Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (Latin translation by Rufinus)

France, 13th century, first half

Parchment

ii, 187, i' leaves

280 × 195 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1r–187v) Eusebius Caesariensis, Rufinus of Aquileia, Ecclesiastical History

Incipit: SVCCESSIONES sanctorum et \appostolorum/ tempora

Explicit: cum piissimis principibus percepturus premia meritorum amen

Final rubric: Ecclesiasticarum hystoriarum liber undecimus explicit

Note: Each book, except for the first, is introduced by a table of contents of the different chapters in that book.

Edition: Mommsen (1903–1909).

1.1 (ff. 1r–15r) Book 1

1.2 (ff. 15r–28v) Book 2

1.3 (ff. 28v–48r) Book 3

1.4 (ff. 48r–65v) Book 4

1.5 (ff. 65v–84r) Book 5

1.6 (ff. 84r–106r) Book 6

1.7 (ff. 106r–122v) Book 7

1.8 (ff. 122v–137r) Book 8

1.9 (ff. 137r–150r) Book 9

1.10 (ff. 150r–170v) Book 10

1.11 (ff. 170v–187r) Book 11

Physical Description

Secundo folio

et magni consilii

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI, f. SL1, RCI

Support: Parchment

Locus: SL2, SR1

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 280 × 195 mm

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1–187

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 280 × 195 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil.

Collation

Formula: 1(8, lacks 1), 2-23(8), 24(4)

Note: VisColl collation.

Catchwords: Catchwords present on quires 16-23.

Condition

Textblock

Occasional holes, damage from spills and damp, but no loss of text. The parchment has been repaired in places, e.g. f. 1.

Layout

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 30

Written area: 210 × 125 mm

Note: Guidelines and ruling in ink and lead.

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

Pregothic minuscule.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(f. SL1r) Centre page, in brown ink by a 19th century hand: ‘Eusebios Pamphilii Ecclesiasticarum Historiarum Libri IX ad quas accedunt Libri X et XI, ex redactione Hieronymi.’.

(f. SL1v) Top of page, in brown ink by a modern hand: ‘Eusebii Historia lib. 11’.

Textblock

(f. 1r) Top of page, in brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘Euxebii eclesiastice historie liber primus’.

(ff. 1r–187r) At least two layers of marginal and interlinear additions by medieval hands throughout. The first layer consist of corrections and additions by the scribe or a contemporary hand. The second layer stems from another medieval hand that comments on the content in the margins. There are also modern annotations in pencil noting references to literature.

(f. 187v) Centre page, in brown ink by a near-contemporary hand: ‘historiarum liber undecimus explicit’ (pen-trial copying the line above).

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in brown and black ink, rubrics in red.

Initials:

(f. 1r): opening puzzle initial S over 7 lines in blue and red with flourishing in the same colours. The same type of initial introduces Books 4, 6, 8, and 10, while the other books are introduced by plain initials. (ff. 7r–187r): plain initials for paragraphs and chapters over 3-4 lines alternating in red and blue, occasionally with some penwork decoration.

Binding

Description:

18th century binding. Brown leather over wooden boards. 5 double raised bands and endbands. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘A 152’.

Binding dimensions: 290 × 210 × 55 mm

Tooling:

Blind tooled panels with a medalion in the centre.

Condition: Leather worn and repaired with light brown leather on spine and corners. Two small holes on RCO, perhaps remnants of clasps.

Contemporary: No

History

Origin

France, 13th century, first half

Provenance

Provenance unknown.

Acquisition

The manuscript has been at the National Library since at least the 18th century. According to a note by a previous librarian the spine used to carry the singum ‘N^o 5 in 4^o ’, which refers to the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e).