Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 014: Vincent of Beauvais OP, Speculum historiale, books 17-24

purl.stanford.edu/bv488md1266

Title:

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 014: Vincent of Beauvais OP, Speculum historiale, books 17-24

Alternate Title:

Vincentii Speculum Historiale. Libri XVII-XXIV

Language:

Latin

Extent:

ff. 328 + 4

Dimensions:

265 Height (mm) and 250 Width (mm)

Approximate Date:

[ca. 1200 - 1399]

Provenance:

On the flyleaf: Liber Thome Abbatis. Tertium volumen speculi historialis. D(ist.) Th. Abbatis. From St Augustine's, Canterbury.

Table of contents:

Speculum historiale, books 17-24

Description:

A luxury copy, dating from c. 1300, perhaps made in Paris, of the Speculum historiale, Books XVII-XXIV, by the Dominican, Vincent of Beauvais (1189/94-c. 1264), having fine illuminated initials and decorative borders. CCCC MSS 13, 14 are vols. II and III of a three-volume set, of which volume I is Cambridge, St John's College MS B.21. It belonged to St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, and this volume has on the flyleaf the name of Abbot Thomas as owner. This must be Thomas of Findon (1283-1310) who may himself have commissioned these three volumes. This is an encyclopaedia of history which was extremely popular in the Middle Ages, and exists in printed copies as late as the seventeenth century.