Collection items

Bestiary, with extracts from Gerald of Wales

Manuscript Created date: Late 12th-century–early 13th century

A bestiary contains Christian allegorical lessons based on the characteristics and habits of animals found in nature and...

Cartulary of Reading Abbey

Manuscript Created date: 1190–1199

The 12th-century Cartulary of Reading Abbey gives a list of works held at the medieval libraries at Reading Abbey and Le...

Computus collection including Byrhtferth of Ramsey...

Manuscript Created date: 2nd quarter of the 12th century

The Enchiridion (Handbook) by Byrhtferth of Ramsey Abbey (fl. c. 986–c. 1016) is a commentary on the computus, covering ...

Early illustrated bestiary

Manuscript Created date: 4th quarter of the 12th century

A bestiary is a book of descriptions and pictures of beasts that combines natural history, Christian allegorical lessons...

English copy of Bede's Commentary on the Gospel of...

Manuscript Created date: 2nd or 3rd quarter of the 12th century

The Venerable Bede (b. c. 673, d. 735), whose greatest work was the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, also w...

English copy of St Augustine’s De Trinitate from S...

Manuscript Created date: 2nd quarter of the 12th century

St Augustine’s treatise on the Trinity was one of his most influential works. It concerns Christian theology and doctrin...

Geoffrey of Ufford’s miscellaneous compilation of...

Manuscript Created date: c. 1154

A unique compilation of Latin moral, grammatical and historical treatises was collected by Geoffrey of Ufford in the 12t...

Gilbert of Poitiers, Commentary on the Psalms

Manuscript Created date: 1st half of the 12th century

Gilbert of Poitiers (d. 1154), or Gilbert de la Porrée, was a French scholar and theologian, who lectured at the ...

Glossed Book of Ezekiel

Manuscript Created date: 2nd half of the 12th century

This 12th-century copy of the Old Testament book of Ezekiel may have been produced at the Cistercian monastery of Founta...

Glossed Psalter

Manuscript Created date: 3rd quarter of the 12th century

From an early date, Church Fathers and theologians wrote commentaries on the Bible, which survive in numerous copies. Th...

Goscelin of Saint-Bertin, Lives of the Canterbury...

Manuscript Created date: 1st quarter of the 12th century

Goscelin was a monk and writer from the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Bertin, in northern France, who wrote during the late...

Montpellier Bible (first of two volumes)

Manuscript Created date: 1st quarter of the 12th century

The Montpellier Bible is a copy of the Bible in Latin, in two volumes. It is a monumental work, measuring 510 x 365 mm. ...

Passionale (Lives of Saints)

Manuscript Created date: 12th century

The initials beginning each saint’s life in this volume are historiated, containing visual synopses of the stories relat...

Peter Lombard's gloss on the Psalms

Manuscript Created date: 3rd quarter of the 12th century

A marginal gloss, or commentary, on the Psalms by Peter Lombard (d. 1160) is included in this Psalter, probably made in...

Préaux Gospels

Manuscript Created date: 1st quarter of the 12th century

Under the leadership of abbot Richard of Fourneaux (r. 1101–1131), a student of St Anselm (d. 1109) and author of numero...