MS. Canon. Liturg. 126

Summary Catalogue no.: 19267

Portable Secular Psalter with Antiphons; Flanders, Liège, late 13th or early 14th century

Fol. i is a fly-leaf; fol. 1r is blank apart from modern notes.

1. (fols. 1v–13r)

Calendar, laid out one month per two facing pages, written in black and red, less than half full, not graded. Includes saints and feasts characteristic of the Mosan region and Liège (the calendar of the Mosan region and a list of local feasts of the Mosan region and Liège are published by Oliver, 1988, Appendix 1): Servatius, bishop of Tongres (13 May) with octave and translation (7 June), and Lambert, bishop of Liège (17 September) with octave and translation (28 April), both in red; Vedast and Amand (6 February), Gertrude of Nivelles (17 March), Ursmar of Lobbes (18 April), Domitian, bishop of Tongres and Maastricht (7 May), Gengulfus of Florennes (11 May), Remacle, bishop of Tongres and Liège (3 September), Severinus of Tongeren/Cologne (23 October), Foillanus of Fosses (31 October) and Eugenius de Deuil (15 November). The months are headed by verses on the ‘Egyptian’ days, which largely correspond to Hennig’s (1955) set I, and notes on the length of the solar and lunar month.

15th-century additions in an Italian hand comprise Roman saints and feasts, including Valentine (14 February), the dedication of the Lateran Basilica (9 November), the dedication of the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (‘Sancte Marie ad Niues’, 5 August), the dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul (November 18) and the feasts of Peter and Paul. Other added feasts are Matthias (February 24), the Visitation (3 July), Anne (26 July), Assumption of the Virgin Mary (15 August), Bartholomew (24 August), All Saints and All Souls (1–2 November), Ambrose (7 December) and the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (8 December). The feasts of Agnes (21 January), Mark (25 April), the martyrdom of John the Baptist (29 August) and the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14) are underlined in dark red ink, apparently by the hand which added the Roman feasts.

Fol. 13v is ruled for the calendar, but blank, apart from modern notes.

2. (fols. 14r–213v)

Psalms 1–150, in the biblical order, laid out as prose, without numbers. Psalm 108 is followed by Gloria. Rubric ‘PS’ (‘psalmus’) at the beginning of most psalms. Punctuated throughout with punctus elevatus used to mark metrum and minor pauses, and punctus used to mark the ends of verses. Some psalms are accompanied by cues of antiphons and hymns, without rubrics. The following text is missing:

– two bifolia (?) missing after fol. 53 (missing text 32: 16–34: 1)
– one bifolium missing after fol. 61 (missing text 37: 12–38: 6)
– one bifolium missing after fol. 79 (missing text 51: 4–52: 6)
– one leaf missing after fol. 118 (missing text 77: 70–78: 9)
– one leaf missing after fol. 120 (missing text 80: 1–9)
– one leaf missing after fol. 144 (missing text 101: 1–8)
– one bifolium missing after fol. 213 (missing text 149: 2–150).

There are textual divisions at psalms 26, 51, 68, 97 and 109 (see ‘Decoration’). Originally there were probably illuminated initials at the beginnings of psalms 38, 52, 80 and 101, now missing. Subdivisions within psalms are not indicated, apart from psalm 118, subdivided into twenty-two 8-verse units. Psalm 66 is repeated on fol. 90v, after psalm 62. Psalms 62 and 66 were appointed to be recited as the third and fourth psalms at all Lauds during the week in the secular use.

3. (fols. 214r–227r)

Weekly canticles, without titles:

(1) Confitebor tibi domine (Isaiah 12), beginning imperfectly at ‘sus est furor tuus et consolatus es me ...’;
(2) Ego dixi (Isaiah 38: 10–21);
(3) Exultauit cor meum (1 Samuel 2: 1–11);
(4) Cantemus domino (Exodus 15: 1–20);
(5) Domine audiui (Habakkuk 3);
(6) Audite celi (Deuteronomy 32: 1–44).

4. (fols. 227r–236v)

Litany, including Egidius, Remacle, Heribert, Severinus, Francis and Trudo among the confessors; Agnes, Gertrude, Catherine, Aldegundis, Odilia, Corona and Oda among the virgins. The litany is similar to those in psalters from the Mosan region and Liège (see Oliver, 1988, Appendix 1) and is accompanied by a petition ‘Ut clerum et plebem sancte marie sanctique lamberti conseruare digneris’ (fol. 232r), followed by two versions of ‘Ut dompnum apostolicum ...’ (fol. 231r), more petitions (Ego dixi domine miserere mei. Sana animam meam quia peccaui tibi. Oremus pro omni gradii ecclesie ..., fol. 233r), and collects (fols. 235v–236v):

(1) Concede quesumus omnipotens deus ut sancta dei genitrix uirgo maria sanctique tui apostoli martyres confessores uirgines ... atque omnes sancti quorum reliquie in ista continentur ecclesia ...
(2) Deus a quo sancta desideria recta ...
(3) Ineffabilem misericordiam tuam nobis ...
(4) Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui uiuorum dominaris simul et mortuorum ...

5. (fols. 237r–244r)

Daily canticles, prayers and creeds, without titles:

(1) Benedicite omnia opera (fol. 237r), ending imperfectly at ‘Benedicite omnes bestie et pe ...’ because of the loss of a leaf after fol. 237;
(2) Benedictus dominus deus (fol. 238r) beginning imperfectly at ‘dum quod iurauit ad abraham patrem nostrum ...’
(3) Te deum laudamus (fol. 238v);
(4) Magnificat (fol. 240r);
(5) Athanasian Creed (Quicumque uult ...) (fol. 240v).

Erased text at the end of the creed (five lines).

6. (fol. 244v)

Added prayer in a 15th-century Italian hand, imperfect at the end: ‘Benedictus sis tu deus creator omnium qui cum Maria virgine esse sine grauamine voluisti et de ea immaculatam carnem sine peccato assumere dignatus es. Benedictus sis tu deus qui ad uirginem cum gaudio anime eius et omnium membrorum uenisti. Et cum gaudio omnium membro ...’. The prayer is preceded by a partially erased rubric beginning ‘Hanc orationem ... beatissima ... ⟨m⟩aria ...’.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: Quare fremuerunt (psalter, fol. 15r)

Form: codex

Support: parchment; paper fly-leaves

Extent: 246 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): c. 107 × 75 mm.

Leaves were trimmed in rebinding, frequently causing the loss of decoration.

Foliation: modern, in pencil; i + 1–245.

Collation

(fols. i) paper fly-leaf conjoint with the upper pastedown | (fols. 1–14) I (14) | (fols. 15–26) II (12) | (fols. 27–30) III (4) | (fols. 31–50) IV–V (10) | (fols. 51–56) VI (10−2) missing 4, 5, 6, 7 (?) | (fols. 57–65) VII (10−2+1) missing 5 and 6 (a bifolium is lost after fol. 61); fol. 58 is a single leaf | (fols. 66–75) VIII (10) | (fols. 76–83) IX (10−2) missing 5 and 6 (a bifolium is lost after fol. 79) | (fols. 84–93) X (10) | (fols. 94–105) XI (12) | (fols. 106–115) XII (10) | (fols. 116–123) XIII (10−2) missing 4 and 7 | (fols. 124–143) XIV–XV (10) | (fols. 144–152) XVI (10−1) missing 2 | (fols. 153–172) XVII–XVIII (10) | (fols. 173–208) XIX–XXI (12) | (fols. 209–218) XXII (12−2) missing 6 and 7 (a bifolium is lost after fol. 213) | (fols. 219–230) XXIII (12) | (fols. 231–238) XXIV (8−1) missing 8 | (fols. 239–244) XXV (8−1) missing 8 | (fol. 245) paper fly-leaf conjoint with the lower pastedown. Catchwords and leaf signatures survive, partly cropped off

Layout

Ruled in ink with single vertical and double horizontal bounding lines extending the full height and width of page; 16 lines per page; prickings survive; written below the top line; written space: c. 63 × 45 mm.

Hand(s)

Small formal Gothic book hand, black ink.

Decoration

Illumination is related in style to London, British Library, Stowe MS. 17; Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek MS. GKS 3384 8o; Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale MS. IV. 1045 (Saint Jacques Missal) and Darmstadt, Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek MS. 394 (Pächt and Alexander, 1966–73; Oliver, 1988, vol. 1, pp. 199–201).

Pink and blue KL monograms on gold backgrounds and borders, made of pink, blue and gold bars ending with spirals, decorated with foliage and gold discs, in the calendar. Four KL monograms are cut out.

Panels (gold lozenges set on pink and blue quadrilobes) with the Labours of the Months (rubbed, gold flanking): January: hooded man, drinking from a cup and stirring fire with a fork; table to the left February: man pruning a tree March: man digging with a pickaxe April: man holding two flowering branches May: man playing vielle (found in other Liège psalters, see Oliver, 1978, p. 108) June: woman gathering flowers in a basket July: man mowing hay with a scythe August: man reaping grain September: man treading and eating grapes October: man sowing November: man knocking down acorns for pigs December: man slaughtering a pig.

Six (of an original ten (?)) historiated initials with miniatures in architectural frames, on gold background (flaking), occupying most of the page, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage and latticework, at liturgical divisions, all badly rubbed, those at psalms 38, 52, 80, and 101 apparently missing. The initials are accompanied by full borders, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage, hunting scenes, musicians, grotesques and animals.

fol. 14r Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) The martyrdom of St Lambert and a deacon.
(full border) Lady kneeling in prayer, possibly the patron.
fol. 45r Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)) King David venerating Christ.
fol. 79v Psalm 51 (initial Q(uid)) The Massacre of the Innocents. There is an added, partially obliterated inscription in ink on gold background, above the sword held by a soldier: ‘P .....’, probably in an early modern Italian hand responsible for pen trials and drawings in the margins elsewhere in the psalter (see ‘Provenance’).
fol. 98v Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)) Jonah, praying in the mouth of the whale, between two towers with people, floating on boats (representing the towns of Joppa and Tarshish between which Jonah was sailing (Oliver, 1979, p. 111 and figs. 3 and 4, and Oliver, 1988, vol. 1, p. 70)); Christ and the Virgin enthroned above.
fol. 141v Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)) Three clerics, singing from a book open on a lectern.
fol. 165r Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)) The Throne of Grace: God-the-Father, holding the arms of the Crucifix, dove flying from Father to Son.

Borders: see above.

3-line historiated initials on gold backgrounds (flaking), infilled with busts and halffigures of men and women, some nimbed, holding books or pointing to the text, and borders made of bars and spirals, decorated with grotesques, birds, apes, human and animal heads, foliage and gold discs, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and prayers.

Alternating 1-line red, blue and gold initials, with contrasting blue and red penwork, at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Pages without 3-line initials have gold bars with red and blue penwork in the left margin, and a miniature in the lower margin. The miniatures depict hunts, fights, grotesques, apes, birds, beasts, insects, fish and scenes involving animals and humans, e.g. a shepherd chasing a wolf from the sheep (fols. 45v–46r); a woman with distaff, spinning, and a cat playing with yarn (fol. 94r); a fox with a cloak and staff speaking to a cock (fols. 96v–97r); a cat with a rat in its mouth (fol. 103r); an angel playing the vielle (fol. 142r); a man with a dog jumping over a stick (fol. 145r); a fox pretending to be dead to attract birds of prey (fols. 223v–224r).

Added rubric on fol. 244v in red ink.

Binding

17th century or 18th century, Italian?: pasteboards; parchment covering, sides plain; the flat spine has three horizontal gilt lines at top and bottom, and a gilt title with ornamental border tooled directly onto it, with no label; no clear signs of clasps or ties; edges plain, partly discoloured. 113–115 × 77–80 × c. 43–46 mm. (book closed). The manuscript was in Italy by the 15th century, but has a later ex libris in Portuguese on the front paste-down.

History

Origin: 13th century, late, or 14th century, early ; Flemish, Liège

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in Liège: evidence of the calendar, litany, decoration, and a prayer for the clergy and people of St Mary and St Lambert (fol. 232r). Perhaps written for a lay noblewoman, depicted on fol. 14r.

In Italy in the 15th century (?): 15th-century additions to the calendar, and a prayer (fol. 244v).

Unidentified Italian (Solopova) or Portuguese (Barker-Benfield) owner: ‘Pertence (or Pertenie (?)) ao P. Azevedo’ (upper pastedown, 17th century (?)).

Pen trials and crude drawings in the margins in early modern Italian hands, e.g. fols. 1r, 24r, 66v, 109r, 110r, 123r 177r, 244v, etc.

Matteo Luigi Canonici of Venice (1727–c. 1806): bought soon after 1780 (Mitchell, 1969); not from the libraries of Soranzo or Trevisan.

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti. Earlier shelfmark: ‘Misc. Liturg. 126’ (upper pastedown, cf. fol. 13v).

Record Sources

Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue (Oxford, 2013), pp. 354–60. Binding: B. C. Barker-Benfield, Bookbindings of Canonici manuscripts : a survey of early and non-standard bindings, mostly Italian, in the Canonici collection of the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford (Oxford, privately printed, 2020). Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 343

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 344

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (3 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Select bibliography to 2004:

Weale, W., ‘Liturgical manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford’, The Ecclesiologist 2 (London, 16 July 1888), p. 21.

Frere, no. 463.

Burlington Fine Arts Club, Exhibition of illuminated manuscripts (London: Printed for the Burlington Fine Arts Club by Chiswick Press, 1908), p. 57.

Willard, J. F., ‘Occupations of the months in medieval calendars’, BQR 7 (1932), pp. 33–9, at p. 34.

Lyna, F., De vlaamsche miniatuur van 1200 tot 1530 (Brussels; Amsterdam: Standaard-Boekhandel, Van Kampen and Zoon, s. d., 1933), p. 47.

S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 2: Office Books (typescript, 1957), p. 96

Sinclair, K., ‘Les manuscrits du psautier de Lambert le Bègue’, Romania 86 (1965), pp. 22–47, at p. 30.

Pächt and Alexander (1966–73), vol. 1, no. 292, pl. XXI.

Oliver, J. H., ‘The Crise Bénédictine and revival at the Abbey of St. Jacques in Liège c. 1300’, Quaerendo 8 (1978), pp. 320–36, at p. 335.

Oliver (1988), vol. 1, pp. 27, 29 n. 1, 32, 60–2, 65 n. 22, 70, 76, 104 n. 4, 114, 115, 118, 173, 199–201; vol. 2, no. 33, pp. 213–31, pls. 49, 66, 93.

In beeld geprezen: miniaturen uit Maaslandse devotieboeken 1250–1350. Provinciaal Museum voor Religieuze Kunst, Begijnhofkerk – Sint Truiden, 10 augustus–12 november 1989 [exhibition catalogue] (Leuven: Peeters, 1989), p. 134.

Randall, L. M. C., assisted by J. Oliver et al., Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery, 5 vols. (Baltimore; London: Johns Hopkins University Press in association with the Walters Art Gallery, 1989–97), vol. 3, Belgium, 1250–1530, part I, p. 62.

Büttner, F. O., ‘Der illuminierte Psalter im Westen’ in Büttner (2004), pp. 1–106, at p. 19 n.

53.

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2020-07-24: Binding description added.

A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges