On this page, you can learn more about the various western medieval manuscripts containing saints’ lives in the St John’s collection.
MS 96
MS 96 contains texts on the lives of Saints Oswald, Mary Magdalene, Edward, and Augustine. This manuscript was produced in England in the twelfth century. The decorative initial shown here is from the opening of the life of Saint Oswald.
MS 120
MS 120 contains various material including a Life of Saint George, Ambrose’s De officiis, and miscellaneous Latin verse. When MS 120 was catalogued in 2002, no parallels were found for the Life of Saint George. This manuscript was produced in England at the turn of the thirteenth century.
MS 147
MS 147 contains various saints’ lives in addition to Parce michi by Richard Rolle of Hampole (d. 1349). This manuscript was produced in England in the fifteenth century.
MS 165
MS 165 includes the Life of St Anselm by Eadmer of Canterbury (d. c. 1126). Among other things, it also contains a combination of Anselm’s Meditationes and Orationes (shown here). MS 165 was produced in England in the twelfth century.
MS 182
MS 182 contains various Saints’ lives, including an unidentified life of Margaret of Scotland. This manuscript was produced in England in the fifteenth century.
MS 202
MS 202 includes selected saints’ lives from Jacobus de Voragine’s famous Legenda Aurea,as well as other texts such as Simon Hinton’s Brevis expositio articulorum fidei. This manuscript was produced in England in the fourteenth century.