'Tabula super bibliam': an early 15th-century glossed copy of a summary of the Bible in Latin verse by Johannes Vasco, Order of Friars Minor, with explanatory verses which give the date of composition as 1393.

File

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.4.2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The text begins 'Ante fir. lux producitur' and the interlinear gloss '[fir]mamentum. quia deus appellat diem'. There are also interlinear capitals indicating to which parts of the chapter the verse refers. Rubrics at the beginning of each book give the number of chapters. The text is followed (folio 123) by mnemonic verses on the books of the Bible with the numbers of their chapters, beginning 'Pentateu genesis exitque levi'; explanatory verses (folio 123 verso) beginning 'Finit tractatus auro melior sibi nomen'; and an abbreviated list of the books of the Bible with the number of chapters in each, beginning 'Gen.u.ex.o.le.ke.' followed by three lines of explanation (folio 124).

The text is written in littera textualis; the gloss in littera cursiva. Rubrics, numbers and interlinear capitals in red. Large initials at the beginning of each book in blue (gold on folio 1) with penwork in mauve, blue or red. Not all of these are completed.

The title and an erased inscription appear on folio ii verso and folio v is a fragment of a 15th-century English legal document.

Dates

Creation: Early 15th century.

Extent

1 Volumes (v (folio iv paper; watermark: vase) + 124 folios.)

Language of Materials

Latin

Additional Description

Arrangement

Collation: 1-15⁸, 16⁶ (-5, 6). Catchwords parallel to the text and decorated with sketches of heads. Signatures in Roman numerals, with a few in Arabic numerals on gatherings 1-2. Ruling in ink. 10 lines of text.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Vellum. 18th-century binding of brown sprinkled calf with blind and gilt fillets.

Custodial History

On folio iii is an inscription stating that John Ok, prior of St Pancras, Lewes, gave the book to John Burghersch for his use in the priory (see ‘Medieval Libraries of Great Britain’, page 114). Ex-libris of Sir James Balfour 1629 (folio iii) with his signature (folio 1) and device (folio 124). The manuscript was bought by the Advocates’ Library in 1698.

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

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.453.

Bibliography

Stegmülller, F. ‘Repertorium Biblicum medii aevi’ (Madrid, 1940-1961), number 5037.

For other manuscripts of this text, see ‘Catalogue of the collection of medieval manuscripts bequeathed to the Bodleian Library Oxford by James P.R. Lyell’ by Albinia de la Mare (Oxford, 1971), pages 292-293; and `Patrick Young`s catalogue of the manuscripts of Lichfield cathedral` by N R Ker, in ‘Mediaeval and Renaissance Studies’, ii (1950), pages 159-160.

Ker, N R. ‘Medieval Libraries of Great Britain’, 2nd edition (London, 1964).