This manuscript contains a Psalter together with canticles, hymns,
offices, prayers, Old English glosses, and prefatory material. The
text on ff. 2r-135r, 171r-190v was copied by Eadwig (also spelled
'Eadui') Basan, a monk of Christ Church Canterbury between c. 1012
and 1023. Eadwig may also have been the artist of the miniatures,
borders and initials on these folios. In the mid-12th century, the
text of some of the psalms and canticles was altered to the
Gallican version, some folios were removed or erased, and some new
texts were added on ff. 135r-144v and 147r-170v. Further hymns were
added later in the Middle Ages on ff. 145r-146v.Contents: ff.
1r-1v: Three prayers, added in a 13th-century script. ff. 2r-7v:
Kalendar, copied by Eadwig Basan in the early 11th century. ff.
8v-10r: Tables showing the date of Easter and other important
liturgical dates and lines about nones, ides and kalends surrounded
by arches, copied by Eadwig Basan in the early 11th century. ff.
11r-11v: Pseudo-Augustine of Hippo, Laus Psalterii (Praise of the
Psalter), beginning 'Canticum psalmorum carmen electum est apud
deum animas'. f. 11v: Four prayers labelled 'Oratio post
psalterium', copied by Eadwig Basan in the early 11th century. ff.
12r-132v: Psalter, copied by Eadwig Basan in the early 11th
century. ff. 133v-135r: Canticles, copied by Eadwig Basan in the
early 11th century. ff. 135r-144v: Canticles, litany and collects
added in the second or third quarter of the 12th century. ff.
145r-146v: Hymns copied in the mid-14th century. ff. 147r-170v:
Hymns and offices added in the second or third quarter of the 12th
century. ff. 171r-191v: Collects, prayers, forms of confession and
Old English glosses, copied by Eadwig Basan in the early 11th
century. [ff. 8r, 10v are blank]. Decoration:1 full-page miniature
in colours and gold, depicting a group of monks presenting a copy
of the Rule of Benedict to St Benedict who sits enthroned while
another monk prostrates himself at Benedict's feet (f. 133r). It is
debated whether this image includes a self-portrait of the scribe
and possible artist of the Psalter, Eadwig Basan (see, for a recent
example, Newton, 'Giant' (2012), pp. 127-150) [Further miniatures
were perhaps originally on the leaves which formerly faced ff. 53
and 93].Tables with architectural details in red ink (ff. 8v-10r),
featuring two drawings:A drawing in a table in green and black of
Pachomius receiving a scroll from an angel within architectural
details (f. 9v). A drawing in a table of three tonsured figures
with books, where the central figure is seated on chair, within
architectural details (f. 10r). A marginal drawing of a cross with
base (f. 11r). 1 full-page initial (‘B’) in gold with
knot-work, foliate and zoomorphic motifs, and a full border in
colours and gold at the beginning of Psalm 1 (f. 12r); 1 half-page
initial in gold with knot-work, foliate and zoomorphic motifs, and
a full border in colours and gold, with the evangelist symbols of
the cow and eagle in roundels at the beginning of Psalm 51 (f.
53r); 1 half-page historiated initial in gold, showing David
killing Goliath at the beginning of Psalm 101, with full border in
gold and colours (f. 93r). 1 large initial in gold with foliate
decoration and an animal head in purple and red (f. 105r); 2 large
initials with geometric patterns in blue, green, yellow (imitation
gold), and red (ff. 147r, 162v); numerous large initials in blue,
gold, green, yellow (imitation gold), or red, some with penwork
decoration in the other colour; numerous small initials in blue,
green, yellow (imitation gold), purple or red. Display script and
rubrics in blue, green, and red.Later faces added to some letters.
Later marginal sketch of a lion rampant (f. 2r). Later marginal
drawing of a creature (f. iii verso, 88v). Later sketch of a man in
early modern attire (f. vi verso). Later faces of Christ and monks
added to ff. 191r-191v.
