Cotton MS Nero A II, ff 14–45

Contents:

ff. 14r-27r: An anonymous sermon on the Works of Mercy, beginning ‘Isaias propheta dicit ille vobis qui jungitis agrum ad agrum’; excerpt from a sermon ('Venus, A Man') against the observance of pagan customs (see Levison, England and the Continent (1946), pp. 303-04 (as ‘C’)); partly based on the work of Caesarius (b. c. 470, d. 542), bishop of Arles.

ff. 27r-29v: An anonymous sermon on the mountains Gerezim and Ebal in the Book of Deuteronomy, beginning ‘Jordane transmissum precepit Moyses Domino jubente populum’.

ff. 30r-31r: An anonymous allegorical tract on parables, beginning, ‘Hic Divis populus Judaicus intelligitur’.

ff. 31r-33v: St Augustine (b. 354, d. 430), Bishop of Hippo, Sermon, 233, De Fide Catholica (On Catohlic Faith), beginning 'credimus in unum verum deum patrem et filium et spiritum' [Patrologia Latina, cols 2175-2176].

ff. 33v-34v: An anonymous treatise on Grammar, beginning ‘Littera quid est? elimentum [sic] vocis articulati’.

ff. 34v-36r: A computation of the years elapsed since Creation to 728 (entitled 'chronica de tempore mundi'), beginning ‘Ab exordio mundi usque ad diluvium anni sunt duo milia ducenti quadraginta et duo’; based on the Chronicon (Chronicle) of Eusebius of Caesarea (b. c. 260, d. 339), as translated by St Jerome.

ff. 36r-37r: ? St Augustine [here attributed to John Chrysostom (b. c. 347, d. 407), patriarch of Constantinople], tract opening with an excerpt from his Sermo de Symbolo (Sermon on the Creed), beginning, ‘E[rit enim ibi sine dubio compensatio] bonorum operum et malorum velut in statera posita utraque pars’.

f. 37r: Origen (b. c. 185, d. c. 254), In Lucam homiliae (Sermons on Luke), excerpt of Sermon 12 [here attributed to St Jerome], excerpt, beginning ‘Unicuique autem homini duo adsistunt angeli alter iustitiae et alter iniquitatem’.

ff. 37r-42r: Anonymous, Ratio de Cursus qui Fuerunt Eius Auctores (Explanation of the Liturgies, About Who Were Its Authors), beginning ‘In exordium repperimus decantatum fuisse non sicut aliqui inperti fidae vel variae obieccione pertulerunt’ [see Semmler, 'Ratio de cursus' (1963), 77-91].

f. 42r: Fortunatianus (fl. 4th century), Bishop of Aquileia, excerpt from his Commentary on the Gospels [Tract on the Seven Deadly Sins], beginning ‘Prima damnacio id est a sanctis separacio’ (see Dorfbauer, 'Der Codex Zürich, Zentralbibliothek C' (2017), p. 145).

ff. 42r-42v: Fortunatianus, excerpt from his Commentary on the Gospels [Tract on the seven rewards of the righteous], beginning ‘Prima remuneracio id est resurrectio’ (see Dorfbauer, 'Der Codex Zürich, Zentralbibliothek C' (2017), p. 145).

ff. 42v-43v: John Cassian (b. c. 360, d. 435), abbot of Marseilles, Collationes (Conferences), 1, 5, Chapter 2 [Tract on the Eight Principal Virtues], beginning ‘Primum gastromargia quod sonat'.

ff. 43v-44r: St Jerome (b. c. 347, d. 420), Contra Vigilantium (Against Vigilantius), excerpt, beginning ‘Nec nos negamus cunctis pauperibus’.

ff. 45r-45v: Defensor of Ligugé (fl. late 7th century), Benedictine monk of St Martin's Abbey in Ligugé, Liber Scintillarum (Book of Sparks), imperfect; beginning ‘Dominus dicit in Evangelium majorem caritatem nemo habet’.

[ff. 44v, [45a]recto, [45a]verso are blank].

Decoration:

2 large initials with knot-work decoration in brown ink (ff. 27v, 45r). 12 medium initials in brown ink, some highlighted in yellow or with foliate motifs (ff. 30r, 30v, 31r, 33v, 34v, 36v, 37r, 37v, 42r (x2), 42v, 43v) display script in brown ink (ff. 27v, 45r). Rubrics in black ink.