MS. Auct. D. 4. 3

Summary Catalogue no.: 4052

Portable Psalter; Flanders, region of Bruges (?), c. 1265–1275, with additions in England, c. 1400

Fols. i–iii are parchment fly-leaves, blank apart from notes of various dates (see ‘Provenance’).

[item 1 occupies quire I]

1. (fols. 1r–6v)

Calendar, written in red and black, laid out one month per page, approximately one-third full, not graded. Contains Vincent of Saragossa (22 January), Lawrence (10 August), Egidius (1 September), Remigius, Germanus, Vedast and Bavo (1 October), Dionysius and his Companions (9 October), Martin (11 November) with octave (18 November), Bricius, bishop of Tours, the successor of Martin (13 November), Catherine (25 November), Nicholas (6 December) and Nicasius, bishop of Reims (14 December), all in red. Also contains other saints (in black) venerated in the dioceses of Thérouanne and Tournai, including the translation of Martin (4 July), Leodegar of Autun (2 October), Maximus, bishop of Riez (27 November), Bertin of St-Omer (3 September) and Winnoc (6 November). In addition the calendar contains saints venerated in Bruges, such as Donatianus, bishop of Reims (14 October), and ‘translatio sancti basilij’ (14 June, Bishop Basil, patron of the chapel of St Basil and the Holy Blood in Bruges), as well as saints widely venerated in north-eastern France and the Netherlands, such as Lambert, bishop of Liège (17 September), Aldegundis (30 January), Amand and Vedast (6 February), Servatus of Maastricht, Livinus and the deposition of Erembertus, whose relics were at St Peter’s, Ghent (‘depositio s. Heriberti episcopi’, 30 April). Thomas Becket is erased on 29 December. The months are headed by verses on the ‘Egyptian’ days which correspond to Hennig’s (1955) set III. [items 2–5 occupy quires II–XXIV]

2. (fols. 7r–192r)

Psalms 1–150, written with each verse starting on a new line, without titles. The leaf which originally contained the Beatus-initial is missing, so that the first psalm begins ‘Qui non abiit ...’. The psalms are in the biblical order; subdivisions within psalms are not indicated, apart from psalm 118, subdivided into twenty-two 8-verse units. Punctuated throughout with punctus elevatus used to mark metrum and minor pauses, and punctus used to mark the ends of verses. There are textual divisions at psalms 26, 38, 51, 52, 68, 80, 97, 101 and 109 (see ‘Decoration’). The numbers of psalms 1–50 are added in the margins in Roman numerals and, beginning with psalm 38, in Arabic numerals, possibly by the 15th-century owner Rose Tresham (see ‘Provenance’), who may have also written ‘Beatus vir’ on fol. 7r.

3. (fols. 192r–202v)

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).

4. (fols. 202v–209v)

Daily canticles, prayers and creeds, without titles:

(1) Te deum laudamus (fol. 202v);
(2) Benedicite omnia opera (fol. 204r);
(3) Benedictus dominus deus (fol. 205v);
(4) Magnificat (fol. 206r);
(5) Nunc dimittis (fol. 206v);
(6) Athanasian Creed (Quicumque uult ...) (fol. 207r).

5. (fols. 210r–223v)

Sarum litanies for days of the week, added c. 1400 in England. The litanies are preceded by antiphons, beginning ‘Ne reminiscaris domine delicta nostra . . .’. The litany for ‘feria .ij.’ is followed by petitions and, on fols. 215v–217v, by seven collects with rubrics ‘oracio’:

(1) Deus cui proprium est misereri semper et parcere suscipe ...
(2) Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui facis mirabilia magna solus ...
(3) Deus qui caritatis dona per gratiam sancti spiritus tuorum cordibus fidelium infundis ...
(4) Deus a quo sancta desideria recta consilia et iusta sunt ...
(5) Ineffabilem misericordiam tuam nobis quesumus domine clementer ostende ut simul nos ...
(6) Fidelium deus omnium conditor et redemptor animabus omnium fidelium defunctorum ...
(7) Pietate tua quesumus domine nostrorum solue vincula ...

On fol. 217v in the litany for ‘feria .iij.’ the invocation ‘sancte Thoma’ is erased and overwritten with ‘sancta Iohanna papa’. Fols. 224–227 are parchment fly-leaves, blank, apart from notes of various dates (see ‘Provenance’).

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: us es tu ego hodie (psalter, fol. 8r)

Form: codex

Support: parchment

Extent: 230 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): c. 143 × 99 mm.

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

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

Collation

(fols. i–iii) parchment fly-leaves; fols. i–iii are a bifolium, fol. ii is a singleton | (fols. 1–6) I (6) | (fols. 7–106) II–XI (10) | (fols. 107–108) XII (2) no loss of text | (fols. 109–208) XIII–XXII (10) | (fols. 209–216) XXIII (6+2) fols. 210–215 are made from a different parchment from the rest of the manuscript and contain 14th-century additions (see ‘Text’); fols. 209 and 216 are a bifolium; fol. 209 is the last leaf containing text in the original hand; fol. 216 was originally blank, but was ruled to accommodate the additions (its ruling is identical with the ruling of other leaves containing the additions) | (fols. 217–223) XXIV (8−1) added quire, containing 14th-century additions; missing 8 | (fols. 224–227) two parchment bifolia. Fols. 209 and 216 were probably the outer bifolium of a ten-leaf quire, originally containing the litany. The remaining leaves of this quire were lost or removed and replaced with the three bifolia containing Sarum litanies. Catchwords survive at the ends of quires.

Layout

Ruled in plummet with two sets of vertical and horizontal bounding lines, extending the full height and width of page; 19 lines per page; written above the top line (see Oliver, 1985, p. 139 n. 27 and compare MS. Liturg. 396 and MS. Douce 49); written space: variable, typically c. 82 × 45 mm. ; prickings survive. The ruling of the additions (c. 1400) imitates the ruling of the original, but is in a light brown ink. The text of the additions on fols. 210r–211r is written above the top line, resulting in 19 lines per page; the rest is written below the top line resulting in 18 lines per page

Hand(s)

Formal Gothic book hands (c. 1300 and c. 1400), black and dark grey ink.

Decoration

Gold KL monograms on blue and pink backgrounds in the calendar.

Miniatures with the Labours of the Months set within architectural niches: January: man with winged headgear warming himself by the fire and drinking out of a bowl February: woman with a candle March: man pruning a tree with an axe April: man wearing a foliate chaplet and holding his hands up, as if dancing May: man with a hawk June: man carrying wood on his back July: man mowing hay with a scythe August: man reaping grain September: man cutting grapes; a basket of grapes in his hand October: man sowing November: man knocking down acorns for pigs December: man slaughtering a pig.

Half-page historiated initials on gold backgrounds at liturgical divisions. Some initials are decorated with tendrils, extending into margins, ending with floral decorations or human heads (fols. 87v and 109r).

fol. 35r, Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)), The Anointing of David. This subject was used to illustrate psalm 26 in northern France, but not in the Bruges–Ghent region during the 13th century (Carlvant, 1986, p. 93). Bruges–Ghent psalters with Davidic cycles have David pointing to his eyes at psalm 26. However, the same subject occurs in Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Laud Lat. 85, contemporary with MS. Auct. D. 4. 3 and possibly made in the Same workshop (Carlvant, 1978, p. 93), and in a late 13th-century psalter from the diocese of Thérouanne, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale MS. lat. 1076 (Carlvant, 1986, p. 93).
fol. 53r, Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)), King David pointing to his mouth before a male saint, holding a book.
fol. 69r, Psalm 51 (initial Q(vid)), King David and the Devil, red-headed, white, hairy.
fol. 70r, Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)), King David speaking to a shepherd (?), holding a staff.
fol. 87v, Psalm 68 (initial S(aluum)), King David praying in waters; half-figure of Christ above, with cruciform halo, blessing.
fol. 109r, Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)), King David playing three bells.
fol. 128v, Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)), Two clerics singing from a book on a lectern.
fol. 131v, Psalm 101 (initial D(omine)), King David kneeling before an altar with a chalice.
fol. 149v, Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)), Trinity: two seated figures with cruciform halos, one hand raised, another holding a book; nimbed white dove descending from a cloud.

2- to 3-line gold initials on pink and blue backgrounds, decorated with white floral, arabesque and bird designs at the beginnings of psalms, canticles, prayers and litany. Some initials are decorated with gold tendrils on blue and pink backgrounds, extending into the margins; the tendril on fol. 7v ends with a human head.

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

Red and blue penwork line-endings.

Binding

Faded red tawed leather over wood boards with a slightly rounded bevel, possibly original. Sewn on four double leather cords; four raised bands on spine. Paper label on spine with printed ‘D. || 4. 3.’; ‘103’ written on spine in white paint. Fragments of two leather straps (now lost) on the upper cover and two catches made of yellow metal on the lower cover. Gilt edges of textblock (gilding post-dates the binding (?)). Fols. i and 227, probably originally pastedowns, were already detached from the covers in the 15th century (fol. i recto contains late 15th-century additions).

History

Origin: c. 1265–75, additions c. 1400 ; Flemish, region of Bruges (?) ; additions England

Provenance and Acquisition

The psalter has many similarities in the calendar, script, codicological features and decoration with Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Laud Lat. 85 and may have been produced in the same workshop (Carlvant, 1978, pp. 93–5; and 1986). Both psalters were brought to England in the 14th century, where litanies were replaced with new, largely identical standard Sarum texts. According to Carlvant, MS. Laud Lat. 85 contains no clear indication of its destination and its calendar entries are too sparse to allow conclusions (1978, p. 93; 1986, p. 94). The calendar of MS. Auct. D. 4. 3 has saints venerated in north-eastern France, but also in Bruges, such as Donatianus and Basil. This is not unique, as MS. Douce 49, made for the use of the diocese of Thérouanne, also has saints venerated in French Flanders, as well as Donatianus and Basil. The calendar of MS. Douce 49, however, has more features associated with the diocese of Thérouanne and the region of St-Omer, such as Audomar (9 September) in red. The psalter may have been made for a lay patron: its textual contents are simple and the calendar is not graded.

In England by c. 1400 when the litanies were added.

Rose Tresham, daughter of Sir Thomas Tresham (?) (d. 1471), see ODNB: ‘Lerne to kepe your book(e)s fayre and ockapy them well and vse to clasp them whan you haue done. Rose tressham’ (fol. 6v, 15th century, end; a motto used by Thomas Betson, librarian of Syon Abbey, d. 1516 (see Erler, 2002)). Rose Tresham may have also added ‘Beatus vir’ on fol. 7r and numbered psalms 1–50 (see ‘Text’).

Syon Abbey (?). Rose Tresham may have been the aunt of the nun of Syon Clemence Tresham, who is also known to have owned books (see Bell, 1995, pp. 184–5; Erler, 2002, pp. 142, 146, 148–9). The daughter of James Yate of Buckland (see below) and Mary Fettyplace, Elizabeth Yate, and her aunts Eleanor Fettyplace (d. 1565) and Dorothy Fettyplace (d. 1586) were also nuns at Syon. After the dissolution of the Abbey in 1539 and up to its re-establishment in 1557, Elizabeth, Eleanor and Dorothy lived with a small group of other nuns in Buckland with James Yate. Eleanor, Dorothy and Elizabeth are all known to have owned books (Bell, 1995, pp. 176–7, 194, 196, 197–8; Erler, 2002, pp. 85–99).

‘non christum istum set christum crede per istum’, 15th century, fol. i recto.

Oliver Yate, 16th century. The Yate(s) family acquired the manor of Buckland, Berkshire, in 1544 (The Victoria history of Berkshire, vol. 4, p. 455). It was sold by Henry VIII to John Yate (d. 1576), son of James Yate and Mary Fettyplace. John Yate was succeeded by his son Edward Yate (d. 1596), who was in turn succeeded by his son Edward (d. 1645) (see below). The Yates continued to be Catholics after the Reformation (Wright, 1966, pp. 31–7). John Yate and his wife Mary Justice appear on the list of recusants of Berkshire in 1577 (Wright, 1966, p. 34). (fol. i recto) ‘Oliverus Yate me possidet teste Edwardo Andrewe et Thoma Stynton’ or possibly ‘Thoma Wynton’, followed by a paraph. (fol. ii recto) Legal formulas with the standard fictitious names of the ‘pledges of prosecution’. Some of the Yate family were lawyers: Edward Yate was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1567 and his son Edward in 1596 (Sturgess, 1949). ‘Oliverus Yate queritur de Johanno Johnson in custodia marr(escalli) etc et sunt plegii de prosequendo scilicet Johannes Doo et Ricardus Roo’ (‘Oliver Yate complains of John Johnson, being in the custody of the marshal etc and there are pledges of prosecution, that is to say, John Doo and Richard Roo’). (fol. iii recto, written upside down) ‘A most exquisite booke written with a penn’, ‘worthie’ and ‘Oliver yate oweth this book’. (fol. 223v) ‘Omnes sanctes orate pro nobis’, added at the end of the litany, followed by ‘Oliverus . . .’ (?) (smudged). ‘Ricardus Brome queritur de ... Pope’, ‘Johannes Robert’, ‘Johannes Collyns’, ‘Thomas’, ‘Petrus Busshopp’.

Edward Yate of Buckland, Berkshire, born in 1578. The son of Edward Yate (d. 1596), he was made baronet in 1622, was Sheriff of Berkshire from 1628 to 1629, recusant in 1644 and died in 1645 (see The Victoria history of Berkshire, vol. 3, p. 455; Wright, 1966, pp. 36–7). ‘liber Eduardi Yate Somatochristiani Ex dono ornatissimi viri M(agist)ri Eduardi Yate de Buckland armigeri consanguinei sui datus 7 Julij anno (?) domini 1601o’, fol. 1r (faded because of the application of reagent). Edward Yate is referred to as ‘somatochristianus’ because he became the owner of the psalter while at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (for other attestations of ‘somatochristianus’, meaning ‘member of Corpus Christi College, Oxford’, see Ramminger, Neulateinische Wortliste). Edward Yate received his BA degree whilst at Corpus Christi on 26 May 1601 and MA on 2 May 1606 (Foster, 1891–92, p. 1699).

John Collins: ‘John Collins is the owner of this booke’, 17th century, early, fol. i recto. John Collins is mentioned as a tenant in Buckland in the orders of a Court held in Buckland in 1593 (Wright, 1966, p. 35).

‘John Collins || Mary Collins || Henry Thibe (or ‘Tythe’) || Bartholomeus Stowght || Peter Jackson || Henr’, 17th century, fol. i recto.

‘Oliuer Yates’, ‘Robert Well ...’ (?), ‘Smith John’, ‘John Langdon’, 17th century, fol. 224r.

Christopher, first Baron Hatton (bap. 1605, d. 4 July 1670), see ODNB.

Robert Scott, London bookseller (b. in or before 1632, d. 1709/10), see ODNB: purchased part of the library of Christopher Hatton after his death.

Bodleian Library: bought from Robert Scott in 1671; came to the Library in September 1671 (see Summary catalogue, vol. 2, part 2, pp. 801–2). The shelfmark ‘Auctarium’ was given c. 1789, when books then considered most valuable in the Library were moved to the Auctarium (one of the schools in the Bodleian Library quadrangle) (see Summary catalogue, vol. 1, pp. xiv, xxxix–xl). Earlier shelfmark: ‘Hatton 27’ (fol. 1r).

Record Sources

Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue (Oxford, 2013), pp. 334–41. Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Summary Catalogue, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 813

Summary Catalogue, Vol. 2, part 2, p. 814

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (10 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. 35.

Frere, no. 434.

The Victoria history of Berkshire, 4 vols. (London: Archibald Constable; St Catherine Press, 1906–27).

Summary catalogue, vol. 2, part 2, no. 4052.

Sturgess, H. A. C. (ed.), Register of admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, from the fifteenth century to the year 1944, 3 vols. (London: Published for the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple by Butterworth, 1949).

S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 2: Office Books (typescript, 1957), p. 94

Wright, A. S. N., The history of Buckland in the county of Berkshire (Oxford: Holywell Press, 1966).

Pächt and Alexander (1966–73), vol. 1, no. 289, pl. XX.

Carlvant (1978), pp. 93–5, 256, 437–8, 477–9.

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. 329.

Oliver, J. H., ‘Medieval alphabet soup: reconstruction of a Mosan psalter-hours in Philadelphia and Oxford and the cult of St Catherine’, Gesta 24/2 (1985), pp. 129–40.

Carlvant, K. B. E., ‘Some modest psalters from thirteenth-century Flanders’, Scriptorium 40 (1986), pp. 88–95, at pp. 91, 93–5.

Gameson, R., ‘The medieval manuscripts of Trinity College, Oxford: Addendum’, Oxoniensia 56 (1991), pp. 77–101, at pp. 84–5.

——, ‘The Danson Psalter (Trinity College, MS 97)’, Trinity College Report 89–90 (1991), pp. 71–83, at pp. 74, 78.

Bell, D. N., What nuns read: books and libraries in medieval English nunneries, Cistercian Studies Series 158 (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1995).

Erler, M. C., ‘Devotional literature’ in L. Hellinga and J. B. Trapp, The Cambridge history of the book in Britain, vol. III, 1400–1557 (Cambridge: CUP, 1999), pp. 495–525, at p. 510 and n. 67.

——, Women, reading, and piety in late medieval England (Cambridge: CUP, 2002), p. 146.

Morgan (2009), pp. 64, 66, 70, 72 n. 10.

Grisé, C. A., ‘Proliferation and purification: the use of books for nuns after Arundel’ in V. Gillespie and K. Ghosh, After Arundel: religious writing in fifteenth-century England (Turnhout: Brepols, 2011), pp. 503–19.

Ramminger, J., Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700 (http:// www.lrz-muenchen.de/~ramminger/; accessed 8 November 2012).

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