Oxford, 16th c.
Ref:GB 473 MS157
Location:St John's College Library, University of Oxford
Extent:Support 203 x 146 mm. Text area varies but typically ca. 185 x ca. 110 mm. Paper except front fly-leaf which is parchment. Fol. ii + 289 leaves. (1 complete sequence of foliation dated 1994 in bottom margin of final leaf: ii +289 leaves; with a misfoliation at 210 causing an error in the sequence later corrected throughout by the same hand. Also a contemporary sequence of pagination from 21r to 286r used by the index (item 3): 529 pages. Fols 288-9 also appear to have the remnants of another earlier(?) foliation not apparent elsewhere in the volume: 266-267 leaves). Stubs of three leaves after fol. 16 another single stub after fol. 20. Binding: Contemporary dark brown calf over pasteboard. Both boards have a panel with a gold-tooled foliate border framed by blind-tooled single fillets and with gold-tooled exterior corner fleurons. Within this border both boards bear text in gilt capitals. On the front board this reads “ARCANA | SACRÆ SCRI | PTURAE [gilt line filler] | I C | [gilt central ornament] | IHS | HIC LIBER | CLAUDATUR | NISI CUI AP | ERIETUR [3 gilt line fillers]”. On the rear board “IHS [this surrounded by several pieces of gilt ornament of three types: above, a central ornament of the type found centrally to the front board, flanked by two diamond floral motifs; below, two mirrored, linear floral ornaments forming a bar] | LIBER·IO·| COLLIS·AR | TIVI LIBERA | LIV·PROFES | SORIS·ET·BA | CALLAUREI·S· | THEOLOGIA”. 5 raised bands to spine, framed in single blind fillets, with the remainders of gilt fleurons where they attach to the front board. 4 green silk book ties, 3 remaining fully, with the upper tie on the front board a stub. Later repairs to top and bottom of spine and adjoining portions of both boards, with the shelfmark stamped in gilt on the upper repair. Title in black ink perpendicularly on fore-edge, “Comment: in Roman:”, overwritten by a larger ink shelfmark. What appears to be a smaller secondary shelfmark to top of fore-edge. Both pastedowns originally manuscript waste, comprising portions of a mid-13th century gloss on Job, described in detail in Hanna (2002: p. 223). The front pastedown now lifted to form front fly-leaf, and exposing printed binding waste used in front cover, consisting of an early 16th c. English almanac retaining a partial statement of publication: “Imprinted at London in Flet ... | signe of the Sonne / by me Johan ...” (perhaps John Byddell who operated at the Sign of the Sun from ca. 1535-ca. 1544). Binding dimensions: 221 x 152 mm
Language:Latin
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