MS. Canon. Liturg. 150

Summary Catalogue no.: 19284

Portable Monastic Psalter with Antiphons; Italy, Venice, 15th century, end

Portable monastic psalter with antiphons

Fols. i–ii are blank apart from modern notes.

[item I occupies quire I]

1. (fols. 1r–14v)

Calendar, written in red and black, laid out with each month occupying approximately two and a half pages, graded to 12 lessons and ‘duplex maior’. Most of December is missing owing to the loss of a leaf after fol. 14. Includes three feasts of St Mark (Sancti Marci euangeliste domini, 25 April; Apparitio sancti marci, 25 June; and Translatio, 31 January) and other Venetian feasts, such as Theodosia of Tyre (3 April), Isidore, martyr (16 April), and the dedication of St Mark’s basilica (8 October), all in red. The translation of Benedict (21 March) with octave and Placidus (5 October) is in red. The presence of Bernardino of Siena (d. 1444, canonized 1450), 20 May, suggests that the psalter was written after the middle of the 15th century. The feast of Roche (16 August) may suggest a date after the translation of his relics to Venice in 1478, though it is only graded with a commemoration. The months are headed by notes on the length of the solar and lunar month and the number of hours in day and night.

[items 2–4 occupy quires II–XXXII]

2. (fols. 15r–296v)

Psalms 1–150 (Roman version) in the biblical order, starting with a rubric ‘Hic continent omnes psalmi dauid. Incipit psalterium monasticum in nomine sancte trinitatis. Amen’. Psalms are laid out as prose, with rubrics ‘psalmus’ or ‘psalmus dauid’, without numbers. Punctuated throughout with punctus used to mark the ends of verses, and punctus, punctus elevatus or colon occasionally used to mark metrum. Psalms 85: 10–86: 1 and 110: 2–111: 1 are missing because of the loss of two leaves, one after fol. 175 and another after fol. 227. The psalms are accompanied by chapters and hymns with rubrics referring to monastic use:

Primo dierum omnium (Chevalier, no. 15450) and Nocte surgentes uigilemus (Chevalier, no. 12035) (fols. 43r–44v, after psalm 19);
Benedictio et claritas (Revelation, 7: 12), Eterne rerum conditor (Chevalier, no. 647), Ecce iam noctis tenuatur umbra (Chevalier, no. 5129), Sonno refectis artibus spreto (Chevalier, no. 19210) (fols. 64r–66v, after psalm 31);
Consurge in nocte (Lamentations 2: 19) (fol. 82r, after psalm 37);
Nox precessit dies (Romans 13: 12–13), Splendor paterne (Chevalier, no. 19349), Consors paterni luminis (Chevalier, no. 3830) (after psalm 44, fols. 95v–97r);
Alex [sic] diei nuntius (Chevalier, no. 795), Rerum creator optime (Chevalier, no. 17322) (after psalm 58, fols. 118v–119v);
Dilicite iusticiam (Wisdom 1: 1–2) (after psalm 67, fol. 133v);
Nox et tenebre et nubila (Chevalier, no. 12402), Nox atra rerum (Chevalier, no. 12396) (after psalm 72, fols. 146r–147r);
Qui confidunt (Wisdom 3: 9) (after psalm 78, fol. 164v);
Lux ecce surgit (Chevalier, no. 10811), Tv trinitatis vnitas (Chevalier, no. 20713) (after psalm 84, fols. 173v–174v);
Benignus est (Wisdom 1: 6–7) (after psalm 94, fol. 192v);
Eterna celi gloria (Chevalier, no. 609), Svmme deus clementie (Chevalier, no. 19636) (after psalm 100, fols. 199r–200v);
Avrora iam spargit (Chevalier, no. 1633) (after psalm 108, fol. 226r–v);
Benedictus deus et pater domini (Corinthians II, 1: 3–4), Lvcis creator optime (Chevalier, no. 17328), Te lucis ante terminum (Chevalier, no. 20136), Christe qui lux es et dies (Chevalier, no. 2934), Tv autem in nobis (Jeremiah 14: 9) (after psalm 112, fols. 229v–232r);
Iam lucis orto sydere (Chevalier, no. 9272) (after psalm 117, fol. 239r–v);
Regi autem (1 Timothy 1: 17), Nunc sancte nobis spiritus (Chevalier, no. 12586) (after psalm 118: 32, fol. 243r);
Deus caritas est (John I, 4: 16), Rector potens (Chevalier, no. 17061) (after psalm 118: 56, fols. 245v–246r);
Alter alterius honera portate (Galatians 6: 2), Rerum deus tenax uigor (Chevalier, no. 17328) (after psalm 118: 80, fol. 248v);
Empti enim estis pretio mango (‘capitulim’) (1 Corinthians 6: 20), Dei fide qua uiuimus (Chevalier, no. 4323) (after psalm 118: 104, fols. 251r–252r);
Salua me domine et sanabor (Jeremiah 17: 14), Qua christus hora siciit (Chevalier, no. 15840) (after psalm 118: 128, fol. 254r–v);
Ternis teroris [sic] (Chevalier, no. 20356) (after psalm 118: 152, fol. 257r–v);
Inmense celi conditor (Chevalier, no. 8453) (after psalm 128, fol. 266v);
Telluris ingens conditor (Chevalier, no. 20268) (after psalm 132, fols. 270v–271r);
Celi deus sanctissime (Chevalier, no. 3483) (after psalm 137, fol. 277r–v);
Magne deus potentie (Chevalier, no. 10935) (after psalm 140, fol. 283r–v);
Plasmator hominis deus (Chevalier, no. 14968) (after 144: 9, fol. 289r–v);
O lus [sic] beata trinitas (Chevalier, no. 13150) (after psalm 147, fol. 293v).

There are textual divisions at psalms appointed to be recited first at Matins on Sunday and during the week in monastic use (20, 32, 45, 59, 73, 85, 101), Sunday Vespers in monastic and secular use (109), as well as psalms 68 and 95 (see ‘Decoration’). Subdivisions within psalms are marked with rubrics ‘diuisio’ or ‘psalmus’ and 2-line initials at 9: 20 (fol. 25r), 17: 26 (fol. 38r), 36: 27 (fol. 78r), 67: 20 (‘Prosperum iter ...’, fol. 131v), 68: 17 (fol. 135v), 77: 36 (fol. 158v), 88: 20 (fol. 180r), 103: 25 (fol. 207v), 104: 23 (fol. 210v), 105: 32 (fol. 215v), 106: 25 (fol. 219v), 138: 11 (‘Et dixi ...’, fol. 278v), 143: 9 (fol. 287r) and 144: 10 (fol. 289v). Psalm 118 is subdivided into twenty-two 8-verse units.

The text contains some corrections by erasure, addition or substitution in a contemporary hand (e.g. fols. 75v–76r, 196v–197r, 212r, 221v–222r).

Psalms recited at Lauds in monastic use are marked with crosses in brown ink in the margins: 35 (fol. 74r), 42 (fol. 90r), 50 (fol. 105r), 56 (fol. 114r), 62 (fol. 123r), 63 (fol. 124r), 64 (fol. 125v), 66 (fol. 129r), 75 (fol. 151r), 87 (fol. 176v), 89 (fol. 183v), 90 (fol. 185r), 91 (fol. 187r), 94 (fol. 191r), 117 (fol. 236v), 142 (fol. 284v). Also marked are psalms 90 and 94.

3. (fols. 296v–313r)

Weekly canticles (Roman version) with rubrics ‘canticum’ or ‘psalmus’:

(1) Confitebor tibi domine (Isaiah 12);
(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), subdivided at verse 8, ‘Nvmquid in fluminibus ...’, rubric ‘psalmus’;
(6) Attende celum (Deuteronomy 32: 1–44), subdivided at verse 30, ‘Qvomodo persequentur ...’, rubric ‘psalmus’.

4. (fols. 313r–314v)

Benedicite omnia opera ... , with rubric ‘hymnus’, imperfect at the end because of the loss of leaves, ending ‘... laudemus et superexaltemus eum in se’ (Daniel 3: 88). Fols. 315–316 are blank apart from modern notes.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: aduersus dominum (psalter, fol. 16r)

Form: codex

Support: parchment; paper fly-leaves; the lower margin is cut off on several leaves in the calendar, but there is no obvious loss of text

Extent: 319 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): c. 157 × 111 mm.

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

Foliation: modern, in pencil; i–ii + 1–64 + 64* + 65–316.

Collation

(fols. i–ii) fol. i is a paper fly-leaf conjoint with the upper pastedown; fol. ii is a paper fly-leaf | (fols. 1–14) I (14−1) missing 14 | (fols. 15–64) II–VI (10) | (fols. 64*–69) VII (6) no loss of text | (fols. 70–169) VIII–XVII (10) | (fols. 170–178) XVIII (10−1) missing 7 | (fols. 179–218) XIX–XXII (10) | (fols. 219–227) XXIII (10−1) missing 10 | (fols. 228–307) XXIV–XXXI (10) | (fols. 308–314) XXXII (10−3) missing 8, 9 and 10. Catchwords survive.

Layout

Ruled in pale ink with single vertical bounding lines extending the full height of page; 14 lines per page; written below the top line; written space: c. 94 × 68 mm.

Hand(s)

Large formal Gothic book hand, dark brown ink.

Decoration

Red and blue penwork KL monograms in the calendar.

6-line gold Beatus-initial in a square frame, decorated with red and blue penwork (fol. 15r).

3- to 5-line red and blue penwork initials at the beginnings of psalms 20 (fol. 45r), 32 (66v), 45 (fol. 97v), 59 (fol. 119v), 68 (fol. 134r), 73 (fol. 147v), 85 (fol. 175r), 95 (fol. 193r), 101 (fol. 200v) and 109 (fol. 226v).

2-line plain red and blue initials at the beginnings of psalms, hymns, chapters and canticles.

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

Guide-letters often survive.

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

Soranzo’s binding: parchment over pasteboard; small stiff flaps on the fore-edges of covers. ‘150’ written in black ink on spine. Brown leather label on spine with gilt lettering ‘PSALTERIUM || MONASTICUM || ETC. || COD . MEMB.’. Paper label on spine printed ‘Canonici || Liturg.’. Sewn on four cords. Pastedowns and fly-leaves of stiff paper with burgundy and purple floral designs (carta bassanese).

History

Origin: 15th century, end ; Italian, Venice

Provenance and Acquisition

Made for a Benedictine monastery (?) in Venice: liturgical evidence.

Jacopo Soranzo (1686–1761): binding. After Soranzo’s death by about 1780 at Cá Cornèr at San Maurizio, Venice (Mitchell, 1969).

Matteo Luigi Canonici of Venice (1727–c. 1806): bought soon after 1780.

Bodleian Library: bought in 1817 from Canonici’s nephew Giovanni Perissinotti.

Record Sources

Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue (Oxford, 2013), pp. 599–603. Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 348

Bibliography

Select bibliography:

Summary catalogue, vol. 4, no. 19284.

Frere, no. 184.

S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 2: Office Books (typescript, 1957), p. 98

Pächt and Alexander (1966–73), vol. 2, list, p. 105.

Ragusa, I., ‘An illustrated psalter from Lyre Abbey’, Speculum 46 (1971), pp. 267–81, at p. 278.

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2024-06: Encode full description from Solopova catalogue.

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