The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

Shelfmark B.10.9
Manuscript Title

Psalter

Alternative Title

Psalterium.

James Number 220
Century 13th
Physical Description

23 lines on a page. In a beautiful hand, with excellent initials, and some small miniatures.

Provenance

Given by ?Edward Stanhope. [Owned by some member of the Pyzaunt family in the mid-sixteenth century? (see additions to kalendar).]

Donor Stanhope, Sir Edward (c. 1546–1608), Civil Lawyer
Size (cm) 26 x 18
Folio 121 ff.
Material Parchment
Language Latin
Collation

1 flyleaf | a8 (wants 8) -q8 (wants 3-8).

Notes

No f. 15.

Images available online since 15/07/2015, updated 05/12/2023

IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/B.10.9/manifest.json
Online Since 05/12/2023

Contents

1. f.1 Hec dicta sunt sancti Augustini quid sint uirtutes psalmorum
Canticum psalmorum animas decorat
-mirificabit in sec. sec. Amen.
Oratio: Suscipere dignare
-penitentiam faciendam. Amen.

2. f.1b A frame enclosing tables of the Nones and Ides of the month
Regula ferialis. Regula lunaris.
Concurrentes.
A paragraph in the centre. Legitur ut aiunt quidam in epistolis grecorum quod post passionem apostolorum sanctus pachomius abbas in egypto cum monachis suis rogauerit dominum ut ostenderet eis quomodo pascha celebrare deberent. Et misit dominus angelum suum et scripsit ad eundem beatum pachomium ciclum decennouenalem sicut subiecte littere indicant . qui et in niceno concilio postea confirmatus est et in magnam auctoritatem sulleuatus.
The Table follows.

3. f.2 Kalendar in black, blue, red and green
A medallion of the Zodiacal sign on each page.
The usual verses for the months. Prima dies mensis et septima truncat ut ensis.

4. f.8 The Psalter beginning imperfectly in ii. 3
Dirumpamus uincula eorum.
Each psalm has an expository title in red, e.g. Ps. iii.
Psalmus dauid cum fugeret a facie absalon filii sui . vox Christi. Tercius psalmus ostendit quod ipse pro nobis in mortis somno obdormiuit et resurrexit.
Each psalm has a good initial, but the seven Nocturnes, and Quid gloriaris (li.) and Domine exaudi (ci.), are distinguished by large ones.
Dixit dominus as usual begins a fresh leaf: a space is left before it.
The Psalter ends on f.112.

5. f.112 Cantica ending imperfectly in the Litany

The Kalendar contains the following noteworthy saints and insertions.
Jan. 4. officium benefactorum (added early xvi).
Jan. 5. S. Symeonis conf.
Jan. 19. Wulstani Ep.
Jan. 22. dies ingressionis in religionem d. Joannis pyzaunt a. d. 1532 etatis sue 24.
Jan. 24. Babilli Ep.
Jan. 28. Iohannis Ep.
Jan. 31. Julii Ep.
Feb. 1. S. BRIGIDE V. in green.
Feb. 13. Ermenilde V.
Feb. 21. SS. Martyrum lxx et ix.
Feb. 28. Juliani M.
Feb. 29. Oswaldi Ep.
Mart. 1. Donati Ep.
Mart. 6. Juliani Ep.
Mart. 7. Perpetue V. (not St Thomas Aquinas).
Mart. 16. Longini M.
Mart. 17. Patritii Ep.
Mart. 19. Edwardi regis.
Mart. 20. Joseph.
Mart. 21. Cuthberti Ep.
Mart. 22. Benedicti Abb.
Mart. 24. Teodori Presb.
Ap. i. Walerici Abb.
Ap. 14. Guthlaci Ep.
Ap. 21. Elphegi Archiep.
Ap. 24. Dionisii Inuentio.
Ap. 26. Wilfridi Ep.
Ap. 30. Erkenwaldi Ep. lond. blue.
May 1. added obitus patris mei Mar(t)ini Pyzant 1532.
May 2. Anastasii Ep.
May 4. Saluiani M.
May 9. Transl. S. Andree Ap. et S. Nicholai Ep.
May 14. obitus matris mee Elizabeth py: 1529 vigilia penteco.
June 4. Petroci C.
June 14. Basilii Ep. added.
June 17. Botulfi Abb. blue.
June 21. leufredi C.
June 22. Albani.
June 23. Etheldrithe V.
July 2. Swithuni Ep.
July 7. Hedde Ep. (added, xiv) Trans. S. TohĒ (=Thome) Ep.
July 8. Grimbaldi.
July 13. Mildrithe V.
July 24. Christine V. red.
Aug. 1. Transl. S. Albani M.
Sept. 4. Cuthberti Ep.
Sept. 5. Bertini Abb.
Sept. 6. Zacharie prophete.
Sept. 11. Athelpwoldi.
Sept. 25. Firmini Ep.
Sept. 28. Exuperii Ep.
Oct. 4. Romani monachi.
Oct. 6. Sigari M. (i.e. Sagaris).
Oct. 11. Ethelburge V.
Oct. 12. Pwilfridi Ep.
Oct. 14. Teophili Ep.
Oct. 17. Florentini Ep.
Oct. 19. Fritheswithe V.
Oct. 23. Elflede.
Oct. 26. Amandi C.
Oct. 27. Florentii M.
Nov. 3. Rumpwaldi C.
Nov. 20. Eadmundi R. M. blue.
Dec. 29. Thome Cant. Arch. blue.
This looks like a London Kalendar. It closely resembles one in a Psalter at St John's College (D. 6).

The decoration of the book is as follows.
There are Medallions of the signs of the Zodiac in the Kalendar, mostly circular with gold grounds; that of Pisces square with blue ground.
Gemini in blue hold a shield between them.
Virgo half-length in blue holds a flower or sceptre.
Sagittarius is a centaur shooting backwards.
Capricorn a very fabulous form.
Every psalm has a good decorative initial. Those specially distinguished are
(Beatus vir gone)
Dominus illuminatio. Gold ground. David, a youth in cloak with joined hands: three men (one old, Jesse) behind him. Samuel, holding in one hand a crown and scroll (blank), touches David's forehead with his thumb. Divine Hand in cloud above.
Dixi custodiam. Magnificent decorative work, small figures of man (David) killing lion and killing bear (?) at the sides.
li. Quid gloriaris. Like the last: in centre a man with dotted nimbus kneels with hands spread: executioner with axe, about to strike him.
Dixit insipiens. Decorative: one human head.
Salvum me fac. Decorative.
Exultate, very fine, decorative.
Cantate. Decorative, with two human figures.
ci. Domine exaudi. Large decorative initial: man and dragon.
Dixit dominus. Preceded by a half-blank page: good, but rather rubbed: has figures of men and beasts.

Bibliography

Morgan, N., Early Gothic Manuscripts I: 1190-1250, A Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles 4.1 (London, 1982), no. 7, pp. 53-4, ill. 20, 21.

Morgan, N., and R. M. Thomson, The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain. Vol.2, 1100-1400 (Cambridge, 2008)

Sims, L., Grete Pleasyr and Delyte, Continuity and Change in the Medieval Book ; an Exhibition of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books from the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge - July 2008 (Cambridge, 2008)

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