A Descriptive Catalogue of the Western Manuscripts to c. 1600, in Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church Library is pleased to announce the publication of the first in a planned series of manuscript catalogues offering detailed codicological, textual and historical descriptions. The lavishly illustrated volume is published by the Oxford Bibliographical Society in its Special Series of Manuscript Catalogues. An important new work, the catalogue represents a splendid achievement and a milestone in Christ Church Library's developing history. The catalogue has been in progress for many years. It begins by recapitulating the history of every preceding institution on the site, the priory of St Frideswide to Cardinal College to King Henry VIII College, and of what can be said of book provision at each. The detail here is very rich in new discoveries. No fact has been taken on trust but each has been chased back to source, with the early inventories included in the appendix. The catalogue descriptions and textual identifications are as comprehensive as one would expect from the careful scrutiny of two expert hands. With this catalogue of the Western manuscripts to c. 1600, the Library has an ideal model that will be able to serve as an exemplar for the future.