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Glossed Psalter; England; 12th century, third quarter

MS. Laud Lat. 17

Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

Details

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Description

From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries

This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.

Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries contains descriptions of all known Western medieval manuscripts held in the Bodleian Libraries, and of medieval manuscripts in selected Oxford colleges. Learn more.

Title

Glossed Psalter; England; 12th century, third quarter

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Lat. 17

Date

additions, 14th century

12th century, third quarter

Language

Latin

Contents

Psalter, with gloss
1. (fols. 1r–200r) Psalms [1]–150, written as prose, imperfect at the beginning because of the loss of the first two quires, starting at 15: 9, ‘...meum et exultauit lingua mea’. The psalms are in the biblical order; subdivisions within the psalms are not indicated, apart from 17: 26 (fol. 5r) and psalm 118, subdivided into twenty-two 8-verse units. There are textual divisions at psalms 26, 38, 51, 52, 68, 80, 101 and 109. Punctuated throughout with punctus used to mark the ends of verses, and punctus or occasionally punctus elevatus used to mark metrum and minor pauses. Most psalms are preceded by short titles which do not conform to any of Salmon’s series (1959). The titles of five psalms are quoted below: 16 Oratio dauid (fol. 1r) 30 In finem psalmus dauid per extasi. (fol. 22v) 63 In finem psalmus dauid. (fol. 70v) 115 Alleluia. (fol. 157v) 140 Psalmus dauid. (fol. 190r). The psalms are accompanied by interlinear and marginal glosses. The gloss starts imperfectly with ‘ferno dabitur . nec corpus sanctum per quod et alii ...’.
2. (fols. 200v–210v) Weekly canticles, with short titles and marginal and interlinear glosses: (1) Confitebor tibi domine (Isaiah 12) (‘Canticum ysaie’); (2) Ego dixi (Isaiah 38: 10–21) (‘Oracio ezechie regis’); (3) Exultauit cor meum (1 Samuel 2: 1–11) (‘Canticum anne’); (4) Cantemus domino (Exodus 15: 1–20) (‘Canticum moysi’); (5) Domine audiui (Habakkuk 3) (‘Canticum abbacuch’); (6) Audite celi (Deuteronomy 32: 1–44) (‘Canticum moysi’).
3. (fols. 211r–214v) Athanasian Creed (Quicumque uult ...) with a title ‘Fides sancti Athanasij episcopi catholica’, with interlinear and marginal glosses attributed to Bruno of Würzburg (see Haring, 1972, pp. 211 n. 38, 229; Gibson, Heslop and Pfaff, 1992, p. 110).
4. (fols. 215r–217r) Litany, on added leaves, written in a 14th-century hand, including Alban, Edmund, Oswald and Kenelm among the martyrs; Augustine (of Hippo (?)), Nicholas, Augustine (of Canterbury (?)), Paulinus, Cuthbert, Dunstan, Edmund, Swithin, Julian, Aldhelm, Wulstan, Richard, Jerome, Benedict, Egidius, Leonard and Guthlac (last) among the confessors; and Frideswide (last) among the virgins. Thomas Becket is erased. The litany is followed by collects (fols. 216v–217r): (1) Deus cui proprium est misereri semper et parcere suscipe ... (2) Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui facis mirabilia magna solus ... (3) Deus in cuius manu corda sunt regum qui es humilium consolator ... (4) Pretende domine famulis et famulabus tuis dexteram celestis auxilii ut de toto corde ... (5) Deus a quo sancta desideria recta consilia et iusta sunt ... (6) A domo tua quesumus domine spirituales nequitie repellantur et aeriarum discendat malignitas tempestatum ... (7) Adesto domine supplicationibus nostris et uiam famulorum tuorum in salutis tue ... (8) Animabus quesumus domine famulorum famularumque tuarum oracio proficiat supplicancium ut eas ... (9) Deus qui es sanctorum tuorum splendor mirabilis atque lapsorum subleuator ... In the lower margin of fol. 216v is an added collect for the king.
5. (fols. 217v–222v) Office of the Dead, use of Sarum (Ottosen, 1993, p. 115) added in the same 14th-century hand as the litany. Space for musical notation filled in only at Vespers.
6. (fol. 223r) A short extract in a 13th-century hand from Rabanus Maurus, De rerum naturis (Migne, 1851, vol. 111), book 5, chapter ‘De officiis canonicis, et de his quae in Ecclesia leguntur atque canuntur’, beginning ‘IERONIMUS Diapsalma quidam Hebreum uerbum esse ...’ and ending ‘...quia ideo interponitur ut conuersio sensuum uel personarum esse noscatur’.
7. (fols. 223r–224v) Formulary for use by judges and parties of the delegated courts, containing letters of proxy, appeal, commission, etc., probably produced in England (Cirencester (?)) during the pontificate of Innocent III (see Cheney, 1950; Kuttner, 1962; Sayers, 1971). Includes eleven original and two added letters, written in 13th-century hands; eight of the letters are based on two, possibly real, legal cases. Original letters start with coloured initials and have titles, such as ‘Littere procuratoris’, ‘Littere appellationis a iudicibus directe’, ‘Littere commissionis’, ‘Item littere commissionis’, etc. Two added letters (fols. 223r and 224v) have no titles or coloured initials. The letters contain names, many from the diocese of Worcester (particularly Cirencester and Winchcombe), but also from the dioceses of Lincoln and Salisbury. The names include R., abbot of Cirencester, R., abbot of Winchcombe, prior of Bradenstoke, Robert de Clipston, Robert of Bingham, Alexander of St Albans, J. de Pratis, G. de Bradewille, etc. (see Sayers, 1971).

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

226 leaves

Hands

Formal proto-Gothic book hand; larger script used for the text and smaller script for the gloss; black ink.

Decoration

3- to 5-line coloured initials, decorated with floral designs in red, green, ochre or blue, at liturgical divisions: psalms 26 (fol. 18r), 38 (fol. 38r), 51 (fol. 57r), 52 (fol. 58r), 68 (fol. 78v), 80 (fol. 105r), 101 (fol. 130v) and 109 (fol. 150v). Psalm 97 (fol. 127v) starts with an ordinary 2-line initial.

The initials of psalms 26 and 38 have added 14th-century penwork with floral designs, birds and a hybrid figure.

2- to 3-line red, blue or brown initials, plain or decorated with floral, arabesque and geometric designs, at the beginning of psalms, canticles, etc.

1-line plain alternating red and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Sketch with heart-shaped and geometric shapes in a square frame, in the lower margin on fol. 190v.

Rubrics in red ink.

Musical notation

Notation on staves (see van Dijk 1957).

Binding

Brown leather over pasteboard, 17th century. Double blind roll border round the outer edge of both covers. Gilt coat of arms of Laud on both covers. Double blind roll lines on spine. Traces of two ties at the fore-edge. Three paper labels on spine, containing respectively: ‘B . Hieronymi sup(er) || Psalma Glossa ...|| Et super alia Cantica || . M . S .’; ‘71’ and ‘Laud. Lat. 17’.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: third donation from Laud, 28 June, 1639. Earlier shelfmark: ‘E. 71’, upper pastedown and fol. 1r.

Provenance

Owned by the Augustinian Abbey of St. Mary, Cirencester(?) : a collection of letters relating to Cirencester and the Abbey, added in the 13th century.

Inscribed ‘Richardus holder[?] [...]’ (fol. 84, lower margin, upside-down).

William Laud (1573–1645), see ODNB: ‘Liber Guil: Laud Archiep(iscop)i Cant: et Cancellar: vniuersit: Oxon. 1638.’ (fol. 1r). First quires must have been missing by this date.

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From Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts

This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts.

Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts contains descriptions of the Bodleian Libraries’ archival collections, including post-1500 manuscripts. Some manuscripts with records in other catalogues are also described here as part of a description of a larger archive. Learn more.

Title

Psalter, with gloss (start lost)

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Lat. 17

Date

12th century, third quarter

Language

Latin

Physical extent

224 Leaves

Custodial history

MS. Frere 176. Manuscript 2552 acquired by the Bodleian Library

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Collection contents

Laudian Collection

Psalter, with gloss (start lost)

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