Portable psalter; England, 11th century, second half

Title

Portable psalter; England, 11th century, second half

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Lat. 81

Place of origin

England

Date

11th century, second half

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; fols. 1–2 perhaps not contemporary with the original book, though probably medieval (worm holes from an earlier binding); fols. i and 133 are paper, 17th century, no watermarks

Physical extent

154 leaves

Hands

English Caroline minuscule; brown ink; the incipits of most psalms and the first lines of most psalms at liturgical divisions are in majuscules.

Decoration

10-line gold Beatus-initial with foliate designs on fol. 3r; the opening words of psalm 1 written in gold.

Plain gold border to the whole page.

9- to 10-line gold initials with foliate designs at the beginnings of psalms 51 (fol. 47r) and 101 (fol. 90v); opening words in gold.

8-line plain gold initial at the beginning of psalm 109 (fol. 103r).

2- to 3-line indented gold initials, some with arabesque designs, at the beginning of psalms 26 (fol. 22v), 38 (fol. 35v), 52 (fol. 48r), 68 (fol. 69v), 77 (fol. 70r), 80 (fol. 75r), 97 (fol. 88v), 119 (fol. 116r).

1-line indented gold initials of psalms, canticles, litany and prayers.

1-line gold initials at the beginnings of verses.

Binding

Limp parchment, 17th century. Sewn on three cords. Evidence of the Bodleian (?) label on spine; handwritten title in ink on spine. Paper end-leaves.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: first donation from Laud, 22 May 1635. Former shelfmark: ‘D I Laud’ (fol. i verso).

Provenance

Made for a Benedictine (?) owner: St Benedict is the first among the confessors in the litany (fol. 144v) and his name appears in a collect on fol. 149v.

Additions of different dates: fol. 106r (13th century (?)); fol. 122r (16th century (?)).

Thomas Wood, rector of Stowting, Kent, 1593 (Foster, 1891–92, p. 1672): on fol. 115v: ‘Thende of the 119 . p . By me T. W. 1593’; on fol. 131v: ‘finis julij 1593 at Stowting in Kent. Tho Wood clericus Domine misarere [sic] mei peccatoris: Luke . 18’. Additions of psalm numbers, etc. in the psalter. Note on fol. 1r ‘Qui non laborat Non manducet 2 Thes 3 . Dominum Deum tuum adorabis et illi soli servies Math 4’.

William Laud (1573–1645), see ODNB: ‘Liber Guilielmi Laud Archiepiscopi Cantuar’: et Cancellarij Vniuersitatis Oxon. 1633’ (fol. 2v).

Title

Portable Psalter

Shelfmark

MS. Laud Lat. 81

Date

11th century, second half

Language

Latin

Physical facet

Has backward-sloping capital II throughout, reversed calf binding

Physical extent

152 Leaves

Custodial history

Written 'N. of the Humber.' Owned by Tho. Wood, not Ward. MS. Frere 455. Manuscript 1828 acquired by the Bodleian Library