The MS. was written in Leuven by a Scottish student named Magnus Makculloch at various times during the year 1477. Abundant evidence for this is found in colophons noted in the "Contents" section for the entry MS 205/ff. 1r-200r (see ff. 17r, 85r, 120r, 136v, 154v, 177r, 181r, 198v, 200r). The colophon on f. 120r contains per me Magnum Makcullocht de Rossia in lovanio residentem, which may be compared with a similar colophon in the manuscript of Fordun (B.M. Harl. 712) which reads per me Magnum Mackullochc clericum Rossensis Diocesis. There is little doubt that they refer to the same person, namely, Magnus Makculloch, clerk to Archbishop Schevez, who transcribed two manuscripts of Fordun (MS. Brechin Castle and MS. Harl. 712 – see William F. Skene, The Historians of Scotland Volume I: Johannis de Fordun, Chronica, Gentis Scotorum (Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1871), pp. xv-xviii), and is mentioned in error as 'author' of the last eleven books of the history in a late inscription in the Edinburgh University manuscript of Fordun (see MS 186).

On f. 136v the colophon has per me Johannem de tayn alias Makculloch, and on f. 202v we find the name Mabinus Makullog. It has been suggested that these probably refer to relatives of Magnus who were in Louven at the same time (see G. Gregory Smith, Specimens of Middle Scots (Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1902), lxvii).

The chief interest of the manuscript, however, is to be found in the additions written on blank leaves and fly-leaves, which include three poems of Henryson and one of Dunbar. They are by a later hand, possibly of the early 16th century. From the colophon on the third fly-leaf, to the Tale of the Cock and the Jewel, we learn that the writer's name was John (nomen scriptoris Johannes pienusamoris). It is possible that he may have been the (I purde whose name appears more than once as owner of the volume (again, see Smith, Specimens of Middle Scots, lxvii) and who probably lived in Brechin (see the first fly-leaf) . The name John Purde appears in the Chartulary of Brechin, but under dates 1577 and 1585-6 (see the Registrum Episcopatus Brechincnsis, volume ii, pp. 338, 351, 356).

This inscription could also read nomen scriptoris Johannes plenus amoris.

Laing acquired the manuscript in 1854.

Laing 149

Title given to the manuscript in Catherine Borland’s catalogue: Lectura super Logicalia Aristotelis Petri de Mera, Andree de Alchmaria, Theodrici Meysach (Makculloch MS).