MS. Douce 38

Summary Catalogue no.: 21612

Portable Psalter; Flanders, Bruges (?), late 13th or early 14th century

Fols. i–ii are a paper bifolium with notes by Douce (see ‘Provenance’).

[item 1 occupies quire I]

1. (fols. 1r–6v)

Calendar (published and compared with the calendars of other psalters from the Bruges–Ghent area by Carlvant, 1978, pp. 485–508), laid out one month per page, written in red and brown, approximately one-third full, not graded. Contains Donatianus in red (14 October), patron saint of an important parish and collegiate church in Bruges, which served in early modern times as cathedral of the archdiocese of Bruges, Boniface (5 June), patron of a church in Bruges (see Carlvant, 1978, pp. 122–6), Egidius in red (1 September), Lambert, bishop of Liège in red (17 September), Remigius, Germanus, Vedast and Bavo of Ghent in red (1 October), Leodegar of Autun (2 October), Leonard of Limousin (6 November), Eligius in red (1 December) and Nicholas in red (6 December). ‘Thomas e c’ (?) is added in a 14th-century English hand on 18 August and ‘Thomas Jonet’ (?) on 21 November. Months are headed by verses on the ‘Egyptian’ days and notes on the length of the solar and lunar month, e.g. ‘Ianuarius habet dies xxxi luna xxx’. Most verses correspond to Hennig’s (1955) set III, apart from the verses for January and August–October, which roughly correspond to set I (‘Iani prima dies et septima fine timetur’, etc.). There is no verse for June.

[item 2 occupies quire II]

2. (fols. 7r–9v)

Two prefatory miniatures and Beatus-initial, painted on the versos with rectos left blank (see ‘Decoration’). The gathering, at present containing three single leaves, may have originally contained more miniatures, illustrating the life of Christ.

[items 3–6 occupy quires III–XXV]

3. (fols. 10r–210r)

Psalms 1–150, laid out with most verses starting on a new line, without titles. The numbers of psalms 1–10 are added in the margins; and at psalms 6 and 9 there is a note ‘morning prayer’ (fols. 13v, erased, and 16v), probably in the same, later 16th- or 17th-century hand. The numbers of psalms beginning with historiated initials are added in pencil by Douce. Punctuated throughout with punctus elevatus used to mark metrum and minor pauses, and punctus used to mark the ends of verses. The psalms are in the biblical order, subdivisions within psalms are not indicated, apart from psalm 118, subdivided into twenty-two 8-verse units. Psalm 21 ends imperfectly at verse 22, and the opening words of psalm 22 are missing, because of the loss of one leaf after fol. 33 (note ‘deficit folio’ is written on fol. 33v in a 14th-century (?) hand, contemporary and possibly the same as that of the ‘Thomas’ additions in the calendar). Psalm 52 is missing because of the loss of leaves after fol. 77. The text contains corrections in medieval hands. Errors are marked with crosses in the margins, and cancelled by striking through or erasure or left uncorrected. There are textual divisions at psalms 26, 38, 68, 80, 97 and 109, marked with historiated initials and facing miniatures (see ‘Decoration’). Psalm 52 originally also started with a historiated initial and was preceded by a miniature (see ‘Physical description’ (‘Collation’)).

4. (fols. 210r–222r)

Weekly canticles, without titles:

(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);
(6) Audite celi (Deuteronomy 32: 1–44).

5. (fols. 222r–229v)

Daily canticles, prayers and creeds, without titles:

(1) Te deum laudamus (fol. 222r);
(2) Benedicite omnia opera (fol. 223v);
(3) Benedictus dominus deus (fol. 225r);
(4) Magnificat (fol. 225v);
(5) Nunc dimittis (fol. 226v);
(6) Athanasian Creed (Quicumque uult ...) (fol. 226v).

6. (fols. 229v–233r)

Litany, containing saints venerated in the Bruges–Ghent region (published and compared with litanies of other psalters from this area by Carlvant, 1978, pp. 509–12). Donatianus is the first among the confessors, followed by Basil, who appears again towards the end of the list of confessors. The litany also contains Leodegar and Julian (twice) among the martyrs; and Macarius, Audomar, Medard, Eligius and Egidius among the confessors. Followed by collects (fols. 232r–233r), including one to St Nicholas (‘Deus qui beatum ...’):

(1) Concede nos famulos tuos quesumus domine deus perpetua mentis et corporis ...
(2) Exaudi quesumus domine deus supplicum preces ...
(3) Deus qui beatum nicholaum pontificem tuum innumeris decorasti miraculis ...
(4) Absolue domine animas famulorum famularumque tuarum ab omni uinculo delictorum ...
(5) Pretende domine famulis et famulabus tuis dexteram celestis auxilii ...
(6) Omnium sanctorum tuorum quesumus domine supplicatione placatus et ueniam nobis tribue ...
(7) Concede quesumus omnipotens deus fragilitati nostre subsidium ...
(8) Partem beate resurrectionis obtineant anime omnium fidelium defunctorum uitamque eternam ...

Fol. 233v is blank apart from modern notes.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: predicans preceptum eius (psalter, fol. 11r)

Form: codex

Support: parchment; added paper bifolium (fols. i–ii); fols. 230–233 cut with a knife and repaired with laid paper

Extent: 237 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): c. 135 × 95 mm.

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

Foliation: modern, in pencil; i–ii + 1–17a + 17b + 18–205a + 205b + 206–233.

Collation

(fol. i–ii) paper bifolium | (fols. 1–6) I (6) | (fols. 7–9) II (3) three singletons, containing full-page miniatures and the Beatus-initial; more miniatures are probably missing | (fols. 10–28) III–IV (10) | (fols. 29–37) V (10+1−2) missing 6 (the loss of text in psalms 21–22) and 11 (the gathering originally contained at its end an added leaf with a miniature, facing the initial of psalm 26; the miniature was excised, but the stub remains) | (fols. 38–77) VI–IX (10) | (fols. 78–85) X (10−2) missing 1 and 2; text page with psalm 52 and facing miniature excised | (fols. 86–135) XI–XV (10) | (fols. 136–146) XVI (10+1) fol. 142, containing a miniature, is an added singleton | (fols. 147–156) XVII (10) | (fols. 157–165) XVIII (10−1) missing 10 (miniature, which originally faced the initial of psalm 109, is excised) | (fols. 166–224) XIX–XXIV (10) | (fols. 225–233) XXV (10−1) missing 10, but no loss of text. Catchwords, partly cropped off, survive

Layout

Ruled in plummet with two sets of double vertical and two sets of double horizontal bounding lines, extending the full height and width of page; 18 lines per page; prickings visible on some leaves; written below the top line; written space: c. 80 × 53 mm.

Hand(s)

Formal Gothic book hand, brown ink

Decoration

Gold KL monograms on blue and pink backgrounds, and borders made of gold bars on pink and blue backgrounds at the beginning of each month in the calendar.

Miniatures of irregular shapes with the Labours of the Months, often overlapping and obscuring the text. January: man warming his open legs by the fire, next to a table with a jug and cup February: nimbed woman with a candle, standing by an altar March: man pruning a tree with an axe April: man carrying flowering branches May: man with a hawk June: man carrying a bundle of wood on his back July: man mowing hay with a scythe August: man reaping grain September: man picking grapes and putting them in a basket October: man sowing November: man slaughtering an ox December: man baking in an oven.

Full-page miniatures on gold backgrounds (flaking) in architectural frames and historiated initials, occupying most of the page, at liturgical divisions. The prefatory miniature cycle is probably incomplete. Miniatures preceding psalms 26, 52 and 109, and the text page containing the beginning of psalm 52, have been excised (see ‘Physical description’ (‘Collation’)). Prefatory miniatures and a miniature on a single leaf (fol. 142) are painted on the versos, leaving rectos blank (see Carlvant, 1985, p. 329 n. 14). Other miniatures, painted on leaves forming parts of the ten-leaf gatherings, are on the versos with the psalter text on the rectos. The miniatures and initials are on gold backgrounds (flaking) in rectangular frames.

fol. 7v (miniature) Annunciation.
fol. 8v (miniature) Annunciation to the Shepherds.
fol. 9v Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) King David, seated, playing harp in the upper part; David slaying Goliath in the lower part; coiled tendrils and grotesques.
fol. 38r Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)) The Last Supper; coiled tendrils and a grotesque forming the tail of D.
fol. 58v (miniature) The Betrayal; St Peter cutting off Malchus’s ear.
fol. 59r Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)) Flagellation; coiled tendrils and a grotesque forming the tail of D.
fol. 95v (miniature) Entombment: body of Christ embalmed by three men.
fol. 96r Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)) Resurrection: Christ steps out of the tomb, the lid of which is lifted by an angel; guards asleep on the ground; animal head and coiled tendrils, extending into the margins.
fol. 119v (miniature) Noli me tangere.
fol. 120r Psalm 80 (initial (E(xultate)) Incredulity of St Thomas; coiled tendrils, extending into the margins.
fol. 142v (miniature) Ascension.
fol. 143r Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)) Pentecost: seated apostles and the Virgin Mary; nimbed white dove descending from above; coiled tendrils, extending into the margins.
fol. 166r Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)) Coronation of the Virgin (rubbed); grotesque and coiled tendrils forming the tail of D.

Historiated initials: see above.

Borders: see above.

3-line gold initials on blue and pink backgrounds, with gold tendrils on blue and pink backgrounds, extending into margins, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and litany.

Pink and blue panels in the left margins serving as backgrounds to 1-line gold initials at the beginnings of verses and periods. The litany is laid out in two columns with the panels and initials in the left and central margins.

Red and blue penwork line-endings on fols. 10r and 18v (the outer pages of a single bifolium).

Binding

Red leather, possibly as late as the 18th or early 19th century, over medieval wood boards. Original (?) sewing on tawed thongs. The boards retain under the leather the stations of two clasps at the fore-edge. Three raised bands on spine. Fragmentary paper label on spine with ‘PSALTERIVM’ written in ink; fragment of another label at the bottom of the spine. Paper pastedowns.

History

Origin: Flemish, Bruges (?) ; 13th century, late, or 14th century, early

Provenance and Acquisition

Made for the use of Bruges: evidence of the calendar and litany. The simplicity of the textual contents and the absence of grading in the calendar suggest a lay patron. St Nicholas appears in the litany and in red in the calendar. The litany is followed by a collect to St Nicholas (compare MS. Douce 49). Carlvant notes that several psalters from the Bruges–Ghent area, probably made for lay patrons, include images and prayers to St Nicholas of Myra (1978, pp. 338–9). The psalter has many similarities in codicology, illumination and textual contents with other contemporary psalters from the Bruges–Ghent area, such as MS. Auct. D. 4. 2 (‘Tweede Groep’, Carlvant, 1978, pp. 140–57).

14th-century English (?) addition of ‘Thomas Jonet’ (?) in the calendar.

Erased inscriptions in the margins, possibly of different dates, on pages containing miniatures and historiated initials (fols. 7v, 8v, 9v, 38r, 58v–59r, 95v–96r, 119v–120r, 122v–123r, 142v–143r) and on fols. 16r, 146v–147r, 212r. Fragments of text are preserved in the upper margin on fol. 10r; an erased inscription on fol. 212r left an offset on fol. 211v.

Added psalm numbers and short notes in English and Latin on fols. 13v and 16v (see ‘Text’) and fol. 230r (‘archengle . . . Johannes’ (?)) in a later 16th- or 17th-century hand.

Francis Douce, 1757–1834, see ODNB: bookplate on the upper pastedown. His (?) shelfmark (?): ‘B. 7’ in red ink on the upper pastedown (cf. MS. Douce 23, MS. Douce 24, MS. Douce 49).

Bodleian Library: received in 1834 with bequest of Douce.

Record Sources

Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue (Oxford, 2013), pp. 365–71. Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 500

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (26 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Select bibliography to 2009:

Weale, W., ‘Liturgical manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford’, The Ecclesiologist 3 (1 September 1888), p. 36.

Summary catalogue, vol. 4, no. 21612.

Frere, no. 440.

Willard, J. F., ‘Occupations of the months in medieval calendars’, BQR 7 (1932), pp. 33–9, at pp. 34, 36.

Haseloff (1938), p. 67.

Flemish art, 1300–1700: Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953–1954 (London: Royal Academy of Arts, 1953), no. 557.

Diringer, D., The illuminated book: its history and production (New York: Philosophical Library, 1958), p. 437.

S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 2: Office Books (typescript, 1957), p. 92b

Pächt and Alexander (1966–73), vol. 1, no. 293, pls. XXI–XXII.

Carlvant (1978), pp. 134–5, 414–6, 474 and passim.

Carlvant, K. B. E., ‘Trends in Bruges illumination until 1260, apropos a psalter connected with Oostkerke’, Archives et bibliothèques de Belgique 56 (1985), pp. 321–63, at p. 351, n. 50.

Bräm, A., Das Andachtsbuch der Marie de Gavre: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, Ms. nouv. acq. fr. 16251. Buchmalerei in der Diözese Cambrai im letzten Viertel des 13. Jahrhunderts (Wiesbaden: L. Reichert, 1997), p. 161.

Randall, L. M. C. et al., Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery, vol. iii, Belgium, 1250–1530, 2 parts (Baltimore; London: Johns Hopkins University Press in association with the Walters Art Gallery, 1997), part 1, no. 216, p. 14.

Stones, A., ‘The full-page miniatures of the Psalter-Hours New York, PML, MS M. 729. Programme and patron’ in Büttner (2004), pp. 281–307, at pp. 330, 306, 307.

Morgan (2009), p. 69.

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2024-05-07: Encode full description from Solopova catalogue.

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