The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

Shelfmark B.11.5
Manuscript Title

Psalter

Alternative Title

Psalterium

James Number 244
Date Cent. xiii (1260?)
Century 13th
Physical Description

19 lines to a page. Clearly written in a rather rough hand. Edges with painted fleurs-de-lys in lozenges.

Provenance

The book is of north-western French origin. On the recto of the leaf after the Kalendar is this inscription (xiii)
Istum librum contulerunt Robertus Heryerd et Johanna uxor eius Priorisse conuentui ecclesie sancte marie de Gorynges · ut ipse orent pro statu predictoni Roberti et Johanne tam in uita quam in morte. Et pro animabus Thome Aldryngton · Edmundi · Johanne · Ricardi · Alicie · Hugonis · Agnetis et omnium fidelium defunctorum ut ipse per dei misericordiam in pace requiescant. Amen. Then (xvi) Quisquis in hunc librum sua lumina uerterit unquam Nomen subscriptum perlegit ille meum. The name (erased) is John Barzfoote.
Goring was a priory of Augustinian nuns founded temp. Henr. II.

Religious House Goring, Oxfordshire, Priory
Size (cm) 26 x 19
Folio 200 ff.
Material Parchment
Language Latin
Collation

Kal.6 | A8 B6 || 18-228 234.

Notes

Available online since 20/02/2016, images updated on 11/01/2024

IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/B.11.5/manifest.json
Online Since 11/01/2024

Contents

f.i Kalendar in red and black (not full)
f.vii Fourteen leaves of pictures on one side of the leaf only
f.1 Psalter. A xvith cent. hand has added arguments to the first 41 Psalms
(f.175)155 Cantica ending with Litany
On the last fly-leaf a xvith cent. hand has written
The seauen workes of mercye bodilye.
" " " " ghostlye.
The 7 guiftes of ye holy ghoste.
8 beatitudes.

In the Kalendar
Jan. 19. Kal. Hyllarii C. in red.
14. Kal Sulplicii atque genulfi, in red.
Mar. 5. Non. Wingoloi Abb. in red.
Ap. 3. Non. (Marg. xv) bellum de nazar in Ispania in quo deuictus fuit henri rex per Edwardum principem aquit.' et Wall.' primogenitum domini Regis Anglie a.d. Millesimo cccmo lxvijmo.
Pr. Kal. Eutropii M. in red.
May 6. Non. Florentii Abb.
5. Id. Maioli Abb.
14. Kal. Potentiane V. in red.
13. " Austregisili Ep.
9. " Donatiani et Rogatiani in red.
Aug. Id. Radegundis Regine in red.
Sept. 15. Kal. Ansberti Ep.
Oct. 6. Id. Gereonis cum soc. in red.
3. Venantii Abb. in red.
Id. Magnobodi Ep. in red.
15. Kal. Luce Euang. Justi pueri in red.
12. Seuerini Ep. in red.
Nov. 15. Kal. Aniani Ep. in red.
Dec. 4. Id. Valerie V.
8. Kal. Natiuitas domini. Anastasie in red.
7. Steph' lapidatus.
6. Iohes assumitur in red.
5. innocentes mactantur.
4. S. Thome M. in red.
3. Perpetui Ep.

In the Litany
Martyrs. Demetrius (2nd), Luciari, Ypolitus, Adrian, Achacius... Leodegar...
Symphorian, Supplician, Maximin, Firmin, Quintin, Amulf, Thomas.
Confessors. ... Marcialis... Albinus Magnobodus, Fortunatus, Supplicius, Austregisil.
Monks, etc. Porcharius, Philibert, Florentius, Maxentius, Jouinus... Venantius...
Columban, Paul, Romanus, 'Vingaloe,' Symon.
Virgines et sponse. Radegundis (2nd)... Columba... Genovefa... Brigida... Florencia, Eufrasia... Theodosia.
Vidue et continentes. Martha... Julita... Gussanna, Helena, Pelagia, Barbara, Maria Egypt.
Suffrage. Ut priorissam (over erasure) nostram conseruare etc.

Pictures.
In the Kalendar two medallions on a page, with gold grounds.
1. Jan. Janus-figure seated at table: two faces drinking and eating.
2. Aquarius nude.
3. Feb. Warming feet. 4. Pisces: string connecting their mouths.
5. Mar. Pruning tree. 6. Aries.
7. Ap. Ploughs with two horses: oblong red patch in sky. 8. Taurus.
9. May. Rides, hawk on hand. 10. Gemini nude between trees.
11. June. With axe cuts at tree. 12. Cancer, six-legged fish.
13. July. Mowing. 14. Leo: red.
15. Aug. Reaping. 16. Virgo by tree.
17. Sept. Sowing. 18. Libra held by hand in cloud.
19. Oct. One cuts tree with billhook: one by vat. 20. Scorpius, a strange beast
21. Nov. Pulls bough of tree. 22. Sagittarius, centaur shoots to L.
23. Dec. Stands over 3 pigs with axe. 24. Capricorn, goat in cornucopia.
Pictured leaves: two semicircular pictures on a page: the ground between scarlet with lines of deeper red: grounds of pictures plain gold.
Rough drawing: red spots of colour on the cheeks.
35. Annunciation, Angel on L.: blank scroll: lily pot.
26. Visitation.
27. Nativity. Virgin reclines, Joseph nimbed sits at feet: ox, ass, Child in manger.
28. Presentation: Child nude, Joseph nimbed, with doves.
29. Herod, not crowned, with sword. Three kings with caskets before him.
30. Adoration: one king points to star outside picture.
31. Betrayal: Judas kisses Christ, on either side a mailed soldier: he on R. holds branch and swings lantern over Christ's head. Four figures only.
32. Scourging, Christ stands behind column: the two men have rough boughs.
33. Crucifixion, with Virgin and St John.
34. Harrowing of Hell. Tree on L. Two devils, one blows trumpet.
35. Three women at tomb. Angel, three guards in front.
36. Noli me tangere. Christ has long green cross. Tree on L.
37. Ascension. Twelve Apostles: no Virgin.
38. Pentecost: similar.
39. Christ as judge. Virgin kneels on L.: John(?) on R. On L. an angel with the cross (green): on R. an angel with the crown and lance.
40. Coronation of the Virgin.
41. Placidus (Eustace) blowing horn rides out to hunt with four men. Two trees: hind quarters of stag on R.
42. Horse on L. Placidus kneels to stag with Christ between its antlers. Two trees.
43. A bishop baptizes Placidus, wife and two sons, by affusion: they stand nude in a huge red vat. On R. is a cleric in alb, with chrism in vase.
44. Placidus, wife and son in a red ship. Sail(?) detached above. Placidus weeps.
45. One son sits on river bank: Placidus carries the other across.
46. He stands in midstream: on each bank a red beast carries off one son.
47. Placidus, with fork in cornfield, addressed by the foremost of three mailed men on horseback.
48. A crowned king in mail leads three mailed horsemen to R.
49. A man on a seat addresses two men with curved clubs.
50. Placidus, his wife and son, in the brazen bull. A man stirs the fire below.
51. Full page: trefoiled arch with blue spandrels. The Virgin crowned and the Child in a dark robe.

In the Psalter
52. Beatus vir. David, young crowned, plays the harp.
53. Domimis illuminatio. He stands and points to both eyes.
54. Dixi custodiam. He stands and points to his mouth.
Quid gloriaris has a dragon.
55. Dixit insipiens. Fool with club and cake.
56. Saluum me fac. God above with orb: David nude crowned in water below.
57. Exultate. David plays on three bells.
58. Cantate. Three clerics at desk.
Domine exaudi has a dragon.
59. Dixit dominus. The Father (blessing) and Son (with book) seated: the Dove in a cloud between.

Bibliography

The Legend of St Eustace, Library Blog (2016)

Ker, N. R., Medieval Libraries of Great Britain, Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 3, 2nd edn (London, 1964)

Southworth, J., Fools and jesters at the English court (Stroud, 1998)

This work is copyright the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License