MS. Liturg. 407
Summary Catalogue no.: 29071
Former shelfmark: MS. Canon. Liturg. 407
Portable Psalter; Latin with French additions; England, Winchester (?); France (additions); 13th century, first quarter, with additions of 13th century, second quarter and 14th century, middle
Contents
[items 1–3 occupy quire I]
Calendar, written in black, red and blue, laid out one month per page, not graded. Includes Winchester saints, such as Birinus (3 December) in black and his translation (4 September) in red; Swithin (2 July) and his translation (15 July), both in red; and Grimbald (8 July) in black. Also includes Melor (1 October) in blue, Augustine of Hippo (28 August) in red and his translation (11 October) in black; and Benedict (21 March and 11 July) in black. Entries ‘Expugnatio ier(usa)l(e)m a francis’ (15 July [1099]) and ‘Expugnatio Anglie a francis’ (14 October [1066]) in red and in blue, in the original hand. The months are headed by verses on the ‘Egyptian’ days which correspond to Hennig’s (1955) set III. The feasts of Francis (4 October) and Dominic (5 August), and the obit of Berengaria of Castille (11 April), all in red, were added in the 13th century, second quarter, by the scribe responsible for the Easter table (see below). Further adapted for Franciscan use in the middle of the 14th century. Added feasts include Gilbert of Sempringham (4 February), Thomas Aquinas (7 March), Peter of Verona (29 April), Anthony of Padua (13 June), Clare of Assisi (11 August), the translation of Francis (25 May), and Louis of France (25 August). Added verses in French in the lower margin of pages for February and March.
Easter table with headings in French for years 1237–57 added in the 13th century, second quarter. Fol. 7v is blank.
Hymns ‘Primo dierum omnium’ (Chevalier, no. 15449) and ‘Nocte surgentes uigilemus’ (Chevalier, no. 12035) written as prose in a 14th-century French hand.
[items 4–6 occupy quires II–XXIII]
Psalms 1–150, in the biblical order, without titles or numbers, written with each verse beginning on a new line. Punctuated throughout, with punctus used to mark the ends of verses and minor pauses, and punctus elevatus used to mark metrum. There are textual divisions at psalms 21, 26, 38, 51, 52, 68, 80, 97, 101, 109, 114, 118: 81, 118: 129 and 119 (see ‘Decoration’). Psalm 118 is subdivided into twenty-two 8- verse units; the only other subdivisions marked with larger initials are 17: 26 (fol. 28v) and 77: 36 (fol. 112r). Additions in a 14th-century French hand including antiphons, invitatoria, responses, etc. in the margins, with rubrics in French and strokes above ‘i’s in sections of the psalter (e.g. on fols. 10r–26r, 159v–179v).
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) Avdite celi (Deuteronomy 32: 1–44).
Daily canticles, prayers and creeds, without titles:
- (1) Te deum laudamus (fol. 215v);
- (2) Benedicite omnia opera (fol. 217r);
- (3) Benedictus dominus deus (fol. 218r);
- (4) Magnificat (fol. 219r);
- (5) Nunc dimittis (fol. 219v);
- (6) Athanasian Creed (Qvicumque uult . . .) (fol. 220r).
[item 7 occupies quires XXIV–XXVI]
Hymnal, without music, Franciscan use, added in the middle of the 14th century. Includes hymns for Sts Anne, Claire of Assisi, Louis of France, Francis and Catherine. Rubrics in French; imperfect at the end.
Eterne rerum conditor (Chevalier 647)
Ecce iam noctis tenuatur (Chevalier 5129)
Lucis creator optime (Chevalier 1068)
Sompno refectis artubus spreto (Chevalier 19210)
Nox precessit dies autem (chapter; Romans 13: 12–13)
Splendor paterne (Chevalier 19349)
Inmense celi conditor (Chevalier 8453)
Consors paterni luminis (Chevalier 3830)
Ales diei nuncius (Chevalier 795)
Telluris ingens conditor (Chevalier 20268)
Rerum creator optime (Chevalier 17322)
Nox et tenebre et nubila (Chevalier 12402)
Celi deus sanctissime (Chevalier 3483)
Nox atra rerum (Chevalier 12396)
Lux ecce surgit (Chevalier 10811)
Magne deus potencie (Chevalier 10935)
Tu trinitatis unitas (Chevalier 20713)
Eterna celi gloria (Chevalier 609)
Plasmator hominis deus (Chevalier 14968)
Summe deus clemencie (Chevalier 19636)
Aurora iam spargit (Chevalier 1633)
O lux beata trinitas (Chevalier 13150)
Conditor alme (Chevalier 3733)
Uerbum supernum prodiens a patre (Chevalier 29391)
Christe redemptor omnium ex patre (Chevalier 2960)
A solis ortu cardine (Chevalier 26)
Hostis herodes impie (Chevalier 8073)
Audi benigne conditor (Chevalier 1449)
Ex more docti mistico (Chevalier 5610)
Iam christe sol iustitie (Chevalier 9205)
Aures ad nostras deitatis (Chevalier 1612)
Uexilla regis (Chevalier 21481)
Pange lingua gloriosi prelium (Chevalier 14481)
Lustris sex qui iam peractis (Chevalier 10765)
Ad cenam agni prouidi (Chevalier 110)
Rex eterne domine (Chevalier 17393)
Aurora lucis rutilat (Chevalier 1644)
Iesu nostra redemptio (Chevalier 9582)
Eterne rex altissime (Chevalier 654)
Ueni creator spiritus (Chevalier 21204)
Iam christus astra (Chevalier 9215)
Beata nobis gaudia (Chevalier 2339)
O pater sancte mitis (Chevalier 13376)
Adesto sancta trinitas (Chevalier 487)
Pange lingua gloriosi corporis (Chevalier 14467)
Sacris solemniis (Chevalier 17713)
Uerbum supernum prodiens nec patris (Chevalier 21398)
Iesu nostra refectio (Chevalier 9589)
Doctor egregie paule mores (Chevalier 4791)
Quodcumque uinclis super terram (Chevalier 16918)
Iam bone pastor petre clemens (Chevalier 9196)
Ut queant laxis resonare (Chevalier 21039)
Antra deserti teneris (Chevalier 1214)
O nimis felix meritique celsi (Chevalier 13311)
Aurea luce et decore (Chevalier 1596)
Nardi maria pistici (Chevalier 11846)
En gratulemur hodie christo (Chevalier 5408)
Laus regi plena gaudio (Chevalier 10530)
Ihesu lux uera mentium (Chevalier 9561)
Lucis huius festa (Chevalier 10698)
Orbis exultans celebret (Chevalier 14223)
Clara diei gaudia (Chevalier 3305)
Concinat plebs fidelium (Chevalier 3718)
Sub paupertatis regula (Chevalier 19577)
Generat uirgo filias (Chevalier 9561)
Celi concentum hodie (Chevalier 3480)
Ave maris stella (Chevalier 1889)
Quem terra ponthus ethera (Chevalier 16347)
O gloriosa domina excelsa (Chevalier 13042)
Gaude chorus fidelium (Chevalier 6730)
In celesti collegio ludouicus (Chevalier 8540)
Beata nobis gaudia nostri regis (Chevalier 2348)
Crucis christi mons (Chevalier 3993)
Crucis arma (Chevalier 3992)
Tibi christe splendor (Chevalier 20455)
Christe sanctorum decus (Chevalier 3000)
Proles de celo prodiit (Chevalier 15573)
In celesti collegio (Chevalier 8544)
Plaude turba paupercula (Chevalier 15058)
Decus morum dux minorum (Chevalier 4310)
Christe redemptor omnium conserua tuos famulos (Chevalier 2959)
Ihesu saluator seculi redemptis (Chevalier 9677)
Urbs beata iherusalem dicta pacis (Chevalier 20918)
Angularis fundamentum (Chevalier 1082)
Katherine collaudemus (Chevalier 2693)
Pange lingua gloriose uirginis (Chevalier 14454)
Presens dies expendatur (Chevalier 15310)
Exultet celum laudibus resultet terra gaudijs apostolorum (Chevalier 5832)
Eterna christi munera apostolorum gloriam (Chevalier 590)
Deus tuorum militum (Chevalier 4533)
Martir dei qui unicum patris (Chevalier 11228)
Sanctorum meritis inclita gaudia (Chevalier 18607)
Eterna christi munera et martirum uictorias (Chevalier 598)
Rex gloriose martyrum (Chevalier 17453)
Iste confessor domini (Chevalier 9136)
Iesu redemptor omnium perpes (Chevalier 9628)
Iesu corona uirginum (Chevalier 9507).
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
Psalter: ruled in plummet with double vertical and horizontal bounding lines extending the full height and width of page; written above the top line; 15 lines per page; written space: c. 98 × 72 mm.
Hymnal: ruled in plummet with single vertical and double horizontal bounding lines extending the full height and width of the page; written below the top line; 20 lines per page; written space: c. 119 × 70 mm.
Hand(s)
Psalter: large, formal Gothic book hand; dark brown ink.
Hymnal: smaller, less formal Gothic book hand; light brown ink.
Decoration
Gold KL monograms on blue and pink backgrounds in the calendar.
Full-page Beatus-initial (fol. 9v) in two compartments: the upper with David, as a young man, tearing apart the jaws of a bear, and the lower with David, as a bearded older man, seated and playing the harp.
The opening words of the psalm are written in gold.
One-third of a page to half-page historiated initials on gold backgrounds at psalms 26, 38, 51, 52, 68, 80, 97, 101 and 109. Close stylistic and iconographical links with the Imola Psalter (Imola, Biblioteca comunale MS. 100) and London, British Library, Royal MS. 1 D. X (Morgan, 1982).
- fol. 40r Psalm 26 (initial (D)ominus) The Anointing of David. Samuel holds a horn of oil over David’s head.
- fol. 59v Psalm 38 (initial D(ixi)) The Judgement of Solomon. Seated Solomon, with legs crossed, holding a sceptre; in front of him stand a young man with a drawn sword and the two women, holding the infant.
- fol. 76v Psalm 51 (initial Q(vid)) Doeg beheading Ahimelech; another man stands behind Ahimelech, pointing at Doeg.
- fol. 77v Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)) Saul throwing his spear at David, who is playing harp (I Samuel 18).
- fol. 94v Psalm 68 (initial S(alvvm)) Two sailors in a boat throw Jonah overboard into the jaws of a whale.
- fol. 117v Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)) Jacob wrestling with an angel.
- fol. 137r Psalm 97 (initial C(antate)) The Virgin Mary seated with the Child, blessing, on her knee.
- fol. 140r Psalm 101 (initial D(omine)) Christ blesses Ecclesia, who kneels before him, crowned and holding a chalice.
- fol. 159r Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)) Christ enthroned, blessing.
3-line gold initials on blue and pink backgrounds, decorated with arabesque designs, at the beginning of psalms 21 (fol. 33v), 114 (fol. 163v), 118: 81 (fol. 173r), 118: 129 (fol. 176r), 119 (fol. 179v), the first daily and the first weekly canticle (fols. 204r, 215v).
2-line similar initials at the beginnings of psalms and canticles.
1-line gold or blue initials, decorated with blue and red penwork, at the beginnings of verses and periods.
Line-endings used occasionally.
Plain red or blue 1- or 2-line initials in the hymnal.
Rubrics in red ink in the hymnal.
Binding
Brown leather over pasteboard, French, 19th century. Blind fleur-de-lis and floral designs framed by four crossing blind fillet lines on covers. Turn-ins with gilt dentelles, including the name ‘Hardy-Mennil’ between the rows of decoration on the upper turn-in. Five raised bands on spine; panels between the bands are decorated with blind fillet lines and fleur-de-lis designs. Gilt lettering on spine: ‘LIBER | PRECUM || CODEX MANUSCR.|| MS || BODL.’ (‘MS || BODL.’ is added over the original fleur-de-lis design). Gilt lettering ‘B || 19’, apparently superimposed over earlier patterning, partly covered with a paper label with ‘MS . . .’ written in ink. Metal fittings with fleur-de-lis design on both covers for a now lost clasp. Marbled pastedowns and fly-leaves. Gilt edges of the textblock. Rust marks on fols. 1–5 and 249–250 indicate the presence of a pair of clasps on an earlier binding.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Amesbury, Wiltshire, Priory (cell of Fontevrault) and later abbey of Sts Mary the Virgin and Melior, of Benedictine nuns: perhaps written in Winchester for the Priory of St Mary and St Melor at Amesbury, the calendar has Winchester features and includes Melor, highly graded in blue (fol. 5v). (cf. MLGB3).
Adapted for Franciscan use in northern (?) France in the middle of the 14th century through many additions to the calendar and psalms, and the addition of the hymnal.
‘frere Vsebius Foublet’, 16th or 17th century (fol. 1r).
Dealer’s price-code in pencil ‘Rs/-/-’ (fol. 253r, top left).
Rev. John C. Jackson. Nineteenth-century pencil notes listing English saints on fol. ii recto (by Jackson (?)).
Bodleian Library: bought from Jackson on 20 October 1873 for £34 4s. Earlier shelfmarks: ‘B 19’ (fol. i verso), ‘MS. Bodl. Addit. vii A. 7’ (fols. i verso and iii verso).
Record Sources
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (12 images from 35mm slides)
Bibliography
Online resources:
Select bibliography to 2009:
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2024-04: Adapt full description from Solopova catalogue.