Psalter; Latin with Middle English additions; England, Diocese of Ely; 13th century, beginning, with later additions

Title

Psalter; Latin with Middle English additions; England, Diocese of Ely; 13th century, beginning, with later additions

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Lat. 95

Date

13th century, beginning

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; paper fly-leaves

Physical extent

154 leaves

Hands

Formal proto-Gothic and Gothic book hands; black ink.

Decoration

2-line gold KL monograms on blue and pink backgrounds with white decoration; sprays of foliage and gold discs, in the 15th-century calendar (fols. 16r–21v).

Gold KL monogram (5+ lines high) on blue and pink background, with floral designs in white and orange, in the original calendar (fol. 23r).

Beatus-initial, occupying two-thirds of the page, decorated with interlace, floral designs and animal heads on gold background (rubbed). Square frame with geometric designs and four medallions with flowers in the corners (one lost owing to the corrosion of green pigment). Opening lines written in large gold letters (rubbed) on alternating pink and blue background.

Border: see above.

8- to 10-line historiated initials at liturgical divisions on tooled gold backgrounds with incipits in gold capitals: fol. 45r, Psalm 51 (initial Q(uid)) Two devils, poking sinners, including a bishop, into the mouth of hell. Grotesques. fol. 51v, Psalm 68 (initial (S(alvvm)) Two nude human figures, beasts, birds, animal head. fol. 66v, Psalm 101 (initial (D(omine)) Two grotesques and two profile heads of bearded men. fol. 72v, Psalm 109 (initial (D(ixit)) A monkey, a goat and a grotesque.

9-line initials on gold backgrounds, decorated with floral designs, animal figures and heads, at psalms 26 (fol. 33v), 38 (fol. 39v), 52 (fol. 45v), 80 (fol. 58v) and 97 (fol. 65v).

4-line initials at psalm 119 and the first canticle.

3-line initials with floral designs, grotesques, animal figures, human and animal heads, in gold or on gold backgrounds, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and litany.

1-line alternating red and blue initials with contrasting penwork at the beginning of verses.

Plain red 3- to 4-line initials at the beginnings of added hymns (fols. 132v–133v).

3- to 4-line initials, gold or on gold backgrounds, decorated with floral and geometric designs, animal figures and heads, and 3-line alternating red and blue initials with contrasting penwork at the beginnings of major chapters, collects, etc. (fols. 94r–132r).

8-line initial on pink and gold background, decorated with floral designs at the beginning of the added hymnal (fol. 134r).

3-line gold initials with penwork, and red and blue initials with contrasting penwork at the beginnings of hymns (fols. 134r–149v).

Rubrics in red ink.

Musical notation

Square notation on staves of four red lines.

Binding

Brown leather over pasteboard, 18th century. Rebacked in the Bodleian with the original spine relaid. Blind roll border round the outer edge of both covers. Blind roll decoration forming a rectangle with floral corner-pieces on both covers. Five raised bands on spine. Gilt lettering on spine: ‘LAUD || K.59’. Paper label on spine printed ‘Laud Lat. || 95’. Laid paper pastedowns and fly-leaves. Fol. 1r was a pastedown of an earlier binding. Holes and marks left by a clasp of an earlier binding on fols. 1–3 and 148–149.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: second donation from Laud, 16 June, 1636. ‘K59.’ (upper pastedown); ‘K51’ (fol. 1v); paper label with ‘59 || K’ (fol. 15v).

Provenance

Made for the use of the diocese of Ely: liturgical evidence. (Listed in MLGB3 under Ely, Cambridgeshire, Benedictine abbey and (1109) cathedral priory of St Peter and St Etheldreda .)

In the diocese of Chichester in the 14th–16th centuries (?): hymns (fols. 132v–133v), including three in honour of Richard of Chichester; reference to ‘the Cathedrall churche of Chichestre’ on fol. 1r. Adapted for Sarum use in the 14th century through the addition of Sarum antiphons, calendar and hymnal. (Listed in MLGB3 under Chichester, West Sussex, Cathedral church of Holy Trinity, with query.)

Psalm numbers and a translation into Latin of preces and collects, etc. of the Morning Prayer added, and part of the order for the office and marginal additions from Quignon’s Breviary included in the 16th century.

William Laud (1573–1645) , see ODNB: ‘Liber Guil: Laud Archiep(iscop)i Cant et Cancellar Vniuersit Oxon, 1636’ (fol. 2r).

Title

Psalter and Prayers, hymns and other liturgical materials

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Lat. 95

Date

13th century, beginning; additions, 13th century-15th century, early

Language

Latin

Physical facet

Bound in sprinkled calf

Physical extent

149 Leaves

Custodial history

MS. Frere 19. Manuscript 2266 acquired by the Bodleian Library