Project | Demos | Documentation

Contribute to Biblissima+

Subscribe to our newsletter

Contact us

Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 411

Go to viewer chevron_right
Source
Parker Library On the Web (Cambridge)
Library
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Shelfmark
  • MS 411
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 0900 - 0999
Language
  • Latin
Title
  • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 411: Psalter
  • Psalter
Description

  • Summary: This Psalter gives interesting evidence of relations between England and the Continent in the late tenth century. It has some very Franco-Saxon decoration, but seems to have been written by the English scribe also responsible for CCCC MS 214, and has a line-drawing of a standing man (David?) in a very English style, perhaps an early addition to provide a frontispiece, in one of its Franco-Saxon frames. The Franco-Saxon style of illumination draws heavily on earlier Insular decoration, particularly in its use of interlace and beast heads, but was developed on the Continent rather than in any part of the original Insular homelands. This manuscript probably attests to Continental influence on English book-production at Christ Church, Canterbury in the late tenth century, but it has alternatively been supposed that it was made abroad, perhaps at Tours, and imported early into England. English additions were made to the book in the eleventh century, including a second litany and the drawing of the standing man. An early modern note claims that the book, once decorated with silver gilt and jewels, was owned by two archbishops of Canterbury including Thomas Becket (d. 1170). Parker does not seem to have celebrated the association with this saint, whose influence on English affairs he is unlikely to have considered positive.


    Contents :


    ir-146v - Psalter

    Note: ff. ir-iir blank

    Note: (iiv) On ff. iiv, iiir in hand of cent. xii, with music on 4-line stave, are the notations for Benedicamus domino, Ite missa est

    Note: The music continues on f. iiiv with short texts from the Passions as follows:

    rubric: (iiiv) Dominica in palmis

    incipit: (iiiv) Hely, hely, etc.

    Note: The same for

    rubric: (iiiv) Feria tertia

    Note: For

    rubric: (iiiv) Feria IIII

    incipit: (iiiv) Pater in manus tuas

    rubric: (iiiv) Feria VI

    incipit: (iiiv) Consummatum est

    Note: Some original leaves have gone before the present fol. 1r

    Note: On f. 1r is the end of the pseudo-Augustinian passage Canticum psalmorum animam decorat (CXXXI 142, CXLII 46). It begins here at

    incipit: (1r) cor laetificat etc.

    Note: ending

    explicit: (1r) animam suam in caelo mirificabit in saecula saeculorum. Amen

    Note: On f. 1v a fine frame in colour with panels of excellent interlaced work and some birds' heads at the angles. Within it is a fine full-length figure in outline in the Anglo-Saxon style of a bearded man with fillet about his head, holding a book. The drapery is excellent

    Note: (1v) Below, the initials W. S., very small

    Note: (2r) The text of the Psalter begins f. 2r: plain gold initial to Beatus. The words Beatus vir in red and green capitals

    Note: Initials to verses alternately in red and a peculiar green. Titles of Psalms are in red rustic capitals

    Note: The first few Psalms have copious interlinear glosses in Latin, but after about Ps. xii these become very scanty

    Note: (40r) Ps. li Quid gloriaris has full-page frame with interlaced work (white on black) and large initial with similar work. Green and yellow-brown are conspicuous colours here

    Note: (81v) Ps. ci Domine exaudi has also a full-page frame with panels of interlaced work. This is specially interesting because the colours have to a large extent not been put in, and the pattern remains in outline. Purple is the only colour which has been added: part of the outline here is in red

    Note: (94v) Dixit dominus has a larger initial than the rest, but it is quite a plain one

    Note: After Ps. cl: in red capitals

    rubric: (123v) Alleluia. Expliciunt psalmi

    rubric: (123v) Psalmus ipsi Dauid

    incipit: (123v) Pusillus eram

    Note: (Ps. 151)

    Note: (124r) Cantica

    Note: On f. 130r are two corrections very plainly in the Christ Church hand

    Note: The Cantica end with: Benedictus, Magnificat, Te deum, Nunc dimittis, Ymnus angelicus (i.e. Gloria in excelsis), Pater noster, Credo, Fides Sancti Anasthasii episcopi

    rubric: (137r) Pura oratio ad dominum cum intercessionibus sanctorum omnium

    incipit: (137r) Suscipiat pietas tua domine deus meus humilitatis meae praeces

    rubric: (137r) Incipiunt Letaniae

    Note: (137v) Apostles: Petre in capitals Martyrs: Stephane in capitals, line, clete, clemens, sixte, laurenti, yppolite, dionisi, rustice, eleutheri, corneli, iuste, cypriane Confessors: Siluester (capitals), gregori, hilari, martine, ambrosi, geronime, augustine, remegi, benedicte, paule, antoni, machari Virgins: Felicitas (capitals), perpetua, agatha, lucia, agnes, cecilia, petronella, eufemia, anastasia, scolastica

    Note: Suffrage

    incipit: (138r) Ut congregationem nostram

    Note: On f. 138v a series of prayers

    rubric: (138v) Oratio ad nouem ordines angelorum

    incipit: (138v) Deus qui lapso lucifero

    rubric: (138v) Oratio ad patriarchas et prophetas

    rubric: (138v) Oratio ad chorum apostolorum

    rubric: (139r) Oratio ad chorum sanctorum martyrum

    rubric: (139r) Oratio ad omnes confessores

    Note: (Gregory and Augustine mentioned)

    rubric: (139r) Oratio ad sanctam mariam et omnes sanctas virgines

    rubric: (139v) Pro nostris infirmitatibus

    rubric: (139v) Pro pace postulanda

    rubric: (139v) Pro uenia populi

    Note: f. 140r is in a beautiful upright round hand of cent. xi

    rubric: (140r) Incipiunt Letaniae

    Note: (140r) Apostles: Petre II (capitals) ... simon, iuda , mathia, marce, luca, marcialis Martyrs: Stephane, maximiane, iustine, contestor, line, clete, ... laurenti, uincenti II (capitals), apollonaris, geruasi, protasi, christophore, georgii, dionisii cum sociis, eustachii cum sociis (capitals), herasme, osuuolde Confessors: Benedicte II (capitals), martine, hilarii, siluester, gregori, augustine, cuthberhte, remegi, germane, maure, placide, columbane, antoni, arseni, machari, caurentine Virgins: Felicitas, perpetua, maria magdalena, scolastica, agatha, agnes, cecilia, lucia, brigida, eugenia, eulalia, petronella Here it ends imperfectly

    Note: Then follow, in a black Christ Church hand of cent. xi, xii, several liturgical gospels with red and blue initials

    rubric: (141r) In vigilia nativitatis Domini secundum matheum

    incipit: (141r) Cum esset desponsata

    rubric: (141r) In die secundum Iohannem

    incipit: (141r) In principio

    rubric: (141v) Secundum Marcum

    Note: (Easter)

    incipit: (141v) Maria magdalena ... emerunt aromata

    rubric: (142r) In assumptione Sancte Marie secundum Lucam

    incipit: (142r) Intrauit Ihesus

    rubric: (142r) In passione Sancti Elfegi Archiepiscopi secundum Iohannem

    incipit: (142r) Dixit Ihesus discipulis suis Ego sum pastor bonus

    rubric: (142v) Secundum Iohannem

    incipit: (142v) Dixit Ihesus discipulis suis Ego sum uitis uera

    Note: ff. 143r-146v blank

    Note: The three martyrs Maximian, Justin and Contestor in the second Litany are obscure to me

Rights
  • Images courtesy of The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For higher resolution images suitable for scholarly or commercial publication, either in print or in an electronic format, please contact the Parker Library directly at parker-library@corpus.cam.ac.uk
License
Digitisation
Manifest URL
Biblissima portal
Library logo