JOHN DE RIDEVALL

Franciscan writer, fl. 1331 to 1340. He was the 54th lector at the Franciscans' Oxford Convent, 1331–32, and was also known as John of Musca. He became a doctor of theology c. 1331. A number of theological and philosophical works are attributed to him. He wrote a Commentarius super Fulgencium (Venice, St. Mark's manuscript 139, codex, F. 121–136) in which, like nicho las trevet and the Franciscan, john of wales, he considers classical mythology as a reservoir of moralizing subject matter for the use of preachers. A similar commentary, Ovidii metamorphoseos fabule ccxviii moraliter exposite (Cambridge, Eng., Public Library 1:11, 20 F. 162–199) is now usually ascribed to Peter Bersuire rather than to John. Books 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 of John's commentary on St. Augustine's De civitate Dei are extant (Manuscripts Oxford C.C.C. 186 and 187, by Jo. Rydevallis or Rydewall, Friar Minor). There is a commentary on the Apocalypse, Lectura super Apocalypsi, at St. Mark's, Venice (Classification 1, manuscript 139, folios 110–119). A commentary on the letter of Valerius to Rufinus, In Valerium ad Rufinum de uxore non ducenda (Manuscripts Cambridge, Public Library, Mm 1, 18, 5), often ascribed to John, shows a similarity to John of Wales.

Bibliography: j. de ridevall, Fülgentius metaforalis: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der antiken Mythologie im Mittelalter, ed. h. liebeschÜtz (Leipzig 1926). c. l. kingsford, The Dictionary of National Biography From the Earliest Times to 1900, 63 v. (London 1885–1900) 16: 1164–65. a. g. little, The Grey Friars in Oxford (Oxford 1892). b. smalley, "J. Ridewall's Commentary on De civitate Dei, " Medium Aevum, 25 (1956) 140–153. f. stegmÜller, Repertorium biblicum medii aevi, 7 v. (Madrid 1949–61) 3: 4882–86. a. b. emden, A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford to A.D. 1500, 3 v. (Oxford 1957–59) 3:1576.

[j. j. smith]