This fragment is part of an unfinished medieval manuscript. The text, from Matthew’s Gospel, is written in a thin column down the middle of each page so that it could be surrounded by a commentary. Biblical manuscripts with commentary, known as ‘glossed’ books, emerged in the 12th century and soon became an important component of monastic libraries. For some reason, these pages never received their gloss and were recycled as binder’s waste. On several pages the text is very faint, probably where the pages were glued to the boards of the binding.

Literature: Neil R. Ker and Alan J. Piper, Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries, Volume IV: Paisley–York (Oxford, 1969), p. 628; Paul Yeats-Edwards, Winchester College (Warden and Fellows’ Library) Medieval Manuscript Collection: Brief History and Catalogue (London, 1978), p. 9.

Provenance: Unknown

Location: Fellows’ Library