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MS. Auct. D. 2. 16

Summary Catalogue no.: 2719

Landevennec Gospels or Leofric Gospels

Gospels; France (Landevennec), s. x 1/2, with additions at St Bertin and Exeter, s. xi

Contents

Gospels

The four Gospels (fols. 29, 73, 102, 146v), followed by:

Capitulare evangeliorum (Benedictine Use)

Introduction (fol. 178: Incipit argumentum), Christmas tide (fol. 178); the months January-March (fol. 178v) with 9 weeks after the Epiphany; Septuagesima-Easter (fol. 180v); Easter tide (fol. 183), including April and May; Whitsun tide (fol. 184v) with the months June-December (fol. 185); the 24 Sundays after Pentecost (fol. 188v); the 5 weeks of Advent (fol. 188v). The genealogy of Christ according to St. Matthew has an additional title and notation (fols. 29, 30). The Wednesdays and Fridays after Pentecost have titles but no texts.

In the Gospel of St. Mark the parts are indicated with c. s. t.; those of St. Matthew and St. John use the following three signs: + − ; in the Gospel of St. Luke (fol. 138) both systems occur.

Language(s): Latin

Additions were made at Exeter in the second half of the eleventh century on two added quires:

(fols. 1–2v)

Record of the gifts of bishop Leofric to Exeter

Language(s): Old English
(fols. 8–14)

List of the relics given to the monastery at Exeter by King Athelstan (d. 939)

Language(s): Old English

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: iii + 190 + 5 + iii fol.
Dimensions (leaf): 300 × 220 mm.
Dimensions (written): 200 × 130 mm.

Layout

26 lines

Musical Notation:

Late (?) 11th cent. neumatic notation of the Exeter (?) type with some Notker letters.

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander i. 427, pl. XXXV; i. 433, pl. XXXV (additions, fols. 72 and 146):

Good canon tables.

Good miniatures.

Good initials.

Fine miniatures added, eleventh century, second quarter.

Fine initial added, eleventh century, second quarter.

Full-page coloured drawings of the evangelists (fols. 28v, 71v, 101v) that of St. John being cut out; elaborate capitals (fols. 16, 29, 30, 73, 102); 11th cent. full-page miniatures of St. Mark and St. John (fols. 72v, 146) and elaborate initial (fol. 146v).

History

Origin: French, Brittany, Landevennec, Benedictine abbey (dedication of the basilica is on 13 May, fol. 183v), 10th century, first half. Additions, fols. 72 and 146, Saint-Omer, abbey of St. Bertin, 11th century, second quarter. Additions, fols. 1–2v, 8–14, English, Exeter, cathedral, 11th century, second half

Provenance and Acquisition

Given to Exeter by Bishop Leofric (sed. 1050–72)

Given by the Dean and Chapter of Exeter in 1602.

Record Sources

Description adapted (2018) from the following sources:
S. J. P. Van Dijk, Handlist of the Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford : Vol. 1: Mass Books (typescript, 1957), pp. 20–21 [contents, physical description]
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, I (1966), nos. 427, 433 [decoration, origin, provenance]
N. R. Ker, Catalogue of manuscripts containing Anglo-Saxon (1957), no. 291 [fols. 1–2v, 8–14]
Previously described in the Summary Catalogue (1922).
Summary Catalogue, Vol. 2, part 1, p. 511
Summary Catalogue, Vol. 2, part 1, p. 512

Availability

To ensure its preservation, access to this item is restricted, and readers are asked to work from reproductions and published descriptions as far as possible. If you wish to apply to see the original, please click the request button above. When your request is received, you will be asked to contact the relevant curator outlining the subject of your research, the importance of this item to that research, and the resources you have already consulted.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Digital Bodleian (31 images from 35mm slides)

Surrogates

Matthew T. Hussey, Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile (Binghamton, NY: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2014), vol. 22: Exeter Manuscripts

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2018: Description revised with reference to van Dijk, Pächt and Alexander, and Ker