Peter Damian, ‘Dominus vobiscum’; ps.-Augustine, ‘De libero arbitrio’; Bede, De tabernaculo; England (St Albans), s. xii1 (c.1120–40)

Title

Peter Damian, ‘Dominus vobiscum’; ps.-Augustine, ‘De libero arbitrio’; Bede, De tabernaculo; England (St Albans), s. xii1 (c.1120–40)

Shelfmark

Christ Church MS. 115

Place of origin

England (St Albans)

Date

s. xii1 (c. 1120–40)

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment (HSOS)

Physical extent

Fols: ii (numbered fols 1, 2) + 189 (numbered fols 3–191) + ii (numbered fols 192, 193). All flyleaves from the original production (pricked as the text leaves and fol. 2v ruled), at both front and rear a bifolium.

Hands

Written in protogothic bookhand, one scribe for most of the texts, a second for the contents tables and some text openings.

Punctuation by point and punctus elevatus.

Thomson (23–24) associates the manuscript with a group of books produced at St. Albans during the abbacy of Geoffrey Gorron (1119–46). He finds particular affinities with two other MSS, probably of the 1120s: the two-volume Josephus, BL, MSS Royal 13 D.vi-vii, and Cambridge: King’s College, MS 19 (Bede on the Canticle). Indeed, the scribe who copied this MS is also the hand of King’s College 19, fols 22–125 (Thomson, 84). And the hand of the contents tables for individual items, here also writing textual openings so as to set a pattern for the scribe, is Thomson’s ‘master-scribe’ whom he designates ‘Scribe A’, probably the director of the abbey scriptorium and responsible for portions of several other codices. The manuscript is no. 58 in Thomson’s list of abbey books (111–12), and his study includes several reproductions: plates 32 (fol. 5), 33 (fol. 3), 56 (fol. 32v), 57 (fol. 77), 58 (fol. 138v).

Decoration

Headings in red, in item 4 not all filled, sometimes a chapter number in red, sometimes blank. In the first two texts, five-line arabesque initials at the opening, two-line alternate red and green unflourished examples at the openings of the chapters. At the opening of text 3, a half-page high vine-form capital in ink with red and green decoration, (smaller but similar examples at the openings of the books on fols 77 and 138v, the latter with bird and humanoid figure). At the openings of chapters, two-line alternate red and green arabesque initials, some modestly flourished in the other colour. The texts are divided by one-line capitals in text ink, in item 4 set in the margin to form paragraphs. In item 4, running titles in the same hand as the running titles in our MS 97, to indicate book numbers. See AT no. 19 (5) and plate ii (fol. 138v).

Binding

Plain soiled white leather over unbevelled wood, s. xii, perhaps original, with heavy leather unstuffed half-moon shaped tabs at top and tail. Sewn on two thongs taken straight into the board, with additional head and tail thongs brought into the corners of the board obliquely, as depicted by Pollard, fig. 2. Our MS 97 has a very similar St Albans binding. Indentation and the marks of five nails from a strap seating at the centre of the leading edge of the upper board, a hole from its anchoring nail in the centre of the lower board. Marks from a chain staple in Watson’s position 5, like that on our MS 97, as noted by Hunt, ‘Library’, 261, and dating from soon after the manuscript’s arrival in ChCh (see Appendix I, and MS 97, binding). Pastedowns old parchment, a ChCh bookplate on the inner upper board. Christopher Clarkson studied the binding in June 2011; among his observations was that the ‘board-sheets have faint marks of envelope pockets, evidence of a chemise’ [copy of his report held in the library].

Provenance

The book has the St Albans ex-libris: ‘Hic est liber sancti Albani quem qui ei abstulerit aut titulum dederit deleuerit anathema sit amen’ (fol. 3, upper margin in red; s. xiii in.), partly erased, when the later inscription note below was cancelled. On this basis, associated with St Albans by MLGB3. Cf. Registrum 8–9, 256 (item 3) and 99, 257 (item 4).

There are a few interventions, the first chronologically being little more than a pentrial: (a) ‘howishe wordsy’ (fol. 191v; s. xv/xvi). Next in time: (b) ‘by ye grace of god kynge and que(n) of yngland france napuls Ierusarem and yerlande defender of ye faythe ?pri(n)cis of spayne and sicile archeduke of austrich duches of Milayne burgond and braband counteys of haspurge flanders and Tyroll of the ourlord’ (fol. 193v), the titles of Philip and Mary after his succession to the Habsburg kingdoms (and so datable to 1556–58), with its scribe also responsible for annotations to item 4 (fol. 24, 126v-127, 128, 137, 139, 143v). Then, (c), the title for the volume ‘Dominus Vobiscum’ added at fol. 2v, above the table of contents, in the hand that writes at the top of MS 97, fol. 1, ie John Beriman; it is also probably him who writes the price ‘xi d’ at the top right of fol. 3, just below a later inscription, discussed below.

From this evidence, it would appear that Beriman was not the first post-Dissolution owner of this volume. That someone else chose to read the book and to note Philip and Mary’s titles might suggest their affection for the old religion. Presumably, the manuscript remained in the vicinity of St Albans; certainly, Beriman was able to get hold of at least three volumes from the abbey, including our MS 97. Like that one it passed to Samuel Purchas, who writes a note at top of fol. 3 written below the St Albans anathema; it is now all cancelled and the first half also removed by rewashing leaving only the last three words legible through the crossing out: ‘...dedit Samueli Purchas’. This contrasts with MS 97, which Purchas bought.

At fol. 2, the note ‘Dedit Samuel Purchas’, in his hand. Purchas’s gift of this and other volumes to ChCh is recorded under the year 1617 in the Donors’ Register (see MS 97, provenance). The codex contains the remains of the shelfmark relating to the 1676 Catalogue (Appendix I): ‘A.2’ (number now hidden under bookplate), all cancelled at front pastedown; also, at top left of same pastedown, the New Library shelfmark of ‘F.18’, inserted by Edward Smallwell (see Appendix IV).