Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Auct. F. 2. 14 (2657) Wulfstan of Winchester, metrical "Vita S. Swithuni;' Latin-OE Aldhelm vocabulary; Prudentius, "Tituli Historiarum;' Avianus, "Fabulae;' Persius, "Satirae;' Phocas, "Ars de nomine et verbo"; Baebius Italicus, "Ilias Latina;' Ovid? "Nux;' Serlo of Bayeux, "Contra monachos;' and "Against Simony;' poem on chess "Belli cupit instrumentum"; Statius, ''Achilleis;' Lactantius, "De ave phoenice"

Abstract

344. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Auct. F. 2. 14 (2657)

Wulfstan of Winchester, metrical "Vita S. Swithuni;'

Latin-OE Aldhelm vocabulary; Prudentius, "Tituli

Historiarum;' Avianus, "Fabulae;' Persius, "Satirae;'

Phocas, "Ars de nomine et verbo"; Baebius Italicus,

"Ilias Latina;' Ovid? "Nux;' Serlo of Bayeux, "Contra

monachos;' and "Against Simony;' poem on chess "Belli

cupit instrumentum"; Statius, ''Achilleis;'

Lactantius, "De ave phoenice"

[Ker 295, Gneuss 535]

HISTORY: Ker calls this manuscript "a collection of Latin poetry written in England in s. xi:' In fact it is "Vita S. Swithuni" plus a large collection of glossed classroom texts. Ker dates the Aldhelm glosses to "s. xi2 " (but Gameson 1999 gives "s. xiP"") and the Phocas glosses to s. xi/xii. It was most likely in Sherborne at least by the late l lc since this manuscript influenced the composition of the "Miracula'' of Swithun composed at Sherborne about 1100 (see Lapidge 2003: 364) and Sherborne was where John Leland copied extracts from the manuscript and annotated it. It was refurbished and bound in the 13c (see below). It was probably acquired by the Bodleian Library in 1618-1620 . Gameson no. 623.

[Note: Lapidge (2003: 364), following Robinson (1978: 235), says the manuscript is a four-part compilation: (1) ff. 1-50, Wulfstan of W inchester's metrical "Life of St. Swithun" (composed ca. 996) and an added marginal Latin-OE glossary to Aldhelm, "De laud. virg:' and a few other scattered OE glosses; (2) ff. 51-89, Prudentius, Avianus, Persius, Phocas (a few OE glosses); (3) ff. 90-110, Italicus, Ps.-Ovid, Serio of Bayeux, etc.; (4) ff. 111-128, Statius, Lactantius. However this may be in terms of "booklets" /quiration, the similarity of the materials, preparation, layout, decoration, and script of these sections is such that the manuscript must be regarded as a single integrated production. Lapidge's divisions are marked in the "Collation" by double bars.]