Liturgical and computistical collection (‘Ælfwine’s Prayerbook’), including rules of confraternity
Description
Cotton MS Titus D XXVII and Cotton MS Titus D XXVI originally
formed one manuscript which began with Cotton MS D XXVII and was
followed by Cotton MS D XXVI (see Henel, De temporibus anni
(1942)). Contents:f. 1r-v: An early modern table of contents.f.
2r-v: Directions for devotions added in the first half of the 11th
century, beginning: 'Ælce sunnan dæg bebeod þe ðære þrynesse
naman'.f. 3r: A list of dates quite similar to the computistical
genre of the 'Six ages of the world', beginning: 'A principio usque
ad diluvium anni mille sexcenti .lvi. . A diluvio usque ad Abraham
anni .ccxcv. et fiant simul anni trium aetatum mille .dccccxlviii'.
ff. 3r-v: Early version of an amulet measured according to the
length of Christ's body and the wood of the Cross: Rubric 'De
mensium ( sic ) salvatoris', beginning: 'Haec figura sedecies
multiplicata perficit mensuram Domini Nostri Ihesu Christi corporis
et est assumpta aligno preciosa dominice', ending (f. 3v) : '[...]
in qua conscriptum Iudei illud titulum habuerunt: 'Hic est rex
Iudeorum''. ff. 3v-4v: A prognostic, including the three critical
Mondays with Egyptian days, Rubric: 'Hic noctantur dies egyptiaci
qui observandi sunt per omnia nequis sanguinem audiat in eis
minuere'. beginning: 'Dies enim aegyptiaci in quibus nullius modi
nec per ulla necessitate non licet hominem'.ff. 4r-v: Temporal
prognostics for the three miraculous days, beginning: 'Tres dies
sunt in anno cum totidem noctibus'.f. 4v: Texts on Dog days and
other lunar days, mainly to caution people against these days.
Rubric: 'Quali tempora aperienda sit vena', beginning: 'Incipiente
artucanis vel arcturi adque siria stella'.f. 5r: Egyptian days
without the last four days, a list of unlucky days in the
agricultural year, beginning: 'Incipiunt dies aegiptiaci qui in
anno observandi sunt'. ff. 5r-6r: Distances between the Earth,
moon, sun and stars, predictions of the weather based on the colour
of the moon and an account on the rainbow mainly based on Bede's De
natura rerum, beginning: 'Pythagoras vero vir animi sagax scribit a
terra ad lunam cxxvi milia stadiorum esse collegit a solem autem ab
ea duplum inde ad .xii. signa triplicatum'. f. 6r-v: A bloodletting
lunarium, rubric: 'De flebotomatione vel de minuendo sanguine',
beginning: 'Luna prima. Tota die bonum est'. ff. 6v-7v: Birth
prognostics or nativitates, rubric: 'De nativitate infantium',
beginning: 'Die dominico hora diuturna. Sive nocturna uti li ( sic
) erit qui nascetur magnusque et splendidus'. ff. 7v-8r: A birth
lunary, rubric: 'Incipit lunares Sancti Danielis de nativitate',
beginning: 'Luna .I. qui natus fuerit'.ff. 8r-9r: A medical lunary
to predict illness, rubric: 'Incipit lunares de aegris', beginning:
'Luna .i. qui inciderit difficile evadet'.f. 9r-v: A dreams lunary,
rubric: 'Incipit lunaris de somnis', beginning: 'Luna .i. quicquid
videri'.ff. 9v-10v: Thunder prognostics (brontology), rubric: 'De
tonitruis dierum vel trium', beginning: 'Si notaverit hora
vespertina'. ff. 10v-11v: Revelatio Esdrae, rubric: 'Incipiunt
signa de temporibus', beginning: 'Si die .i. feria fuerint kl.
ianuarii'. ff. 11v-16r: Somniale Danielis, beginning: 'Aves in
somnis videre et cum illis pugnare'. An early modern hand has added
above the incipit: 'Alphabetum Somniale exemplum ex Danielis
libro'. f. 16v: A rubric for a Latin formula (for the use of the
priest before any celebration of divine service) added in the first
half of the 11th century in a blank space: 'Þis ðu scealt singan
þonne ðu wylt ðwean þine handa 7 þine eagan', with the Latin
formula (f. 16v): 'Lutum fecit ex puto ( sic ) dominus. Ad te
levavi oculos meos, usque in finem. Kýrrieł Christeł Kýrrieł'.
ff. 16v-17r: A recipe against ulcers added in the first half of the
11th century in a blank space, beginning: 'Wið þa blegene genim'.
ff. 17v-18r: Rules of confraternity between the abbot of New
Minster and unspecified abbots and bishops. This formula is a
slightly later addition of the first half of the 11th century,
beginning: 'Þis is þæra gerædnyssarium ( sic ) þe biscopas 7
abbodas geræd habbaþ'. ff. 20r-50v: A series of devotions based
on the penitential Psalms and three special offices, rubric
'Capitula vigilia unius apostolic', beginning: 'Iustum deduxit
Dominus per vias rectas et ostendit illi regnum Dei'. ff. 51r-56v:
A Litany of saints for New Minster, beginning: 'Kyrrie leison.
Christe leison. Christe audi nos'.ff. 56v-79v: Prayers with the
rubric: "Collecta oremus', beginning: 'Omnipotens sempiterne Deus,
qui dedisti nobis, fidelibus tuis'.f. 79v: A charm for finding a
thief, rubric: 'Pro furto', beginning: 'Si habes aliquam rem
perditam, scribe has litteras in carta virgine'.f. 80r-v: The
beginning of the Gospel of St John, rubric: 'Initium Sancti
Evangelii secundum Iohannem', beginning: 'In principio erat verbum,
et verbum erat apud Deum'.Decoration:Titles in red in rustic
capitals. Numerous plain initials in red, blue, green and purple.A
miniature as in Cotton MS Titus D XXVII, which precedes a major
devotional section, St Peter seated on a throne between two columns
supporting a trefoiled canopy, holding a double key in his right
hand and a book in his left hand. Below him is a supplicating monk
who may represent Ælfwine, holding a book in his left hand. The
folds of the clothes, curtains and arches are shaded with green and
red (f. 19v).
