Beinecke MS 389               Lyons, s. IX^^med
Bede, Expositio In Marci Evangelium

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f. 1r See Provenance; ff. 1v-132v In christi nomine incipit prologus
bedani presbiteri in libro commentariorum super marcum.  In expositionem
euuangelii secundum marcum opitulante ipsa euuangelica gratia scribturi.  Primo
quae fuerit eidem marco...[table, ff. 2v-4r:] Incipiunt capitula. I.
Esaie testimonio. iohannes angelus id est nuntius appellatur. et predicatio
eius babtismusque refertur...XLVI.  Resurrectionis ac passionis eius...signis
sequentibus indicatur.  [text, ff. 4r-132v:] Initium euangelii ihesu christi
filii dei sicut scriptum est in esaia propheta.  Conferendum hoc euangelii
marci principium. principio mathei quo ait.  Liber generationis ihesu christi
filii dauid filii abraham atque ex utroque unus dominus noster ihesus christus
dei...per formam serui ut liberi contemplentur formam domini. expositionis in
euangelium marci Liber iiii explicit beda famula christi et presbiteri.

     D. Hurst, ed., CC ser. lat. 120 (1960) pp. 431-648.  Text defective:  missing
one quire after f. 8 (pertitus est mundus in quo domino famulamur//...//qui
quantum distat oriens; p. 444, line 294 to p. 456, line 769); one leaf in
quire IX, after f. 61 (se ipsum etc//...//humane uerecundiae usu; p. 538, line
1951 to p. 539,
line 2010).  The commentary is written in early Carolingian minuscule; the
Biblical passages for commentary are written in orange uncials, many of which
have faded and are now illegible (some letters written over in brown ink by a
later hand).  The use of orange uncials for Biblical passages, however, is not
entirely consistent, e. g., the text of Mark 8.23-25 (f. 59v) was written in
Carolingian minuscule and incorporated into the commentary.  Letters in outer
margins indicate passages quoted from Church Fathers (e.g., G for Gregory, H
for Jerome); Roman numerals added in outer margins by later hand refer back to
list of chapters on ff. 2v-4r.  The text has been much edited and corrected,
both by the original scribe and by later hands.  There are no book divisions.
According to T. W. Mackay the scribe of MS 389 was working off an exemplar
that preserved insular characteristics; the Beinecke manuscript has, moreover,
not been corrupted by Vulgate readings. One can note in particular the
reading annos on f. 34v (CC text, p. 496, line 294) where all the other
9th-century manuscripts read animos and the reading ut on f. 47r
(CC text, p. 516, line 1055) instead of quod.

     Parchment (much worn; many natural flaws), ff. ii (paper) + 132 + ii (paper),
263 x 165 (202 x 144) mm., trimmed.  Written in 31 long lines.  Ruled in hard
point on hair side; double vertical bounding lines full length; remains of
prickings in upper margin.
     I^^8, II missing, III-VIII^^8, IX^^8 (-6, with loss of text), X-XVII^^8, XVIII^^6
(-6, a blank).  Quires signed with Roman numerals, center of lower margin,
verso.  Numerals have been altered to accomodate loss of second gathering
(e. g., VII has been changed to VI); another modern hand, in pencil, has given
the correct number below the altered original.
     Written in a somewhat uneven early Carolingian minuscule, with Biblical
passages in orange uncials.  Heading, f. 1v, square capitals and uncials, in
orange.
     Initials, outlined in black, filled with orange and yellow, ff. 26v, 77v,
131v.  Plain initials, black or red, some with modest scroll designs, at
beginning of each segment of commentary.
     Upper portions of ff. 61, 68, 69 torn, loss of text; f. 132v extremely worn.
     Binding:  s. xix.  Dark green goatskin; gold-tooled.  Title on spine:
"Bedae Opera. VII. Siecle."

Written probably in the area of Lyons in the middle of the 9th century according
to B. Bischoff; numerous pentrials, s. ix-x, on f. 1r; early provenance
otherwise unknown.  Unidentified white round label with "417" at top of spine,
and notes in same hand as label on f. 1r:  "7^^me Manuscrit. 8^^me Siecle."
Belonged to Guglielmo Libri (1802-69; no. 139 in his collection; white round
label with "139" in black ink, at base of spine); his sale (Sotheby's, 28
March, 1859) at which it was purchased by Sir Thomas Phillipps (no. 16249;
tag on spine, inscription on f. ii verso).  Sold at Sotheby's (30 Nov. 1965,
no. 1) to H. P. Kraus (Cat. 117, no. 25) from whom it was purchased in 1968
by Edwin J. Beinecke for the Beinecke Library.

secundo folio:  continentia

Bibliography:  K. Zangemeister, Bericht ueber die Durchforschung der
Bibliotheken Englands, Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der
Wissenschaften, v. 84 (Vienna, 1876) p. 582, no. 16249 (MS attributed to s.
viii).
     M. W. Laistner, A Hand-List of Bede Manuscripts (Ithaca, 1947) p. 51
(attributed by E. A. Lowe to s. x).
     T. E. Marston, "Two Bede Manuscripts," Gazette 43 (1968) pp.
     81-82.

Barbara A. Shailor