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Priscian, Institutiones grammaticae I-XVI , written in A.D. 1260, perhaps in southern France

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MS. Add. C. 142
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'Feliciter incipit Ars Prisciani viri eloquentissimi gramatici Cesariensis. Feliciter scripsi ego Theodorus Dionisii viri disertissimi memoralis sacri scrinii epistolarum et adiutor viri magnifici questoris in urbe Romana Constantinopoli die kalendarum Octobris indictione V Olibrio viro claro const. [A.D. 526].'

Then follows Priscian's preface, with the distich beginning 'Pectore qui memori', and the Commentarii in sixteen books, with colophons.

At the end of the last colophon is 'Anno Domini millesimo duccentesimo sexagesimo, vio [pro xvio] Kalendas Madii, uidelicet sexto decimo die Aprilis.'

There are some glosses in the early part, and one long passage (perhaps representing a leaf of the original), omitted on fol. 144v, is supplied by the scribe on fol. 153.

The fly-leaves (fols. 1, 154) bear some grammatical and other notes, a few in Spanish.

Summary Catalogue notes: Carbona is Carbonne, some 21 miles S.W. of Toulouse. 'Turonensium' suggests France. Verdun on the Garonne is some 22 miles N.W. of Toulouse, and Pamiers some 33 S. of Toulouse. 'Scolari' and 'discipulo' suggest an University, and 26 years afterwards one of the consiliarii of the university of Toulouse was Jordanus de Palatio. The recorder of sale (a notary ?) did not know the vendor, whose name he misspells the second time. Whether the MS. was written at Toulouse is more doubtful. It is quite unlike the few S. French MSS. known to me in the Bodleian. In the title, blue majuscules blotched with yellow alternate with red ones--oblong C, ligatures, and enclosed letters abounding. In the text, red blotch ornamentation and thick red C without a while line are continual. Greek words are smeared with yellow, catch-words are written downwards inside vertical oblongs, and the style of the largest initials is strange to me. I should have guessed at the French-Swiss-Italian frontier.--E.W.B.N.

Dates

  • Creation: written in A.D. 1260, perhaps in southern France

Extent

157 Leaves

Language of Materials

  • Latin
  • Spanish; Castilian

Shelfmark

MS. Add. C. 142

Other Finding Aids

Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. V, no. 28411.

For the description in Medieval Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries see MS. Add. C. 142.

Custodial History

On a fly-leaf is: -- 'Notum sit omnibus quod die sabbati intitulata viiio Idus Nouemhris hora completorij anno Domini millesimo trecentesimo secundo fuit ex parte & ad opus venerabilis Jacobi Carrocij emptus iste liber uocatus Priscianns per magistrum Guillelmum Figuera et venditus a Petro Barranj scolari de Carbona pretio viginti et octo solidorum Turonensium, presentibus testibus magistris Guillerno de Trona clerico de Serancobj discipulo suo et Bernj de Verduno [?] de ciuitate Appamiarum [Pamiers]. Quod precium solutum et traditum fuit die Veneris proxime subsequta nomine uoluntate et expresso consensu & mandato ipsius Pi. Darranj dicto magistro Go. jn presentia et testimonio venerabilium Jacobi Carrocij, Jordani de Palacio, magistri Pi. Martini et ...' [erasure, followed by et Bernj.--E.W.B.N.].

On fol. 152v is 'P. Mirallii Galaesii VVllaconiani' (15th cent.?), and on fols. 2r, 152v a stamped sentence 'du Cabinet de Mr. le Cte Wlgrin Taillefer' (about A.D. 1800).

This MS. is no. 1064 in Thorpe's 1836 catalogue.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Heber sale lot no. 1717?: bought by Thorpe for £5 7s. 6d.: the Bodleian bought it from Thorpe for £10 10s.

Physical Facet

On parchment, with some illuminated capitals, etc.

Dimensions

10 3/4 × 6 7/8 in.

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

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