DCL MS. B.II.4John Chrysostom etc., Homilies
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

Homiletic works by John Chrysostom, Anselm, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory etc.


Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1m6w924b858.html


Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment

Extent: i+199+i f
Size: 320 mm x 210 mm

Foliation

Early modern ink foliation.

Collation

I-XVI12, XVII7 (6+1 [f.199], a singleton)

Catchwords: Contemporary catchwords on Qq. I-XVI.
Signatures: Leaf lettering-numbering in the first half of all quires including the last. The letters a-f are used to indicate the leaf, a roman numeral for the quire.
Layout

Two columns 58 lines

Script

Written in Textualis libraria, probably by a single scribe

Corrections and annotation

Extensive annotation throughout most items in 14th century cursive, largely - possibly exclusively - by a single hand.

Binding

Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century)


Manuscript history
Creation

Written in England, possibly Oxford, early 14th century.

Provenance

Inscriptions: “.A.”, later 14th century, f.1r, top right; crossed through.
“A Iohannes Crisosomus super Matheum cum alijs xx tractatibus De communi libraria Monachorum Dunelm”, early 15th century, f.1r, top margin (partly cropped, the ‘A’ crossed through).
Pressmark: “1a.3i.Y”, 15th century, f.1r, upper right.


Manuscript contents
(a)     f.1-96r
Original title: Opus imperfectum in Mattheum
Author: Pseudo-John Chrysostom
Incipit: Sicut referunt matheum conscribere Euangelium causa conpulit talis
Explicit: Cum videritis abhominacionem desolationis stantem in loco sancto
Rubric: Johannis crisostomi imperfecto super matheum
Language: Latin
(b)     f.96r-103r
Original title: In Psalmo L
Author: Pseudo-John Chrysostom
Incipit: Pictores imitantur arte naturam et colores coloribus permiscentes visibiles corporum depingunt imagines
Explicit: et tales nos exhibeamus in hac uita, quo possimus invenire requiem sempiternam cum sanctis eius, per
Rubric: Incipit liber Iohannis Crisostomi primus de psalmo quinquagesimo
Language: Latin
(c)     f.103r-111v
Original title: De compunctione cordis
Author: John Chrysostom, Saint, -407
Anianus
Incipit: Dum te intueor beate demetri, frequenter insistenti mihi et omni cum vehementia
Explicit: Grandis enim condempnatio est componenti quidem sermonem suum vitam uero suam atque operam negligenti
Rubric: Incipit liber ius crisostomi de conpunctione
Language: Latin

Possibly translated by Anianus

(d)     f.111v-116v
Original title: De eo quod nemo leditur nisi a semet ipso
Author: John Chrysostom, Saint, -407
Incipit: Scio quod crassioribus quibusque et presentis vite illecebris inhyantibus
Explicit: poterunt ei nocere qui a semetipso non leditur
Rubric: Incipit liber, Iohannis Crisostomi Neminem posse ledi nisi a se ipso
Language: Latin
(e)     f.117r-121v
Original title: Meditatio de excellentia BVM
Author: Eadmer, -1124?
Incipit: Supereminentem omni quod post hominem deum creatum est excellenciam beate matris dei
Explicit: et regnat per infinita secula deus; amen
Rubric: Meditacio cuiusdam peccatoris et pauperis beati anselmi de excellentia beate Marie
Language: Latin

Attributed to St Anselm.

(f)     f.121v-124r
Original title: Meditationes
Author: Anselm, Saint, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1033-1109
Incipit: Anima christiana anima de gravi morte resuscitata
Explicit: quoniam in eternum misericordia tua qui es benedictus in secula. Amen
Rubric: Allocutio anselmi ad animam redeptam ut sui status memoriam habeat
Language: Latin

3 pieces

(g)     f.124r-125r
Original title: De videndo deo
Author: Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430
Incipit: Memor debiti quod ex tua peticione
Explicit: opera alio experiemur quid disputare ualeamus
Rubric: Augustinus ad paulinam de videndo deo
Language: Latin
(h)     f.125r-126r
Original title: Sermo xxi
Author: Pseudo-Augustine
Incipit: Non est sine causa fratres dilectissimi quod preceptorum legis dei numeris
Explicit: poteritis pervenire auxiliante domino nostro iesu christo qui vivit in secula seculorum
Rubric: Incipit sermo beati augustini de x preceptis et de x plagis
Language: Latin
(i)     f.126r-128v
Original title: Liber ecclesiasticorum dogmatum
Author: Gennadius, of Marseilles, active 5th century
Incipit: Quod trinitas in unitatis natura
Explicit: ymaginem in eternitate similitudinem in moribus inveniri
Rubric: Capitula in librum augustini de diffinitionibus recte fidei
Language: Latin
(j)     f.128v-138v
Original title: De septem venenis
Author: Malachias Hibernicus
Incipit: Ratio veneni potissime convenit peccato
Explicit: ut scorpionis
Rubric: De veneno in generali
Language: Latin
(k)     f.138v-161r
Original title: Epistolae
Author: Jerome, Saint, -419 or 420
Incipit: Petis a me nepociane karissime
Explicit: in ecclesia agminis vita laudata es
Rubric: Incipit epistola Ieronimi ad nepocianum presbiterum de vita clericorum et moribus
Language: Latin

Five items: Ad Nepotianum; Ad Paulinum; Ad Rusticum; Ad Eustochium; Pseudo-Jerome, Sermo de natura

(l)     f.161v-168v
Original title: Epistolae
Author: Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430
Incipit: Augustinus episcopus
Explicit: et agendo et orando et ex his que habes gratias age deo
Rubric: Epistola beati augistini ad macedonium
Language: Latin

Three items: Ad Macedonium; Ad Probam; Ad Bonefacium

(m)     f.169r-199v
Original title: In Ezechielem
Author: Gregory I, Pope, approximately 540-604
Incipit: Due penne singulorum iungebantur et due tegebant corpora eorum
Explicit: qui uiuit et regnat cum patre in unitate spiritus sancti per omnia secula seculorum amen
Rubric: Quedam omelie beati gregorii super ezechielem
Language: Latin

Selections


Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham University Library.

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. B.II.4 - Chrysostom, Augustine etc.
Digitised November 2016 as part of the Durham Priory Library Project
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1m6w924b858.html

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]).

Mynors, R.A.B., Durham Cathedral manuscripts to the end of the twelfth century. Ten plates in colour and forty-seven in monochrome. With an introduction [including a list of all known Durham manuscripts before 1200]   OCLC citation, (Durham: 1939)

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