Psalter; England, Diocese of Norwich (?), 15th century, second quarter (?)
MS. Auct. D. 2. 5
Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
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.
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Title
Psalter; England, Diocese of Norwich (?), 15th century, second quarter (?)
Shelfmark
MS. Auct. D. 2. 5
Place of origin
English, Norwich diocese (?)
Date
15th century, second quarter (?)
Language
Latin
Contents
Form
codex
Support
parchment of mediocre quality; paper fly-leaves
Physical extent
66 leaves
Hands
Large formal Gothic book hand, black ink
Decoration
Blue KL monograms with red penwork in the calendar.
4-line Beatus-initial in red and blue, decorated with red penwork.
3-line blue initials with red penwork at the beginnings of psalms 26, 38, 52, 68, 80, 97 and 109.
2-line blue initials with red penwork at the beginnings of psalms and canticles.
1-line alternating plain red and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.
Catchwords written on scrolls.
Binding
Parchment over pasteboard; leather ties (those on the upper cover now missing). ‘92’ written on spine in black ink overwriting earlier faded ‘92’. Also on spine: ‘150 .’ written in ink and a paper label ‘D. || 2. 5’. Pastedowns and fly-leaves of laid paper, no watermarks. Fol. 2 was probably a pastedown of an earlier binding and shows the marks of turn-ins and six horizontal channels from a previous board.
Acquisition
Bought with part of £5 given by Joseph Maynard, fellow of Exeter college, Oxford, in 1658 along with nine other manuscripts: MS. e Mus. 146, MS. e Mus. 111, MS. e Mus. 116, MS. e Mus. 162, MS. eMus. 164, MS. Auct. F. 5. 26, MS. Auct. F. 5. 28, MS. e Mus. 244and MS. e Mus. 59. The shelfmark ‘Auctarium’ was given c. 1789, when books then considered most valuable in the Library were moved to the Auctarium (one of the schools in the Bodleian Library quadrangle) (see Summary catalogue, vol. 1, pp. xiv, xxxix–xl). Earlier shelfmarks: ‘150’ (spine; cf. fol. 1v); ‘è Musæo. 92’ (fol. 1v; cf. spine).
Provenance
Made for a secular (?) church in the diocese of Norwich (?): the calendar is graded up to 9 lessons; includes Felix of Dunwich. Monastic subdivisions are not indicated, but psalm 118 is subdivided in accordance with the monastic use. The calendar also includes saints whose feasts were promulgated after 1415 under Archbishop Chichele (Pfaff, 2009, pp. 438–41), but the feasts of St Osmund (canonized 1456) and his translation (1457) are absent, as is the feast of Transfiguration.
Inscribed ‘6’, 18th century (?) (fol. 2r).
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