MS. Rawl. C. 940

Summary Catalogue no.: 12771

Portable Psalter; Flanders, Bruges–Ghent area, 13th century, second to third quarter

Psalter (portable)

Fols. i–iii are blank paper fly-leaves; fol. iv verso is blank, apart from pen trials.

[item 1 occupies a parchment fly-leaf]

1. (fol. iv recto)

Prayers and antiphons, added early in the 16th century, in England (Abingdon (?), see ‘Provenance’), including:

Incipit: Preciosa in conspectu domini mors sanctorum eius

Incipit: Isti et omnes sancti intercedant pro nobis ut mereamur adiuvari ab eo

Incipit: Dirigere et sanctificare dignare domine sancte pater omnipotens eterne deus hodie corda et corpora nostra in lege tua

Incipit: Absolue domine animas famulorum tuorum fundatorum nostrorum parentum fratrum benefactorum et omnium fidelium defunctorum ab omni vinculo delictorum

[items 2–5 occupy quires I–XV]

(fols. 1–102v) Psalms, starting imperfectly at ‘Qui non abiit ...’ (1: 1), because of the loss of the first leaf. The text is fragmentary throughout, and some leaves are in the wrong order:

– fol. 1 contains 1: 1–2: 11
– fol. 2 contains 9B: 8–10: 5
– fol. 3 contains 4: 8–5: 13
– fol. 4 contains 8: 6–9A: 13
– fols. 5–11 contain 10: 5–18: 10
– fol. 12 contains a fragment of the Athanasian Creed: ‘...deos aut dominos dicere catholica religione ... non confusione substantie sed unitate personae ...’
– fols. 13–44 contain 34: 17–67: 34
– fol. 45 contains 68: 12–27 (fols. 45–48 and 46–47 are the first two bifolia from an 8-leaf quire, bound in the wrong order)
– fol. 46 contains the end of 67 and 68: 1–12
– fol. 47 contains 72: 26–73: 12
– fol. 48 contains 72: 7–25
– fols. 49–51 contain 73: 13–77: 1
– fols. 52–53 contain 77: 35–77: 68
– fols. 54–55 contain 77: 2–34
– fol. 56 contains 77: 69–78: 11
– fols. 57–72 contain 80: 1–96: 11
– fols. 73–80 contain 104: 18–108: 18
– fols. 81–84 contain 111: 2–117: 14
– fols. 85–101 contain 118: 176–146: 17
– fol. 102 contains 149: 3–150.

The psalms are laid out with each verse beginning on a new line, without numbers or titles. The numbers are added in ink in the margins in an early modern hand, together with notes concerning the Hebrew numbering of psalms, e.g. ‘secundum Hebr. 15’ (fol. 7r), ‘secundum Hebr. 16’ (fol. 7v), etc. 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 marked by the original scribe. Some subdivisions are marked with added (presumably in Abingdon, see ‘Provenance’) paragraph signs in the margins: 68: 17 ‘Exaudi me domine’ (fol. 45r), 77: 36 ‘Et dilexerunt’ (fol. 52r) and 88: 20 ‘Tunc locutus’ (fol. 64v). There are textual divisions at psalms 38, 51, 52, 68 and 80 (see ‘Decoration’); leaves which presumably contained historiated initials at the beginning of psalms 26, 97, 101 and 109 are excised. Prickings in the margins, forming different shapes, suggest that images or objects were sewn into the book (e.g. fols. 6, 49, 50, 59, 60, 61 and a cross-shaped pattern on fol. 47).

3. (fols. 102v–110v)

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) ending imperfectly at ‘tua populo quem redemisti’ (verse 13), because of the loss of leaves after fol. 105;
(5) Domine audiui (Habakkuk 3) beginning imperfectly at ‘... sunt montes seculi’ (verse 6);
(6) Audite celi (Deuteronomy 32: 1–44).

4. (fols. 110v–115r)

Daily canticles, prayers and creeds, without titles:

(1) Te deum laudamus (fol. 110v);
(2) Benedicite omnia opera (fol. 111v);
(3) Benedictus dominus deus (fol. 112v);
(4) Magnificat (fol. 113r);
(5) Nunc dimittis (fol. 113v);
(6) Athanasian Creed (Quicumque uult ...) (fol. 114r); the misbound fol. 12 contains the middle section of the Creed.

5. (fols. 115r–118r)

Litany, closely resembling the litanies of psalters datable to the third quarter of the 13th century from the Bruges–Ghent region (published and compared with related litanies by Carlvant, 1978, pp. 118, 521–2). Includes saints venerated in the Bruges–Ghent area: Lambert, bishop of Liège, among the martyrs; Wandregisilus, Ansbertus, bishop of Rouen, Wulfran, Gudwalus, Bertulfus, Eligius, Donatianus, bishop of Reims, Basil, bishop and patron of the chapel of St Basil and the Holy Blood in Bruges, Amand, Vedast, Martin, Bavo of Ghent, Landoaldus of Maastricht, Macarius of Ghent, Bertin, Remigius and Trudo among the confessors; Amalberga, Landrada and Vinciana among the virgins. Relics of Wandregisilus, Ansbertus, Wulfram, Gudwald, Bertulf and Amalberga were in the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter, Ghent. Relics of Bavo, Landoaldus, Macarius, Landrada and Vinciana were in the Benedictine Abbey of St Bavo, Ghent (see Carlvant, 1978, pp. 120–2). The litany is followed by collects (fols. 117v–118r):

(1) Et ueniat super nos misericordia tua domine salutate tuum secundum eloquium tuum ...
(2) Assit nobis domine quesumus uirtus spiritus sancti que et corda nostra ...
(3) Ure igne sancti spiritus renes nostros ...
(4) Concede misericors deus fragilitati nostre subsidium ...
(5) Deus cui proprium est misereri semper et parcere ...
(6) Absolue domine animas omnium fidelium defunctorum ...

Fols. 118v–121v are blank.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: cultis ut interficiat (psalter, fol. 2r)

Form: codex

Support: parchment; paper fly-leaves

Extent: 125 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): c. 164 × 113 mm.

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

Foliation: modern, in pencil; i–iv + 1–121.

Collation

(i–iv) fol. i is a paper fly-leaf conjoint with the upper pastedown; fols. ii–iii are a paper bifolium; fol. iv is a single parchment leaf | (fols. 1–4) I (8−4 (?)) four leaves from the first quire bound in the wrong order | (fols. 5–11) II (8−1) missing 7 | (fol. 12) a single misbound leaf, containing part of the Athanasian Creed | (fols. 13–44) III–VI (8) | (fols. 45–48) VII (8−4) missing 3, 4, 5 and 6; two remaining bifolia are bound in the wrong order | (fols. 49–56) VIII (8) a complete, but misbound, quire; the central bifolium of this quire is fols. 54–55 | (fols. 57–72) IX–X (8) a quire is missing after fol. 72 | (fols. 73–80) XI (8) a quire is missing after fol. 80 | (fols. 81–84) XII (8−4) missing 5, 6, 7 and 8; a quire is missing after fol. 84, which used to contain most of psalm 118 | (fols. 85–100) XIII–XIV (8) | (fols. 101–106) XV (6−1 (?)) missing 5 (?) | (fols. 107–114) XIV (8) | (fols. 115–118) XV (6−1 (?)) the first leaf of this quire is the misbound fol. 12; missing 6 (?), no loss of text. Partially cropped off catchwords 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; 20 lines per page; prickings are visible on some leaves; written below the top line; written space: c. 105 × 60 mm.

Hand(s)

Formal Gothic book hand, black ink.

Decoration

The illumination is related in style to Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Liturg. 396 and other psalters from the Bruges–Ghent area, datable to the third quarter of the 13th century (Pächt and Alexander, 1966–73; Carlvant, 1978, pp. 90–3; 1986, pp. 88–9).

The Beatus-initial and four other initials (psalms 26, 97, 101 and 109) have been excised. Most initials are damaged, gold flaking. Historiated initials:

fol. 18r Psalm 38 (initial (D(ixi)) 9-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book, on gold background.
fol. 31r Psalm 51 (initial Q(vid)) 10-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book (damaged), on gold background; the tail of Q, extending to the lower margin, ends with a dragon’s head.
fol. 31v Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)) 9-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with St Andrew, seated, holding a diagonal cross; gold background.
fol. 46r Psalm 68 (initial (S(aluum)) 9-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book; gold background (rubbed off); dragon’s head terminal on a tendril extending to the left margin.
fol. 57r Psalm 80 (initial E(xultate)) 11-line initial in gold rectangular frame, infilled with a seated beardless apostle, holding a book; gold background.

3-line gold initials on blue and pink background at the beginnings of psalms, canticles and litany.

1-line alternating gold (edged with black) and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Binding

Brown leather of suede-like texture over pasteboard, 18th century, first half. Double blind fillet lines around the outer edge of both covers. Rectangular panel at the centre of both covers, with floral corner-pieces and borders formed by fillet lines, arabesque and scallop designs. Five raised bands with faded arabesque designs, on spine. The bands are framed by triple fillet lines. Red leather label on spine with gold border and gilt lettering ‘MSS’. Scallop designs on turn-ins. Marbled paper pastedowns and flyleaves. A further set of two fly-leaves of laid paper, contemporary with the binding. Endbands, the top one mostly lost, of red and white thread.

History

Origin: 13th century, second or third quarter ; Flemish, Bruges-Ghent area

Provenance and Acquisition

Made for the use of Ghent: evidence of litany. Similar in decoration, textual contents, liturgical and codicological features to psalters from the Bruges–Ghent area datable to the second half of the 13th century (Carlvant, 1978, pp. 90–3).

Abingdon, Berkshire, Benedictine abbey of St Mary the Virgin (?). John Crystall, monk of the Benedictine Abbey in Abingdon, England: ‘Hic liber pertinit ad Johannem Crystall monachum Abend’’ (fol. 118r), 16th century. John Crystall was at Abingdon Abbey by 1504, was pensioned at its dissolution in 1538, and was still in receipt of his pension in 1555–56 (see Emden, 1974, p. 156).

Prayers added early in the 16th century in Abingdon (?) on fol. iv recto.

‘John Chisholm’ and a faint drawing of a human face on fol. 65r, perhaps by the hand that added the psalm numbers in the margins (17th century (?)).

Richard Rawlinson (1690–1755), see ODNB: bookplate, upper pastedown.

Bodleian Library: bequeathed by Rawlinson; accessioned in 1756.

Record Sources

Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue (Oxford, 2013), pp. 321–6. Previously described in the Quarto Catalogue (W. D. Macray, Catalogi codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ...viri munificentissimi Ricardi Rawlinson, J.C.D., codicum...complectens, Quarto Catalogues V, 5 fascicles, 1862–1900).

Quarto Catalogue, col. 511

Summary Catalogue, vol. 3, p. 223

Bibliography

Online resources:

MLGB3: Medieval Libraries of Great Britain

Select bibliography:

Macray, W. D., Catalogi codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ partis quintæ fasciculus secundus, viri munificentissimi Ricardi Rawlinson, J.C.D., codicum classem tertiam, in qua libri theologici atque miscellanei, complectens; accedit in uniuscujusque classis codicum contenta index locupletissimus (Oxford, 1878), no. 940.

Frere, no. 469.

S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 2: Office Books (typescript, 1957), p. 90

Pächt and Alexander (1966–73), vol. 1, no. 283.

Gent, duizend jaar kunst en cultuur: muurschilderkunst, schilderkunst, tekenkunst, graveerkunst, beeldhouwkunst: 19 April–29 Juni 1975 (Ghent: Bijlokemuseum, 1975), no. 568.

Carlvant (1978), pp. 90–3 and passim.

Carlvant, K. B. E., ‘Some modest psalters from thirteenth-century Flanders’, Scriptorium 40 (1986), pp. 88–95, at pp. 88–9.

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