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

OR BROWSE BY

MANUSCRIPTS
WORKS
PEOPLE
PLACES

MS. Rawl. liturg. c. 1

Summary Catalogue no.: 15849

Physical Description

Composite: fols. 1–2 || fols. 3–160

History

Provenance and Acquisition

‘ Edward Letts ’, late 17th century (fols. 13, 55, 59, 128v)

Richard Rawlinson, 1690–1755

Bequeathed by him to the Bodleian.

MS. Rawl. liturg. c. 1 – Part 1 (fols. 1–2)

Contents

Sacramentary (fragment)
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Decoration

Fine initials. (Pächt and Alexander i. 50, pl. V)

History

Origin: c. 1100 ; German

MS. Rawl. liturg. c. 1 – Part 2 (fols. 3–160)

Contents

Sacramentary, Benedictine use (damaged, with loss of some leaves)
1. (fol. 3)

Temporale, beginning abruptly on Christmas and ending in the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost

2. (fol. 53)

A leaf of what perhaps was the canon

3. (fol. 54)

Sanctorale, beginning with the feast of St. Sylvester

4. (fol. 130)

Common of the saints; Gloria (fol. 135v)

5. (fol. 136)

Votive masses, the mass pro pluvia postulanda (fol. 149v) with epistle and gospel (see fols. 32v, 34, 36, etc.)

6. (fol. 158)

Contemporary and later additions.

In the temporale (fols. 31–2) are some feasts which have been repeated in the sanctorale (fols. 87 ff.). Opening words of the introits and the following psalm verses are given throughout the volume. Some rubrics in the Holy Week services (23–29).

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: i + 160 + 1 fol.
Dimensions (leaf): 310 × 200 mm.
(irregular)

Collation

Fol. 23 should follow fol.28; several leaves missing at the beginning, after fol. 29, 52, 76, one leaf after fol. 21, 22, 49, while fol. 142, 144 and 151 are only halfs

Layout

Script in 20 lines, 200 × 115 mm.

Musical Notation:

Occasional square notation in red without staves (fols. 32 ff.), a fine point-neum notation on 4 dry point lines in on fol. 152

Decoration

Good initials. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 133, pl. XV)

Many large polychromed and flourished initials, some cut out.

Additions: The mass of the dedication has been added in the margin of 28 Dec. (fol. 4).

History

Origin: 12th century, middle (before 1161 or before 1173) ; English, St. Albans, Benedictine abbey (?)

Provenance

St. Albans, Benedictine abbey (liturgical evidence)

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (2018) from the following sources:
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford , I (1966), no. 50 [part 1]
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford , III (1973), no. 133 [part 2, decoration and origin]
S. J. P. Van Dijk, Handlist of the Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford : Vol. 1: Mass Books (typescript, 1957), p. 16 [Part 2: contents, physical description]
Summary Catalogue (1895) [provenance]
Summary Catalogue, Vol. 3, p. 517
Summary Catalogue, Vol. 3, p. 518

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (2 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

    Online resources:

    MLGB3: Medieval Libraries of Great Britain

    Printed descriptions:

    A. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries (1984), no. 686
    S. J. P. van Dijk, Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, vol. 5: Fragments - Mass Books (typescript, 1957), p. 10

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2018-05-01: Description fully revised from van Dijk and other named sources.