13th-century manuscript of the 'Metamophoses' of Ovid, written in France, with numerous contemporary and later interlinear and marginal glosses.

Item

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.3.8

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The initials of each book are alternately blue and red. There are numerous contemporary and later interlinear and marginal glosses. In the lower margins of folios 81 verso-87 is written in a 14th-century hand a hymn to the Virgin in French, in 97 verses, beginning 'Dame resplendissant roine gloriose' ( ‘Répertoire d`incipit de prières en ancien français’, number 330; attributed to Gautier de Coinci). In the lower margin of folio 112 verso is written `Aue Maria, bene dicamus` with music above (four-line staff, C clef).

Signatures in Roman numerals in the centre lower margin of the last verso of each gathering. Catchwords, mostly contemporary with the text, in the centre lower margin beside or below the signatures. Pricking with a triangular awl in the outer margins, from first recto to last verso of each gathering. Ruling in ink. 1 column. 49-55 lines. Ruled area 175-180 x 63 millimetres. Secundo folio: ‘contentiq(ue) cibis’.

Dates

Creation: Late 13th century.

Extent

1 Volumes (ii (paper) + 120 + ii (paper) folios.)

Language of Materials

Latin

Additional Description

Arrangement

Collation: 1-15⁸.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Vellum. Damage to the vellum has been repaired partly by sewing, partly by inserting guards and adding patches taken from the calendar of a Northern French liturgical book, written in the 14th century with additions from later in the same century. French binding of wooden boards covered in crimson velvet; black label with gilt lettering; the upper board is cut for a clasp, which is not present; binding and boards probably 16th century, the velvet 17th.

Custodial History

The following 14th-century notes of ownership occur: `hic liber est Radulfi Aude clerici de eclesia sancti germani d…` (folio 2); `hic liber est radulfi Aude ch clerici offic(io) suo p(res)b(ite)ro s(an)c(t)i germenni` (folio 92 verso) (cf. on folio 84 verso the draft of the beginning of a deed of sale to Thomas Aude); `Rob(er)t bertran Ch(evalie)r seignor de briquebac a ric(hard)son colunp cl(e)rc salu Rob(er)t binet ii.s. petrus avenel` (folio 99) (this Bertrand, a marshal of France, died in 1348); modern notes: folio iv, `n[o]. 26`; folio ii verso, `Le B.` The manuscript was acquired by the Advocates’ Library before circa 1825.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilms available:

Mf.Sec.MSS.345;

Mf.Sec.MSS.708.

Bibliography

Ovid. ‘Metamorphoses’, edited by H Magnus (Berlin, 1914).
The manuscript is number 80 in ‘Catalogue of the MSS. of Ovid`s Metamorphoses’ by F Munari, University of London, Institute of Classical Studies, Bulletin Supplement Number 4 (1987).
Sonet, Jean. ‘Répertoire d`incipit de prières en ancien français’ (Geneva, 1988).