MS. Laud Misc. 454

Summary Catalogue no.: 1140

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1r-121v)

Rubric: (fol. 1r) Lectura super partem psalterii et quedam questiones Domini Rob’ prioris.

Added on the flyleaf in a contemporary hand.

Stegmüller, Bibl. 7453. He attributes this work to Robert of Cricklade without explanation.

The work may be the commentary on the psalms by Robert of Bridlington, known to have existed but not yet identified. Copies of this work are recorded at Bridlington in the early 13th century (A4.9, A5.12) and at Guisborough (Registrum Anglie, R54.5). The other candidate for this text is Stegmüller, Bibl. 7377, beginning ‘A quibusdam fratribus diu rogatus’. This work is found in London, British Library, Royal MS. 3 B. xi (as an anonymous Excerptum cuiusdam in Psalterium ex dictis sanctorum); Durham, University Library, MS Cosin V. V. 19, fols. 31v–41v; and Valencia, Cathedral Library, MS 124 (where it is ascribed to a Master Richard). Syon Abbey, MS F. 20, was recorded in its catalogue as ‘Bridlyngton super Psalterium, cum canticis, symbolo Anastasii, et oratione dominica’. Sharpe, Latin Writers, s.v. ‘Robert of Bridlington’, identifies this book with one that Bale saw at the house of Richard Grafton, with the same incipit.

Ps. 32:6

Incipit: (fol. 2r) ‘Verbo domini ⟨celi⟩ firmati sunt.’ Psalmus 32. Superbonus deus et increat⟨us essent⟩ia cuius essentia est ante contentiam. cuius est rerum omnium pro⟨ui⟩dentia. cuius est bonitas excessiua. bonitatem suam conspiciens et limpidissime intelligens quod communicata et participata

Explicit: (fol. 2v) concupiscentia enim illius perducet ad regnum perpetuum. ad quod regnum uos perducit etc.

Ps. 1

Incipit: (fol. 2v) ‘Beatus uir etc.’ Aduertendum est primo pro introductione ad istum librum quod tota scriptura diuina potest diuidi principaliter in .8. partes secundum .8. modos docendi. quos assumit.

Ps. 2

Incipit: (fol. 7v) ‘Quare fremuerunt gentes etc.’ In omnibus translationibus quibus utitur ecclesia. hic ponitur principium. Dauid psalmus. tamen secundum hebreos est unus et idem psalmus cum precedenti.

The last complete page is fol. 120v, discussing Ps. 33:22.

Explicit: uniuersitati creaturarum consummacionem/ qui iustum oderunt peccatis preteritos grauantur||

The text appears to have broken off on fol. 121v, which has been mostly torn away, with only a few lines remaining in the first column.

Explicit: redemisti nos deo in sanguine tuo et||

(fols. 122r–125v)

Blank. Fol. 122 partially torn away with fol. 121. Fols. 123v–125v are ruled.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: parchment

Extent: i (early modern paper flyleaf) + 127 + i (early modern paper flyleaf) leaves

Dimensions (leaf): 370 × 260 mm.

Foliation: Modern foliation.

Collation

Catchwords.

Layout

Ruled in ink for 2 columns of 60 lines, ruled space 285 × 190 mm.

Hand(s)

Gothic cursiva antiquior.

Decoration

Blue initials with red penwork decoration.

Binding

Standard Laudian binding: brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard. No ties.

History

Origin: 14th century, second half ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

James, The Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover, p. 526 attributes the volume to Canterbury, Christ Church Cathedral Priory, but Medieval Libraries of Great Britain (2nd edn), p. 40 rejects this.

Inscribed, ‘Anony: in psalmos 34.’ (fol. 1r), 16th century. A hand of the same date makes occasional annotations and adds citations to the beginnings of many sections, updating the text to the Hebrew numbering (e.g. ‘Psalmus .33.’, fol. 109v).

William Laud; no date.

Received with Laud’s first donation.

Record Sources

Description by Andrew Dunning (April 2023). Previously described in the Quarto Catalogue (H. O. Coxe, Laudian Manuscripts, Quarto Catalogues II, repr. with corrections, 1969, from the original ed. of 1858–1885).

Quarto Catalogue, col. 327

Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 49

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2023-04-26: Andrew Dunning Revised with consultation of original.

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