Composite volume of English origin containing two manuscripts of the 12th and 13th century; the 'Thebaid' of Statius, and the 'Aeneid' of Virgil

File

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.5.12

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

(i) Statius, 'Thebaid' (folio 1). There is a prose argument on folio v verso, and verse arguments to books ii-v, vii-ix, and xii. The text of this manuscript belongs to Boussard's group σ⁴ (Paris.lat.8280, Vatican Barb.lat.106, Vatican Pal.lat.1692, Florence Laur.pl.58.7 - all 13th century; and Milan Ambros.H.21 inf., 14th-15th century), as omitting x.104-105 and 112-117, having the interpolation before x.131, and having varying readings in the other test passages (x.62 'pudorem', s.1. 'sororem'; 107 'tapetis'; 134 'dubiumque [sic] mixtumque sapori'; 173 'rotat'; 218 'solus'). Contemporary interlinear and marginal gloss, including excerpts from the commentary of Lactantius Placidus.

(ii) Virgil, 'Aeneid' (folio 100). There are verse arguments to books iii-ix and xi (Pseudo-Ovid in 'Anthologia Latina', 1). Contemporary interlinear and marginal gloss.

Book i of the 'Thebaid' has an inhabited initial in green and red; the other books and the arguments have initials in red, red and green, or most commonly red and yellow. In the 'Aeneid' books and arguments have initials in green, red, or blue: those for books x-xii have not been added. There are various marginal jottings, mostly in Latin, a few in English (cf. 'The library of Dover Priory', 91, 114; and 'Dover Priory', 361-362, 364 [inaccurate]).

Dates

Creation: 12th century-13th century.

Extent

1 Volumes (iv (paper) + i + 210 + iv (paper) folios.)

Language of Materials

Latin

Additional Description

Arrangement

Medieval foliation throughout, with an additional separate one for the Virgil. Collation: 1-9⁸, 10-11⁸ (3 and 6 in each are half sheets), 12⁸, 13⁴ (2 and 3 are half sheets), 14⁸, 15-16⁸ (2 and 7 in each are half sheets), 17⁶ (1, 3, 4, and 6 are half sheets), 18¹⁰, 19⁸ (5 and 6 are half sheets), 20⁸, 21-22¹⁰, 23-25⁸, 26¹⁰. Signatures in the form a-n in the lower inside margin of the first recto of gatherings 1-13, in the form of roman numerals in the centre lower margin of the last verso of the rest (.ii. and .iii. in gatherings 15 and 16 alone survive). Pricking with a flat awl in the outer margins, in (i) from last verso to first recto of each gathering, in (ii) from first recto to last verso. Ruling with a hard point in (i), in ink in (ii). 1 column, 48-52 lines in (i), 46-53 in (ii). Ruled area circa 190 x 70 millimetres in (i), 180-200 x 68 millimetres in (ii). Secundo folio: (folio 2) `Lucetes t bau`, (folio 101) ‘contigit oppet(er)e’.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Vellum. Scottish binding of brown calf, tooled in gilt, with red label; circa 1775.

Custodial History

On folio v verso is the inscription and pressmark of Dover Priory: `In isto volumine monachorum dovorrie continentur subscripta ~ Stacius magnus 1º a Virgilius eneydos 100a’, ‘I.iii.7` (reproduced in ‘Dover Priory’, 365); in the lower margin of folio 4 the pressmark and `stacius magnus ... dicere sed nostri ... 210 ... 2`. The ex libris of Sir James Balfour is on folio iv, dated 1630 (Denmilne number 34 on folio iii). It was number 183-184 in the sale of Balfour`s books in 1698. Former pressmark: A.5-37. The volume 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.534.

Related Materials

Paris.lat.8280.

Vatican Barb.lat.106.

Vatican Pal.lat.1692.

Florence Laur.pl.58.7.

Milan Ambros.H.21 inf.

Bibliography

(i) Statius. ‘Opera’, volume 2, edited by A Klotz (Leipzig, 1908); cf. Boussard, J. `Le classement des manuscrits de la Thébaide de Stace` in ‘Revue des études latines’, xxx (1952), 220-251.

Commentary of Lactantius Placidus on Statius’ `Thebaid`, edited by R Jahnke (Leipzig, 1898); cf. Clogan, P M. in ‘Manuscripta’, xi (1967),102, and ‘Scriptorium’, xxii, (1968), 87; Sweeney, R D. ‘Prolegomena to an edition of the Scholia to Statius (Leiden, 1969) page 33.
(ii) Virgil, `Opera`, edited by R Mynors (Oxford, 1969).

‘Anthologia Latina’, 1.
Haines, C R. ‘Library of Dover Priory’, in ‘The Library’, 4th series, viii (1927-1928).

Haines, C R. ‘Dover Priory’ (Cambridge, 1930).

The volume is number 396 in the catalogue printed by M R James, ‘Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover’ (Cambridge, 1903).