This early 13th-century manuscript originates from the Cistercian
monastery of Byland Abbey in North Yorkshire, as is indicated by
its ownership inscription. The manuscript primarily contains a
biblical commentary of the French theologian Peter the Chanter (d.
1197), the Verbum Abbreviatum (Abbreviated Word), that has been
signed by a scribe who refers to himself as ‘Simon’ (f.140r:
‘Simon ei nomen cui felix det deus amen’). The manuscript ends
with a poem on magnet stones by Marbodius (b. c. 1035, d. 1123),
archdeacon at Angers and Bishop of Rennes, and notes in French on
the compass. Contents:ff. 1v-2v: A table of the manuscript’s
contents. ff. 3r-140r: Peter the Chanter, Verbum Abbreviatum . ff.
140r-142v: A metrical life of Thomas of Canterbury, beginning:
‘Ante chaos iurgium indigeste molis Adhuc yle grauida fetu magne
prolis’. f. 142v: Marbod of Rennes, De Lapidibus , excerpt of a
Latin poem on magnet stones, beginning ‘Magnetes lapis est
inventur trogoditas [sic]’. f. 142v: Note in Anglo-Norman French
on the mariner's compass, beginning: ‘E ki est en peril de
mer’. [f. 1r is blank].Decoration:1 large red initial with
arabesque motifs and knot-work motifs (f. 3r). Medium and small
initials in green or blue with red penwork decoration and
pen-flourishing, or red with penwork decoration and pen-flourishing
in blue and once in the same colour (f. 79r); some with minor
arabesque motifs and one featuring a fish in its pen-flourishing
(f. 119r); two initials with frames in red or blue (f. 81v and f.
82r). Medium initials in two colours: red and blue with penwork
decoration and pen-flourishing in red and blue (ff. 29v, 67v); red
and green with penwork and pen-flourishing in red and blue (ff.
44r, 69v). Plain large initials in red (ff. 104r, 108v, 110r, 111v,
112r). Rubrics in red. Marginal references in red. Headers in red
or green. Roman numerals in red. Paraph markers in red. Manicules
in brown ink added to the margins throughout the manuscript.
