Beinecke MS 333               England, s. XV^^1
Peter of Blois, Epistolae, etc.

ff. 1r-94v Siciens salutem vestram In visionibus ihesu christi.  Videtis
quia...nisi mors anime transgressionis mater magistra// catchword:
nocendi

     Peter of Blois, Epistolae, etc., beginning and ending imperfectly, with
lacunae in the text.  The order of the letters according to the numbering in
PL 207 is as follows (Roman numeral in manuscript given in parentheses):
conclusion of 14 (xv), 15 (xvi), 16 (xvii, conclusion lacking), 1 leaf with
text cut out between ff. 3-4, 18 (beginning lacking), 19 (xx), 20 (xxi), 1
leaf with text cut out between ff. 6-7, 22 (beginning lacking), 23 (xxiv), 24
(xxv), 25 (xxvi), 26 (xxvii), 27 (xxviii), 148 (xxix), 28 (xxx), 29 (xxxi),
145 (xxxii), 30 (xxxiii), 31 (xxxiv), 32 (xxxv), 33 (xxxvi), 34 (xxxvii),
35 (xxxviii), 37 (xxxix), 38 (xl), 36 (xli), 39 (xlii), 73 (xliii), 74 (xliv),
75 (xlv), 76 (xlvi), 77 (xlvii), 78 (xlviii), 144 (xlix), 147 (l,
conclusion missing), 1 leaf cut out between ff. 26-27, (li, conclusion
only of unidentified work), 79 (lii), 80 (liii), 81 (liv), 82 (lv), 83 (lvi),
84 (lvii), 85 (lviii), 87 (lix), 88 (lx), 90 (lxi), 91 (lxii), 92 (lxiii),
93 (lxiv), 94 (lxv), 95 (lxvi, conclusion lacking), 1 leaf with text cut
out between ff. 42-43, 97 (beginning lacking), 98 (lxix), unidentified letter
of Pope Alexander to Soldanus de instructione fidei (lxx; beginning:
"Seruus seruorum dei Soldano yconij veritatem agnoscere et agnitam custodire.
Ex litteris tuis et...), 99 (lxxi), 100 (lxxii), 101 (lxxiii), 104 (lxiv sic),
102 (lxxv sic), 103 (lxxvi), 105 (lxxvii), 106 (lxxviii), 107 (lxxix,
conclusion lacking), 1 leaf with text cut out between ff. 54-55, 111
(beginning lacking), 112 (lxxxiii), 113 (lxxxv), 114 (lxxxvi), 115 (lxxxviii
sic), 116 (lxxxviii), 117 (lxxxix), 118 (xc), 119 (xci), 120 (xcii),
121 (xciii), 122 (xciv), 123 (xcv, conclusion lacking), 2 leaves with text
cut out between ff. 64-65, 124 (beginning lacking), 40 (xcviii), 41 (xcix),
42 ©, 43 (ci), 44 (ciii sic), 45 (ciii), 46 (civ, conclusion lacking),
3 leaves plus a gathering of twelve [?] with text removed between ff.
70-71, 66 (beginning lacking), 67 (cxxv), 68 (cxxvi), 69 (cxxvii), 70
(cxxviii), 71 (cxxix), 72 (cxxx), 89 (cxxxi), 126 (cxxxii), 127 (cxxxiii),
Peter of Blois, Canon episcopalis, PL 207.1097-112 (cxxxiv), 143 (cxxxv),
131 (cxxxvi), 132 (cxxxvii), 133 (cxxxviii), 134 (cxxxix), 135 (cxl), Peter of
Blois, Invectiva in deprauatorem PL 207.1113-26, ending imperfectly
(cxli).

     Parchment, ff. 94, 222 x 151 (155 x 105) mm.  Written in 42 long lines;
frame-ruled in lead or ink; remains of prickings in upper, lower, and outer
margins.
     I [missing], II^^12 (-1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12), III^^12, IV^^12 (-9),
V^^12, VI^^12 (-2), VII^^12 (-3), VIII^^12 (-2, 3, 10, 11, 12), IX [missing],
X-XI^^12.  Quire and leaf signatures (e.g., 5b, 6b, or iiif, ivf) in lower
right near
vertical ruling, on recto.  Catchwords, enclosed by rectangle and designs in
black and red, in center of lower margin, on verso.
     Written in neat running script by a single scribe.
     Decorative initials, 3- to 2-line, alternate red and blue, with
penwork designs, usually incorporating an X on descending flourish, in
contrasting color.  Headings, initial strokes, underlining of first few
words of text, simple line-fillers, and corrections, in red throughout.
     Numerous marginal stains, not affecting text.
     Binding: s. xv.  Original, wound, caught-up sewing on five tawed,
slit straps laced into grooves extending about 40 mm. on the inside of
beech boards.  Pegged.  Covered in blue/green tawed skin cut flush at head
and tail of the spine with sewing holes close to the edge and traces of
whipstitching.  One strap-and-pin fastening, the pin on the lower board.
Trace of a chain fastening at the head of the upper board.  Endbands,
fastenings, chain and part of the boards wanting.  Contemporary
inscriptions on back cover partially visible under ultraviolet light:
"Epistole magistri petri blesenesis pro Ma[middle of word rubbed]is.

Written in England in the first half of the 15th century; early modern provenance
unknown.  Inscription on  f. 1r:  "The Gift of John Stout to Henok^^s Hamilton
March 30th 1798."  Presented to the Beinecke Library in 1966 by Thomas E.
Marston.

Barbara A. Shailor