Marston MS 269     France, s, XIII 2
Didymus of Alexandria, De spiritu sancto, Lat. tr. Jerome, etc.

1. ff. 1r-22r  //Dominus inquit dabit sapientiam et a facie eius
sapiencia et inte[remainder of word effaced] cum ea sapiencia que ab hominibus
uenit non sit spiritualis...nostri non ignorantie sermonis.

Didymus of Alexandria, De spiritu sancto, Lat. tr. Jerome; PG 
39.1042(C)-86; Lambert BHM, v. 2, no. 258 (cited incorrectly on p. 425 as 
Marston MS 17).  Text in Marston MS 269 is divided into three books, with
the first beginning imperfectly.

2. ff. 22r-26r  Incipit prologus boetij in librum de trinitate ad
symachum patricium socerum suum.  Inuestigatam diutissime questionem
quantum nostre mentis igniculum lux diuina dignata est formatam 
rationibus...Ac de proposita questione. hinc sumamus inicium.  [text, f. 22v:]
Incipit liber.  Christiane religionis reuerentiam plures usurpant.  Set
ea fides pollet maxime...quantum inbecillitas subtrahit. uota supplebunt.

Boethius, De trinitate (Trinitas unus Deus ac non tres dii);
E. K. Rand and S. J. Tester, eds., Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, Mass.,
1978) pp. 2-31.

3. f. 26r-v  Incipit eiusdem liber de eodem ad iohannem romane eclesie
diaconum.  Quero an pater et filius et spiritus sanctus de diuinitate
substantialiter predicentur...et fidem si poteris rationemque coniunge.

Boethius, Utrum pater et filius ac spiritus sanctus de divinitate...;
Rand and Tester, op. cit., pp. 32-37.

4. ff. 26v-28v  Incipit liber eiusdem ad eundem de ebdomadibus id est
animi conceptionibus.  Postulas ut ex ebdomadibus nostris eius questionis
obscuritatem que continet modum...que sequuntur efficiam.  quasi
argumentum.
Communis animi conceptio est enuntiatio quam quisque probat 
auditam...Iccirco [sic] alia quidem iusta. alia ad aliud omnia bona.

Boethius, Quomodo substantiae in eo quod sint bonae sint...; Rand
and Tester, op. cit., pp. 38-51.

5. ff. 28v-31v  Incipit liber eiusdem de christiana religione.
Christianam fidem noui ac ueteris testamenti pandit auctoritas.  Et
quamuis ipsum nomen christi uetus....atque gaudium sempiternum delectatio.
cibus. opus. laus perpetua creatoris.

Boethius, De fide catholica (De hebdomatibus); Rand and Tester,
op. cit.. pp. 52-71.

6. ff. 31v-40v  Incipit liber eiusdem ad eundem de duabus naturis et
una persona in christo. contra diuersas heteres [?] nestorij et euthicetis.
Anxie te quidem diu quod sustinui. ut de ea que in conuentu mota est
questione loqueremur...bonitas atque omnium bonorum causa perscribit.

Boethius, De duobus naturis et una persona in Christo (Liber contra
Eutychen et Nestorium).  Rand and Tester, op. cit., pp. 72-129;
Marston MS 269 has the additional phrase "quod nullus hereticus adhuc
attigit" (as noted on p. 120).

Parchment, ff. 40, 192 x 146, greatly trimmed (146 x 108) mm.  2 columns,
34 lines.  Single vertical bounding lines, with additional vertical ruling
between columns, triple upper and lower horizontal bounding lines and two
or three medial horizontal rulings, all full across.  A pair of horizontal
rulings in upper margin (for running headlines) and a pair in lower margin,
often trimmed.  Ruled in lead.
I-V 8 (a gathering missing at beginning?).
Written in a fine gothic bookhand by a single scribe, below top line.
Red and/or blue flourished initials, some divided, of good quality
(e.g., ff. 15v, 26r).  Running headlines, incipits, and initial strokes
in red.
Binding:  France, date uncertain.  Random sewing and attachment to
three vellum straps laced into paste boards.  Impressed on each board a
rectangular panel with seven heraldic shields; in the center of panel a
crowned lion rampant with tongue extended and brandishing a sword.  Remains
of two green ribbon ties.

Written in France in the second half of the 13th century; early provenance
unknown.  The manuscript was already incomplete when it belonged to the
Jesuit College of Clermont, Paris, since its inscriptions appear on f. 1r:
"Colegij Paris. Soc. Jesu" and "Paraphe au desir de l'arrest du 5. juillet
1763.  Mesnil."  Signature, s. xviii, on front pastedown:  "J. J.
Vaissiere"; modern pencil note on front pastedown:  "S 18/11/57."  Purchased
from L. C. Witten in 1960 by Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, pp. 95-96, no. 269.

Barbara A. Shailor