Ps.-Jerome, Commentary on the Psalter

Title

Ps.-Jerome, Commentary on the Psalter

Shelfmark

St John's College MS 38

Place of origin

England

Date

s. xii2/4 or med.

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Vellum (FSOS/FHHF).

Physical extent

Fols. iii + 266+ iii (numbered fols. iv–vi).

Hands

Written in caroline, perhaps by more than one scribe; but the same distinguishing features which would set apart, for example, fols. 78–135v, appear for brief spaces, with other variations in duct, within consecutively written portions, for example, on fol. 254 . Punctuation by pointand punctus elevatus.

Decoration

Headings in red or alternate lines of red and green (blanks for them not always filled at the head of the book, up to about fol. 50); the opening example in two lines, red and green, of rustic capitals.

At heads of individual psalms, 3- and 4-line high arabesque capitals, usually green with some red infill, but often red with green plant shapes and occasionally blue with red and green (two 5-line examples on fol. 1).

Many capitals with ochre wash, also applied to marginal diples to indicate quoted portions of the Psalter.

A later hand (s. xv?)has supplied psalm numbers in the margin.

See AT, no. 45 (8), dating c.1150.

Binding

A modern replacement. Sewn on four thongs. At the front, a marbled paper leaf and two modern paper flyleaves; at the rear, the same (iv–vi).

Acquisition

‘Liber Collegii Sancti Iohannis Baptistae Oxon’ ex dono Venerabilis virj Richardi ButlerArchidiaconi Northamp’ procurante Reuerendo in Cristo Patre Iohanne Episcopo Roff’ (fol. 2, top margin).

Provenance

‘Hoc continet in isto volumine Exposicio Ieronimi super Spalterium’ (on a vellum fragment 38–78 185 , mounted on fol. iiiv, s. xiv1/2).

The pared upper edge of fol. 1probably removed an earlier ex-libris.