.s.', the last name being also on the old cover (f. 1). Old Royal press-mark 'no. 377' (Westm. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, f. 29) and seal (a ship); not in cat. of 1666; CMA. 8591.