London, Lambeth Palace Library MS 377 Isidore, "Liber sententiarum" ("De summo bono")

Abstract

315. London, Lambeth Palace Library MS 377

Isidore, "Liber sententiarum" ("De summo bono")

[Ker 279, Gneuss 515)

HISTORY: A 9c manuscript of the "Liber sententiarum'' by Isidore of Seville, often known under the title "De summo bono;' taken from its first words. The manuscript presumably originates from Tours (Bischoff 2004: 125; Gneuss, no. 515). It was corrected and annotated by an A-S scribe in the 10c, and, later on, belonged to the Augustinian priory of Lanthony Secunda in Gloucester, as is shown by entry 147 in their catalogue from 1355-1360, now London, British Library, MS Harley 460, in which it was classified as a 'mediocris liber' (Webber and Watson 1998: 53). The same catalogue also indicates that this book was one of five from the vicar of Cherington, a manor held by Lanthony Priory. James and Jenkins (1932: 519) noticed that at the top off. Av there is the name 'morganus canonicus de kermerd(en); now erased and largely illegible. This may indicate that the book came from the Augustinian priory of Carmarthen, which was placed under the custody of Lanthony by King Henry V in 1421 for a period of two years. Webber and Watson ( 1998: 34) note that at least ten books from Carmarthen remained behind at Lanthony, which is evident from the books bearing the name of Morgan, canon of Carmarthen. After the dissolution of the monasteries the books from Lanthony probably stayed with the last prior, Richard Hart (Webber and Watson 1998: 34, 36), from whose collection a substantial number were acquired in the early 17 c by Archbishop Richard Bancroft (1544-1610), the founder of the Library of Lambeth Palace, as is shown by the catalogue of his manuscripts, compiled in 1612. An old press mark at the bottom of f. [A] recto, 'E. 13; marks the place of the book in the pre-1647 library. James (1932: 519) lists the press mark given to the manuscript when it arrived in Cambridge in 1647: L. ε. 4' (see the "History" of Lambeth Palace Library 173 (312], p. 90). In the modern critical edition of the Sententiae this manuscript is designated "Z" (Cazier 1998: lxx).