MS. Canon. Liturg. 20

Summary Catalogue no.: 19233

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

Portable monastic psalter with antiphons

Fols. i–v are blank apart from early modern and modern notes (see ‘Provenance’).

[item 1 occupies quire I]

1. (fols. 1r–6v)

Calendar, written in red and black, laid out one month per page, graded to 12 lessons and ‘duplex maius’. Includes the feast of Servulus, martyr (24 May), with octave, both ‘duplex’ and in red, and ‘Dedicatio basilice sancti seruuli’ (23 November) in red, ‘duplex maius’. There are three feasts of St Mark (‘Sancti Marci euangeliste domini’, 25 April; ‘Apparitio sancti marci’, 25 June; and ‘translatio’, 31 January), all in red. Other Venetian feasts include Theodosia of Tyre (relics in Venice, 3 April) and Isidore, martyr (relics in Venice, 16 April), both in black, and the dedication of St Mark’s basilica (8 October) in red. The inclusion of the feast of Bernardino of Siena (d. 1444, canonized 1450), 20 May, shows that the psalter was written after the middle of the 15th century. Placidus is in red as ‘duplex maius’ (5 October). Fol. 7 is blank.

[items 2–13 occupy quires II–XXII]

2. (fols. 8r–195r)

Psalms 1–150 (‘Incipit ordo psalterii secundum consuetudinem sancti benedicti patris nostri’), Roman version, in the biblical order, laid out as prose with titles ‘psalmus’ or ‘psalmus dauid’. The titles of psalms 1–28 are followed by numbers, in Roman or Arabic numerals, or spelled out as words, in the original hand. Punctuated throughout with punctus elevatus or punctus used to mark metrum, minor pauses and the ends of verses. The psalms are accompanied by antiphons, versicles, responses, hymns, prayers and chapters with rubrics referring to the monastic use. There are textual divisions at psalms 1, 20, 26, 32, 38, 45, 52, 59, 68, 73, 79, 85, 95, 101, 105, 109 (see ‘Decoration’).

Subdivisions within psalms are marked by rubrics ‘diuisio’ or ‘psalmus’ and 2-line initials at 9: 20 (fol. 14v), 17: 26 (fol. 22v), 36: 27 (fol. 47v), 67: 20 (‘Prosperum iter ...’) (fol. 81v), 68: 17 (fol. 85r), 77: 36 (fol. 97v), 88: 20 (fol. 115r), 103: 25 (fol. 135r), 104: 23 (fol. 137r), 105: 32 (fol. 140v), 106: 25 (fol. 143r), 138: 11 (‘Et dixi ...’) (fol. 184r), 143: 9 (fol. 189v) and 144: 10 (fol. 191r). Psalm 118 is subdivided into twenty-two 8- verse units.

The text contains some corrections in a contemporary hand.

3. (fol. 195r–v)

Prayers to be said before and after the recitation of psalms with rubrics ‘oratio’:

(1) Domine deus omnipotens per intercessionem beate semper uirginis marie ...
(2) Concede mihi domine ihesu christe per tuam dulcissimam misericordiam ...

4. (fols. 195v–198r)

Athanasian Creed (Quicumque uult ... ), without a rubric; prayer ‘Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui dedisti famulis tuis ...’.

5. (fols. 198r–201v)

Collects for Sundays after Pentecost with rubrics:

(1) Deus in te sperantium deus fortitudo adesto propitius inuocationibus nostris ...
(2) Sancti nominis tui domine timorem pariter et amorem fac nos habere perpetuum ...
(3) Deprecationem nostram quesumus domine benignus exaudi ...
(4) Protector in te sperantium deus sine quo nichil est ualidum ...
(5) Da nobis quesumus domine ut et mundi cursus pacifice nobis tuo ordine dirigatur ...
(6) Deus qui diligentibus te bona inuisibilia preparasti infussde cordibus nostris tui amoris ...
(7) Deus uirtutum cuius est totum quod est optimum insere pectoribus nostris ...
(8) Deus cuius providentia in sui dispositione non fallitur ...
(9) Largire nobis domine quesumus semper spiritum cogitandi que recta sunt ...
(10) Pateant aures misericordie tue domine precibus supplicantium ...
(11) Deus qui omnipotentiam tuam parcendo maxime et miserando manifestas ...
(12) Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui abundantia pietatis tue et merita supplicum excedis et uota ...
(13) Omnipotens et misericors deus de cuius munere uenit ut tibi a fidelibus tuis digne et laudabiliter seruiatur ...
(14) Omnipotens sempiterne deus da nobis fidei spei et caritatis augumentum [sic] ...
(15) Custodi domine quesumus ecclesiam tuam propitiatione perpetua ...
(16) Ecclesiam tuam domine miseratio continuata mundet et muniat ...
(17) Tua nos domine quesumus gratia semper preueniat ...
(18) Da quesumus domine populo tuo dyabolica uitare contagia ...
(19) Dirigat corda nostra quesumus domine tue miserationis operatio ...
(20) Omnipotens et misericors deus uniuersa nobis aduersantia propitiatus exclude ...
(21) Largire quesumus domine fidelibus tuis indulgentiam placatus et pacem ...
(22) Familiam tuam quesumus domine continua pietate custodi ...
(23) Deus refugium nostrum et uirtus adesto piis ecclesie tue precibus ...
(24) Excita domine quesumus tuorum fidelium uoluntates ut diuini operis fructum ...

6. (fols. 201v–208r)

Responses, versicles and Magnificat antiphons for Sundays after Pentecost with rubrics.

7. (fols. 208r–209r)

Responses and Magnificat antiphons from Septuagesima to the first Sunday in Lent with rubrics.

8. (fols. 209r–211v)

Commemorations for the Common of Saints with rubrics.

9. (fols. 211v–213v)

Collects for Sundays from the Epiphany to Lent with rubrics:

(1) Uota quesumus domine suplicantis populi celesti pietate prosequere ...
(2) Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui celestia simul et terrena moderaris ...
(3) Omnipotens sempiterne deus infirmitatem nostram propitius respice ...
(4) Deus qui nos tantis periculis constitutos pro humana scis fragilitate non posse ...
(5) Familiam tuam quesumus domine continua pietate custodi ut qui in sola spe gratie celestis ...
(6) Preces populi tui quesumus domine clementer exaudi ut qui iuste pro peccatis nostris affligimur ...
(7) Deus qui conspicis qui ex nulla nostra actione confidimus concede propitius ...
(8) Preces nostras quesumus domine clementer exaudi atque a peccatorum uinculis absolutos ...

Collects for Sext, None and Prime on Sundays, feast days and weekdays:

(1) Conserua quesumus domine populum tuum et quem salutaribus presidiis ...
(2) Conserua quesumus domine tuorum corda fidelium et gratie tue uirtute corrobora ...
(3) In hac hora huius diei tua nos quaesumus domine repleat misericordia ut per totum diem ...
(4) Domine deus omnipotens qui ad principium huius diei nos peruenire fecisti ...

10. (fol. 213v)

Two short readings, to be read from Quadragesima to Easter, and from Easter to Pentecost: ‘Quaerite dominum deum inueniri potest invocate eum dum prope est ...’ (Isaiah 55: 6) and ‘Si consurrexistis cum christo que sursum sunt querite ubi christus est ...’ (Colossians 3: 1–2).

11. (fols. 213v–216r)

Office for Matins on Monday.

12. (fols. 216r–221r)

Litany of the Virgin, followed by collects with rubrics ‘oratio’ (fols. 219r–221r):

(1) Dimitte domine peccata nostra et tribue nobis misericordiam tuam quam precamur ut humilitatem nostrum attendas ...
(2) Domina mea regina sancta dei genitrix uirgo gloriosa mater domini mei yesu christi rogo te ...
(3) Anima christi sanctifica me. Corpus christi salua me. Sanguis christi inebria me ...

13. (fols. 221r–222v)

Prayers for the forgiveness of sins, with a rubric ‘Orationes magne indulgentie de peccatis’, and to St Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins, the first three followed by a rubric ‘Pater noster cum aue maria’:

(1) Domine yesu christe rogo te pro nobili humanitate tua in cruce mortua ...
(2) Domine iesu christe saluator et rector totius mundi. Rogo tepro illud gaudium ...
(3) Domine iesu christe rogo te per illud gaudium quod tua dilecta maria magdalena ...
(4) O dulcissime domine yesu christe fili dei uiui inclinare digneris aurem tuam ad preces meas ...
(5) Deus qui nos anima sanctorum uirginum tuarum tribue quesumus ...

Fols. 223–227 are blank.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: unc loquetur ad eos (psalter, fol. 9r)

Form: codex

Support: parchment; paper fly-leaves

Extent: 232 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): c. 119 × 88 mm.

Leaves were trimmed in rebinding causing the loss of decoration.

Foliation: modern, in pencil; i–v + 1–227.

Collation

(fols. i–iv) fol. i is a paper fly-leaf conjoint with the upper pastedown; fols. ii–iii are paper fly-leaves; fol. iv is a parchment singleton | (fols. v–7) I (8) | (fols. 8–57) II–VI (10) | (fols. 58–65) VII (8) no loss of text | (fols. 66–185) VIII–XIX (10) | (fols. 186–193) XX (8) no loss of text | (fols. 194–202) XXI (10−1) missing 10, no loss of text, catchword on fol. 202v | (fols. 203–214) XXII (12) | (fols. 215–222) XXIII (8) | (fols. 223–227) fols. 223–224 are a parchment bifolium; fols. 225–226 are paper flyleaves; fol. 227 is a paper fly-leaf conjoint with the lower pastedown. Leaf signatures survive, as well as catchwords, decorated with penwork and sometimes yellow wash. The leaf signatures are placed underneath the last line of text on a page (emulating printed books?)

Layout

Ruled in plummet with single bounding lines extending the full height of page; 16 lines per page; written below the top line; written space: c. 68 × 55 mm.

Hand(s)

Formal Gothic book hand; black and brown ink.

Decoration

Illumination by an artist known as the Maestro dell'Ovidio de Rimini, active in Venice between 1469 and 1500 (Bollati, 2004).

Red and blue KL monograms in the calendar.

Historiated initials on gold background, decorated with acanthus leaves and borders, in rectangular frames, outlined in gold, black and blue, with sprays of flowers, leaves and gold discs, at textual divisions. The initials for psalms 1 and 109 are eight and seven lines high; the initial for psalm 32 is four lines high; other initials are six lines high. There is no border at psalm 109.

fol. 8r Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)), Half-figure of King David playing psaltery.
(full border) Medallions and panels, outlined in gold, with IHS monogram in rays of light, doe couchant, half-figure of Mary Magdalene, holding a vessel, and half-figure of St Jerome, beating his chest with a stone.
fol. 27v, Psalm 20 (initial D(omine)), Christ surrounded by rays of light, with finger raised, holding a cross-staff.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, in the lower margin, containing half-figure of St Peter, holding keys; initials ‘S[anctus]’ and ‘P[etrus]’ on either side.
fol. 33v, Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)), Half-figure of a young man pointing to his eyes.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, is in the lower margin, containing half-figure of St Paul, holding a sword and a book, looking up at rays of light.
fol. 41r, Psalm 32 (initial G(audete)), Coronation of the Virgin.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, is in the lower margin, containing half-figure of Christ (?) carrying the Cross.
fol. 50r, Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)), Half-figure of King David pointing to his eyes.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, in the lower margin, containing IHS monogram in rays of light.
fol. 60v, Psalm 45 (initial D(eus)), White arabesque designs on blue background.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, in the lower margin, containing IHS monogram in rays of light.
fol. 67r, Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)), Half-figure of winged armoured St Michael, holding a sword and scales.
(full border) A man in short tunic and cloak, holding a sceptre (?), in right margin; laurel wreath with half-figure of St Sebastian. In the lower margin: ‘coprite (?) q’ et f’ce qualche gentileza’.
fol. 75v, Psalm 59 (initial D(eus)), Baptism of Christ with three nimbed attendants.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, in the lower margin, with doe couchant.
fol. 84r, Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)), Half-figure of nude King David, praying in waters.
(full border) Laurel wreath in the lower margin with half-figure of St James (?) with a pilgrim’s (?) staff, looking up at rays of light.
fol. 93v, Psalm 73 (initial U(t)), Coronation of the Virgin.
(full border) Laurel wreath, flanked by two rosettes, in the lower margin, with doe couchant behind a wattle fence.
fol. 103v, Psalm 79 (initial Q(ui)), Christ holding a lamb over his shoulders.
(full border) Laurel wreath in the lower margin with half-figure of John the Evangelist, holding a cross and a book.
fol. 111v, Psalm 85 (initial I(nclina)), Two rosettes.
(full border) Laurel wreath in the lower margin with half-figure of St Sebastian.
fol. 152r, Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)), Half-figure of Christ, holding an orb and blessing.

Borders: see above.

4- to 6-line initials on gold background, decorated with acanthus leaves, floral and arabesque designs, with sprays of flowers, leaves and gold discs extending into margins, at the beginnings of psalms 95 (fol. 123r), 101 (fol. 130v) and 105 (fol. 138v).

2- to 3-line red and blue initials, most with contrasting purple and red penwork extending into margins, at the beginnings of psalms, hymns, chapters and prayers.

The letter following the initial is usually a capital, decorated with black penwork and highlighted with yellow wash. 4-line blue initial with red penwork at the beginning of a hymn after psalm 19.

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

Rubrics in red ink; blue paragraph marks.

Binding

18th century, Italian: thin wood boards; grainy black leather, decorated on each cover with blind and gilt lines to form a blank central panel, its corners marked with a small gilt floral tool; spine with gilt lines and a gilt red-leather label; no clasps; marbled endleaves. Not a standard Canonici style, apart from the spine-label and endleaves. 125–127 × 92–93 × c. 47 mm. (book closed).

(Inherited from a previous binding, before 1516, Venice) gilt gauffered edges with dim outlines of two broad straps; former endleaves (fols. iv-v, 223–4) with marks of broad brown-leather(?) turn-ins and an added inscription marking the Golden Number for 1516.

History

Origin: 15th century, third quarter ; Italian, Venice

Provenance and Acquisition

Made for the Benedictine monastery of San Servolo, Venice: evidence of the calendar.

Added reference to the Golden Number on fol. v verso: ‘nel 1516. l’auro no occor(er)(?)e .xvi.’, facing the calendar page for January, alongside the Golden Number ‘xvi’ at 8 January.

Matteo Luigi Canonici of Venice (1727–c. 1806), but not from the libraries of Soranzo or Trevisan (Mitchell, 1969).

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

Record Sources

Adapted from the following sources:

Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue (Oxford, 2013), pp. 531–8.

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) [binding]

Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 334

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 335

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (1 image from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Select bibliography to 2004:

Frere, no. 180.

S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 2: Office Books (typescript, 1957), p. 99

Pächt and Alexander (1966–73), vol. 2, no. 523, pl. L.

Armstrong, L., Studies of Renaissance miniaturists in Venice (London: Pindar Press, 2003), p. 485.

Bollati (2004), p. 613.

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2024-07: Encode full description from Solopova catalogue.

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