Manipulus florum peritorum.

Format:

• Book
• Manuscript

Author/Creator:

• Thomas, of Ireland, approximately 1265-approximately 1329.

Contributor:

• Monson, William John Monson, Baron, 1796-1862, former owner.
• Monson, John Monson, Baron, 1868-1940, former owner.
• Henry Charles Lea Fund.

Language:

Latin

Subjects (All):

• Classical literature--Early works to 1800.
• Christian literature, Early--Early works to 1800.
• Christian literature, Early.
• Classical literature.

Genre:

• Codices.
• Anthologies.
• Commonplace books.
• Illuminations (visual works)
• Manuscripts, Latin.
• Manuscripts, Medieval.

Penn Provenance:

• Formerly in the Burton Library of the Barons Monson (bookplate, inside upper cover), Ms. CLXVII (spine); probably acquired by William John Monson, 6th Baron Monson, and held by later generations (Liber Antiquus).
• Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 2 July 2013, lot 52.
• Sold by Liber Antiquus (Washington, DC), 2013.

Physical Description:

198 leaves : parchment ; 180 x 120 (130 x 78) mm bound to 190 x 148 mm

Place of Publication:

[England or France], [between 1300 and 1325]

Language Note:

Latin.

Summary:

Compendium of extracts, mostly from Biblical, patristic, and later Christian literature, categorized by subject with the subjects in alphabetical order, designed as a reference work for use in writing sermons. Most of the subjects are moral and ethical concepts such as abstinence, joy, medicine, obedience, patience, good, evil, man, and woman; or religious terms such as baptism, eternal glory, grace, incarnation, nativity, and priest. Authors frequently quoted include Augustine, Ambrose, Bede, Cassiodorus, Gregory the Great, Hugh of Saint-Victor, Isidore of Seville, and Jerome. Seneca is the classical author most frequently quoted; Cicero is quoted occasionally. Each quotation has an ordinal letter or combination of letters (a-y, aa-ay, etc.) in the left margin and an attribution in the right margin. The compendium is followed by an alphabetical list of subjects (Tabula verborum, f. 196v-198v) and 3 early flyleaves. The first flyleaf is a fragment of a leaf from a near-contemporary antiphonary (in 2 columns with space left for musical notation), which has a hole and rust marks in the center of its lower edge, suggesting that the manuscript was once in a chained library; the remaining flyleaves are a bifolium formed from a fragment from a 14th-century account book (with repeated reference to Stephanus de Barnby).

Notes:

• Ms. codex.
• Title from closing rubric (f. 196r).
• Collation: Parchment, i (19th-century paper) + 198 + iii (14th-century parchment) + i (19th-century paper); 1¹²(-2) 2-5¹² 6¹²(-1) 7-11¹² 12¹²(-3) 13-17¹²; gatherings signed a-h, k-q, s, and an illegible character (gatherings 4-9 also signed a-e, g?, in red ink); [1-201], modern foliation in pencil, lower right recto. Horizontal catchwords, lower right last recto in gathering (f. 10v, 22v, 34v, 46v, 58v, 69v, 81v, 93v, 105v, 117v, 129v, 138v, 150v, 162v, 174v, 186v).
• Layout: Written in 41-42 long lines, with subject words as running titles, letters (a-z, aa-az, etc.) keyed to each quotation in a narrow column in the left margin, and abbreviations for sources in a narrow column in the right margin; table of subjects (f. 196v-198v) written in 3 columns of 26 lines.
• Script: Written in Gothic script, with subject words in larger letters.
• Decoration: 9 illuminated 3-line initials in gold on blue and pink grounds with white penwork and marginal extensions for the first word beginning with a given letter (f. 23r, 28v, 72v, 83r, 87v, 106v, 114r, 133r, 179v; A, D, H, I/J, O, Q, R, S, T, U/V, and X were on gatherings, leaves, or parts of leaves now missing); 3-line initials in blue with red penwork for subject words after the first word beginning with a given letter; running titles in red with blue initials; most catchwords decorated with simple strokes and dots and some also with simple decorative additions in red ink (f. 10v, 34v, 46v, 58v, 69v, 81v, 93v, 105v, 117v, 129v, 138v, 150v, 162v, 174v, 186v); rubrication, sources of extracts, and marginal marks in red throughout; manicules (f. 64v, 110r, 140v, 173r) and sketches of faces (f. 140v, 168r, 173r, 173v, 187v) in ink; additions to top line ascenders (f. 110r, 111v-112r).
• Binding: 19th-century leather over pasteboards (Liber Antiquus), gilt title Manipulus florum peritorum and shelf number Monson MSS CLXVII.
• Origin: Written in England or northern France in the early 14th century (Liber Antiquus).

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Henry Charles Lea Fund.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1640

OCLC:

860913973

Online:

The Henry Charles Lea Fund Home Page