Durham University Library MS. Cosin V.v.14Theological compendium
Held by: Durham University Library: Cosin Manuscripts

Manuscript book containing a Latin theological compendium in 9 chapters, written in England at the turn of the 14th/15th century, given by George Davenport to Bishop Cosin's Library in the 1660s.

Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment, matt, hair- and flesh-sides indistinguishable. Tear in p.43/44, repaired.

Extent: i+40+ii f
Size: 135 mm x 100 mm

Foliation

Paginated, i-ii, 1-84, the latter late 16th century


Secundo folio: de malis
Collation

1-58

Layout

Pricking in outer margins, twice on p.19-28, 49/50, and 63/64. Written space 98 x 65 mm.; ruled in ink. 27 long lines.

Script

Written in anglicana, with a sometimes single compartment, proficiently, by one hand, well punctuated. Marginal supply of omission by the main scribe, p. 18. Item (2), in anglicana with short r, by two hands, changing at p.78/15, the first clumsy, the second proficient.

Decoration

Item (1) only. Text-capitals filled with red. Initials: (i) to chapters and p. 40, 2- or 3-line, blue, with infilling in the form of a rosette or spiral and flourishing in red (ii) 5-line, blue and red, with infilling with leaf forms and flourishing in red. Runnig-titles for (1), in red, by the main scribe.

Corrections and annotation

Marginal notes by 16th century secretary hand, p.1-8, including hand-pointers. Many marginal summaries and chapter and verse numbers for scriptural references (Anglican numbering of psalms, p. 17), late 16th century., in a neat italic hand.

Binding

Three holes in the inner margin of each leaf, from former stabbed binding. Rebound in Durham by Hutchinson, brown calf, 17th century, the sides with double blind fillets around the edges and vertically approximately 25 mm from spine, and Hutchinson's tool no. 6; edges of boards with blind roll D; spine divided horizontally with nine blind double fillets. Paper endpapers added at this time. Spine repaired about 2000, in house. Gilt press-mark, mid 19th century, on spine.

Manuscript history
Creation

Written in England, turn of 14th/15th century.

Provenance

Acquired by George Davenport and presented to Bishop Cosin's Library in 1660s. Chapter-list by George Davenport and ex-libris by Thomas Rud, p. ii.

Manuscript contents
(1)     p.1-77
Modern title: Theological compendium
Incipit: De misericordia notanda sunt spiritualiter tria. scilicet comparaciones quibus figuratur meditaciones cum quibus occupatur
Explicit: et filiis concubinarum largitus est munera.
Language: Latin

Nine unnumbered chapters, headed De misericordia, De mundicia cordis, De pace, De paciencia, De generali iudicio, De penis inferni, De gloria paradisi, De obediencia, De paupertate, each running through numbered distinctions, and with regular biblical citations, and from a few theologians (Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory, Bernard). The treatise is post-scholastic in character.

(2)     p.77-80
Original title: De oculo sacerdotis [extract]
Author: William, of Pagula, approximately 1290-1332
Date: Added in 15th century
Incipit: De casibus periculosis contingentibus in missa. Licet in eucharistie consecracione multi casus dubii et periculosi poterunt contingere
Explicit: vitare populi scandalum circumstanter. Hec sco. finaliter. q. ija supra.
Language: Latin

Original side-note, p. 77, “Capitulum 6m in 4a parte oculi” (there is no fourth part of the Oculus).


Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1980s by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library.
Bibliography

Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss.   OCLC citation, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).

Index terms