The second volume of a Vulgate in two parts, containing the Book of Proverbs to the Book of Revelation
Description
This 12th-century manuscript contains the second volume of an
illuminated Latin Vulgate in two parts. It contains the Book of
Proverbs to the Book of Revelation, with prologues that are
attributed to St Jerome (b. 347, d. 420) and tables of contents,
and ends with the apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans. The origin
of this copy of the Vulgate is uncertain: it may originate from the
Saint Maurice Cathedral of Angers as indicated on the two
volumes’ Harleian bindings and in their description in the
Harleian catalogue. It was preserved at a religious house, as both
volumes feature markers for liturgical lections and the first
volume (Harley MS 2833) contains a list of possessions of a church
on f. 319v. Contents: ff. 1r-11r: The Book of Proverbs. ff.
11r-15r: The Book of Ecclesiastes. ff. 15r-16v: The Song of
Solomon. ff. 16v-24v: The Book of Wisdom. ff. 24v-46v: The Book of
Sirach.ff. 46v-61v: The Book of 1 Chronicles.ff. 61v-80r: The Book
of 2 Chronicles. ff. 80r-92v: The Book of Esdras. ff. 92v-99r: The
Book of Esther. ff. 99r-104r: The Book of Tobit. ff. 104r-110v: The
Book of Judith. ff. 110v-126v: The Book of 1 Maccabees. ff.
126v-138r: The Book of 2 Maccabees. ff. 138r-138v: St Jerome,
Commentarius super Evangelia (Commentary on the Gospels). ff. 138v:
Argumentum Evangeliorum ( Argumentum of the Gospels), beginning:
‘Sciendum etiam nequis ignarum ex similitudine numerorum’. ff.
139r-140r: Eusebian Canon Tables. ff. 140v-157v: The Gospel of
Matthew. ff. 157v-168r: The Gospel of Mark. ff. 168r-185v: The
Gospel of Luke. ff. 185v-198v: The Gospel of John. ff. 198v-215r:
The Acts of the Apostles. ff. 215r-258v: The Letters of the
Apostles. ff. 258v-266v: The Book of Revelation. f. 266v: The
Epistle to the Laodiceans.Decoration: Canon tables framed by arches
in purple, blue, green and ochre preceding the Gospels (ff.
139r-140r). 48 large initials in gold with penwork decoration in a
combination of blue, green, red and ochre (ff. 1r, 1v, 11v, 15r,
17r, 24v, 25v, 46v, 47r, 61v, 80r, 81r, 92v, 93r, 99r (2x), 104r
(2x), 111v, 127v, 142r, 158v, 169v, 186r, 199r, 215, 217r, 218v,
219v, 221v (2x), 222r, 224v, 230v, 236v, 240v, 243r, 245r, 246v,
247v, 248v, 250r, 251v, 253r, 253v, 254v, 259r, 266v); 15 large and
small initials in blue or red with penwork decoration in blue,
green, and red (ff. 138r, 141r, 157v, 168r, 185v, 198v, 215r, 222r,
222v, 223r, 230v, 245r, 251v, 254r, 258v); Large and small plain in
blue or red throughout the manuscript. Rubrics in red.
