MS in the Akhmimic dialect of Coptic on papyrus, Upper Egypt, 4th c., 1 partial papyrus, 17x7 cm, 1 column remaining (14x5 cm, column width 5 cm), 18+19 lines in Coptic half uncial.

Context: 9 early MSS or fragments of Melito's text are extant: 3 in Greek, 1 in Syriac, 1 in Sahidic (MS 193) and 4 fragments in Coptic. This MS supplies an important part of the missing text from the Crosby-Schøyen codex, MS 193, text 4. For another text in Akhmimic, see MS 089/ 77.

Provenance: 1. Monastery in Upper Egypt, Wadi Natrun or Dishna?, Egypt (4th c.); 2. Bookseller, Amsterdam (ca. 1970); 3. Stephen Tabor, Dawson's Book Shop, Los Angeles (ca. 1970); 4. Robert X. Bruce, Balbos, California (ca. 1970-1996); 5. Bruce Ferrini, Akron, Ohio.

Commentary: The text is partly unique and represents an independent textual tradition of one of the oldest of Christian texts. This is the only fragment in the Akhmimic dialect. Melito, bishop of Sardis (d. ca. 190), was one of the earliest of Christian writers, and addressed his Apologia to emperor Marcus Aurelius. His great book, Peri tou Pascha, equating the Jewish Passover with the Christian Easter, was recorded by Eusebius in the 4th c., but no copy was known until ca. 1940.

MS palimpsest on vellum, Mt. Sinai, Egypt, text 1 (underlying text): in
Armenian, 6th c., 18 ff., 23x17 cm, 2 columns, (19x16 cm), 25 lines in
Armenian uncial (Erkathgir). Text 2 (overlying text): In Syriac, 1st half of
10th c., single column, (18x13 cm), 19-23 lines in Syriac estrangela book
script, with 7 interlinear decorations.

Binding: Barking, Essex, 1990, green cloth gilt folding case by Aquarius.

Context: 93 ff. from the same MS: Karl W. Hirsemann, Leipzig, cat. 500(1922):42, now in Leiden, Universiteit Bibliothek, MS Oriental 14236. The present 18 ff. are missing at the end.

Provenance: 1. Monastery of St. Catherine, Mt. Sinai (6th – 19th c.); 2. Friedrich Grote, Germany (ca. 1900); 3. Walther Adam, Magdeburg and Goslar (1918/30-1964); 4. Carl Wilhelm Adam, Goslar (1964-1987); 5. F. Dörling, Hamburg 1.6.1987:29; 6. Sam Fogg, London.

Commentary: Among the earliest examples of Armenian. This MS was identified by Nerses Akinian as "the most important and oldest palimpsest from the Golden Age of Armenian literature in the 6th c.". Text 2 is unique, and the oldest evidence of the Melchite liturgy in Syriac. There are 20 MSS from Mt. Sinai in The Schøyen Collection. Besides the monastery's own famous library (4300 MSS), only The British Library (8 MSS) and The National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg, have comparable holdings. Assfalg: Syrische Handschriften, pp. 211-13, No. 109-110, S 11 & 13.

Exhibited: Conference of European National Librarians, Oslo. Sept. 1994.

MS in Latin on vellum, Abbey of Locmaria, Finistère, Bretagne, ca. 1100, 78 ff. (complete), 21x13 cm, single column, (18x10 cm), 41 lines in an early Romanesque script with many insular features.

Binding: France, 19th c., limp vellum on half boards, sewn on 5 cords.

Provenance: 1. Abbey of Locmaria of the Fontevrists, Quimper, Finistère (ca. 1100-); 2. A. Villand (1569); 3. Private collection, Eastern France (-1995); 4. Sandra Hindman, Chicago, Ill.

Commentary: 95 MSS of the present text are known. This is the only one in private ownership.

Exhibited: Oslo Katedralskole 850 år, Jubileumsutstilling 10. - 14. March 2003.

MS in Latin on vellum, Germany, 12th c., 126 ff. (complete), 35x25 cm, 2 columns, (26x18 cm), 38 lines in a late Carolingian minuscule with rustic capitals and several words in Greek capitals, headings in red, 10 large, up to 14-line, decorated initials in red, serpentine figures in red alongside the verses of St. Isidore.

Binding: France, 19th c., half leather, sewn on 9 cords.

Provenance: 1. Royez, Paris (19th c.); 2. Sir Thomas Phillipps, Cheltenham, Ph 1347 (-1872); 3. Katharine, John, Thomas & Alan Fenwick, Cheltenham (1872-1946); 4. Robinson Bros., London (1946-1978); 5. H.P. Kraus, New York cat. 153(1979):17.

Commentary: Text 12 is an interesting and important poem on the contents of the very early medieval library of St. Isodorus (560-636). "The verses bear an interesting witness to the extent of his library, of which they form a kind of metrical cataloque. Beginning with the Bible, he mentions Origen, Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom and Cyprian. Then come the pagan poets, but if you do not relish them, you will find Prudentius, Avitus, Juvencus and Sedulius equally good." (Raby: History of Christian Latin Poetry, p. 126). Texts 3-10 are the compilation of commentaries on the Octateuch prepared for Charlemagne by Wigbod, the Anglo-saxon, abbot of St. Maximin in Trier. The original commentaries were more likely prepared by Isodorus of Sevilla.

Exhibited: Oslo Katedralskole 850 år, Jubileumsutstilling 10. - 14. March 2003.

MS in Latin on vellum, Morimondo, Italy, mid 12th c., vol. 1 of 2, 242 ff. (complete), 44x28 cm, 2 columns, (32x20 cm), 41 lines in a fine Romanesque book script by several scribes, numerous very large initials in Cistercian style in red, blue and green.

Binding: Morimondo, Italy, medieval boards, probably 1252, covered with 18th c. half calf, sewn on 6 thongs, with following inscription on one of the 4 endleaves from vol. 2, dated June 1252: "The brothers Jacobus of Benixio and Jacobus of Lomacio gave together concerning this book five solidi for the binding and covering to Dom Collumbo the prior of Morimondo-".

Context: Vol. 2 was broken up before 1252 and the present volume was rebound with 4 leaves from vol. 2 as endleaves.

Provenance: 1. Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria de Morimondo, Italy (12th c.-20th c.); 2. Paolo Giovio Library, Como, Nocera & Roma, Italy (1483-1552); 3. Christie's 1.6.1977:160; 4. H.P. Kraus, New York. Deaccession October 2010.

Commentary: This MS is noted in the Morimondo Library catalogue from before 1175: "Moralia iob in duobus voluminibus".

Exhibited: Oslo Katedralskole 850 år, Jubileumsutstilling 10. - 14. March 2003.

MS in Latin on vellum, Wilhering, Austria, 2nd half of 12th c., 126 ff. (complete), 26x17 cm, single column (20x12 cm), 28 lines in a bold square late Romanesque book script by 2 scribes, 17 large decorated initials in interlaced designs, trial sketches of Romanesque ornament, full-page drawing of a double-headed dragon.

Binding: Austria, Lambach Abbey, 14th-15th c., white tawed leather over wooden boards sewn on 3 thongs, original tab at the top of the spine, 2 clasps, medieval title-label and shelfmark "B 29".

Context: MS 2634/3 is Origenes: Commentary in Genesis 1:14, 4th c., on papyrus. The initial style is closely related to manuscripts like Cod. 128 in Wilhering or Cod. 863 in Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Provenance: 1. Cistercian abbey of Wilhering, near Linz, Austria (2nd half of 12th c.); 2. Benedictine Abbey of Lambach, Austria (2nd half of 12th c. - ca. 1920/30); 3. Sotheby´s 26.6.1987:74. Deaccession May 2010.

Commentary: The homilies of Origen (ca. 185-254) were translated from Greek to Latin very early by Rufinus (ca. 345-410). The celebrated Abbey of Lambach, close to Salzburg was founded in the 11th c. Wilhering is a cistercian abbey nearby Linz in Upper Austria, founded around 1146. Both still exist as a monasteries. The spine tabs are for lifting the book out of the book chest.

Exhibited: Oslo Katedralskole 850 år, Jubileumsutstilling 10. - 14. March 2003.

MS in Ge'ez on vellum, Ethiopia, early 15th c., additions 16th to 19th c., 149 ff. (complete), 34x23 cm, 2 columns, (26x19 cm), ca. 26-28 lines in a square Ethiopic Ge'ez book script, ornamental headpieces (harägs), in red and yellow introducing each section.

Binding: Ethiopia, ca. 16th-17th c., plain wooden boards, soft leather spine covering, chain stitches on 4 sewing stations; in strapless bag of camel hide.

Provenance: 1. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd, London.

MS in Serbian Church Slavonic on paper, Serbia, early 15th c., 173 ff. (-ca. 83), 29x21 cm, single column, (21x14 cm), 28 lines in Cyrillic half-uncial, 1- to 6-line capitals in in pale red.

Binding: Russia, mid 19th c., gilt-stamped half calf over boards, sewn of 4 cords.

Provenance: 1. The Paul M. Fekula Collection, New York, MS 653 and F-XXVI (until 1990); 3. Sotheby's 29.11.1990:61.

Commentary: Epic literaty texts in Church Slavonic is of great rarity. The story of Barlaam and Josephat attributed to St. John Damascene (ca. 675-749), is taken from a Buddhist legend, of the conversion of prince Josephat (=Bodisatva=Buddha). The present version is taken from a Greek text.

MS in Latin and Greek on vellum, Firenze, Italy, ca. 1420-30, 125 ff. (-1), 32x23 cm, single column, (23x14 cm) 32-33 lines in a very fine early humanistic book script and Greek minuscule by Guglielmino Tanaglia, possibly Niccolo Niccoli and an unidentified scribe, 3 small illuminated initials, 6 very large illuminated white-vine initials and including 3/4 border on title leaf with a leopard, birds and butterflies by Filippo di Matteo Torelli.

Binding: Firenze, Italy, ca. 1430, blind-stamped goatskin over wooden boards, sewn on 5 double thongs.

Context: The missing leaf, f. 77, illuminated, with text and notes by Tanaglia, illustrated in Zisska & Kistner, München, 20.5.1996:537, now in the Stephen Cooper collection, Dorset.

Provenance: 1. Guglielmino Tanaglia, Firenze (ca. 1425-1460); 2. Vespasiano da Bisticci, (1460-1468); 3. Bertram, 4th Earl of Ashburnham (1797-1878), A Catalogue of the Manuscripts at Ashburnham Place, 1853, Appendix :76; 4. Henry Yates Thompson, London (1897- 1900/1910); 5. George Dunn, Woolley Hall, Maidenhead (ca. 1900/1910-1913); 6. Sotheby's 11.2.1913:552; 7. Victor von Klemperer, Dresden (1913-1942) and his descendants (1942-1991); 8. Sotheby's 18.6.1991:80.

Commentary: Written for and mostly by Guglielmino Tanaglia (1391-1460), protohumanist, scholar and friend of Giovanni F. Poggio and Niccolo Niccoli. He was writing humanistic script as early as 1410. This is by far his most substantial extant MS.

Lucius Caelius Lactantius (245-315) stands half way between the classics and the church fathers. His main work is the summa of Christian thought, demonstrating the falsehood of pagan religion, setting forth the true doctrine and worship. It is dedicated to emperor Constantine the Great and is a primary text for the history of Neoplatonism. Besides patristic and biblical sources, 68 different classical authors are quoted.

Exhibited: 1. Conference of European National Librarians, Oslo. Sept. 1994. 2. The Bibliophile Society of Norway's 75th anniversary. Bibliofilklubben 75 år. Jubileumsutstilling Bok og Samler, Universitetsbliblioteket 27.2 - 26.4.1997

Binding: Würzburg, Germany, 1430-1444, calf over bevelled wooden boards, 30x22x6,5 cm, sewn on four thongs, brass title-frame, 5 bosses on each cover, 2 brass clasps with white leather ties, 41 cm long 7 link iron chain fastended at top of the lower board.

Context: Other volumes from Sintram's library are Leeds Brotherton 102, Oxford Bodleian MS Douce 58, BL Add. 30049 and 44055, Pierpont Morgan Library M 298, Princeton US Garrett 90, and University College London Lat 4.

Provenance: 1. Johannes Sintram, Würzburg (1430-1444); 2. Franciscan Monastery, Würzburg (1444-1945); 3. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London.

Commentary: The Franciscan preacher Johannes Sintram (1380-1450) collected and wrote a large number of volumes of sermons. In 1444 he donated 61 vols. to the Franciscan house in Würzburg, where they were chained to 4 reading tables. In 1945 many of these books were supposedly destroyed by fire, but several have since reappeared.

MS in Latin on paper, Southern Germany or Northern Austria, late 15th c., 204 ff. (complete), 31x21 cm, 2 columns, (24x14 cm), 46-47 lines in a cursive Gothic book script, 2 line initials in red touched with yellow, 30 large initials in blue with red, yellow and green infills and extensive marginal flourishing, f.1 with a blue roundel with the IHS monogram.

Binding: Germany, 1988, vellum over pasteboard, sewn on 4 cords by Atelier Tiemeyer.

Provenance: 1. Heribert Tenschert, Leuchtende Mittelalter, 1989, no 21; 2. Biblioteca philosophica hermetica (Joost R. Ritman), BPH 85, Netherlands (-2001); 3. Sotheby's 19.6.2000:29; 4. Percy Barnevik, Sweden (2001); 5. Christie's 11.7.2002:27. Deaccession May 2010.

Commentary: St. Augustinus, Churchfather (354-430), wrote at least 120 different works and 270 letters. The 2 most important are the City of God, and the Confessions. The Confessions is the first autobiography, written shortly after 395. As a spiritual autobiography, it has never been surpassed. The Retractationes is an equally extraordinary and personal work, written towards the end of his life, in 426-27. It is a bibliography of all his writings with a series of frank criticisms and corrections. Extracts were therefore frequently used, as here, to preface the relevant work.

Binding: Russia, ca. 1500, blindstamped calf over wooden boards, sewn on 4 bands, 3 brass cornerpieces, fittings and central medallion showing St. George, lower cover 19th c

Provenance: 1. Anton Fedorovich Okunov, Kaluga merchant (1825); 2. P. Shepochkin (from 1825); 3. The Paul M. Fekula Collection, New York, MS 651 and F-XXVIII (until 1990); 4. Sotheby's 29.11.1990:64.

Commentary: The present monumental Apostol is the only copy in private hands.

Exhibited: University of Oslo. Domus Bibliotheca, 6-15 May 1996: European medieval manuscripts from The Schøyen Collection.

MS in Latin and Italian (text 2-3) on vellum, Napoli, Italy, 1st half of 16th c., late 15th c. (text 3), 76 ff. (complete), 14x10 cm, single column, (9x6 cm), 14 lines in a skilful regular Beneventan minuscule by a nun, and in Italian cursive script (texts 2-3), 1-line capitals alternately blue and gold with penwork in red and purple, 30 large decorated initials, 3 3-line and the others 2-line, alternately raised burnished gold with full-length purple penwork or dark blue with full-length red penwork, very large, 5-line illuminated initial on opening page in leafy design in raised burnished gold outlined in red enclosing formal floral pattern in greens with yellow on a blue panel ground with white tracery and full-length bar extending into upper and lower margins into sprays of coloured and burnished gold flowers.

Binding: Napoli, Italy, 16th c., limp vellum, sewn on 3 bands, formed of a late 15th c. portolan map, 23x17 cm (text 3). Barking, Essex, 1995, green gilt quarter morocco folding case, by Aquarius.

Provenance: 1. Benedictine monastery of Santa Patrizia, Napoli (16th c. -); 2. Private collector, Connecticut (-1994); 3. Sotheby's 5. 12.1994:88.

MS in Russian Church Slavonic on paper, Russia, ca. 1550, 283 ff. (complete), 19x13 cm, single column, (14x8 cm), 20 lines in Cyrillic half-uncial, 6-line initial in coloured wash, 4 illuminated ornamental headpieces, 3 drawings in coloured washes of a two-headed dragon breathing fire, a four-headed hydra, and a saint holding the sun balancing on 2 wheels being pulled in opposite directions by horses, a full-page illuminated miniature of the Last Judgement in full colour wash.

Binding: ORussia, 17th c., blindstamped calf gilt, sewn on 4 double cords.

Provenance: 1. Owner in Zermoika (1837); 2. Fedor Semenov, Sosnovsk (from 1837); 3. The Paul M. Fekula Collection, New York, MS 743 and F-XV (until 1990); 4. Sotheby's 29.11.1990:68.

MS in Russian Church Slavonic on paper, Russia, ca. 1560, 167 ff. (-ca. 33), 22x14 cm, single column, (15x9 cm), 23 lines in Cyrillic half-uncial, headings and initials in red, a miniature of St. John and the ladder drawn around the final lines of the text.

Binding: Russia, ca. 1560, calf over wooden boards, sewn on 6 cords, lower board the original.

Provenance: 1. Owner in Uglich, Russia (18th c.); 2. The Paul M. Fekula Collection, New York, MS 741 and F-X (until 1990); 3. Sotheby's 29.11.1990:65; 4. Sam Fogg cat. 14(1991):43.

Commentary: The remarkable miniature shows St. Johannes Climacus (ca. 570-649), reading his text from a scroll to his disciples. The 30 steps of the ladder represent the years of Christ's life before his Baptisism. Opposite is his vision, two monks climbing up the ladder to be welcomed by Christ, while two others are thrown by a devil to the pit below, where a great orange-vermilion monster waits to devour them. This subject originated in Byzantine painting. The present miniature is extremely close in composition and style to MS 62 in the Monastery of the Trinity, which is also of the 16th c.