This manuscript was produced at the Benedictine abbey of St Mary
the Virgin in Reading. It was produced in a stylistic period of
manuscript production at the abbey that has been dated to between
1150 and 1180. Many of the abbey’s manuscripts from this period
contain patristic writings, which is indicative of the perceived
importance of writings by the Church Fathers for biblical
interpretation (Coates, The Reading Abbey Collections (1999) pp.
58-9). This manuscript contains the commentary on the Song of Songs
by the Greek theologian Origen (b. 184/185, d. 253/254). It also
contains a manual for monks and clerics, De institutione clericorum
(On the Education of the Clergy) by the Benedictine monk Hrabanus
Maurus (d. 856). Contents: ff. 1r–93v: Origen, translated by
Rufinus of Aquileia (b. c 345, d. 411), Commentary on the Song of
Songs , beginning 'Epithalamium origenis super cantica canticorum'.
ff. 94r–118v: Hrabanus Maurus, De institutione clericorum ,
beginning 'Incipit prefacio rabani mauri mogontiacensis æcclesiæ
episcopi' (followed by a table of contents). The manuscript
contains a number of additions:f. 1* recto: A book curse (13th
century), 'Hic lest liber Sancte Marie de Rading Quem qui celaverit
vel fraudem de eo fecerit ; anathema sit'). f. 2* verso: A table of
contents (13th century), 'In hoc volumine continentur iii libri
Epythalaminum origenis super cantica cantirorum Liber Rabine de
institutione clericorum'. f. 119r: The opening of a sermon,
‘Sciendum est fratres karissimi. et exponendum omnibus fidelibus
quod post ascensionem domini nostri iesu cristi saluatoris mundi.
cum magna gloria descendit’ (see Barré, Les homéliaires
carolingiens (1962), no. 49). f. 120v: Musical notation on black
ink staves (13th century), with a versicle for the office of the
dead, ‘O utinam consumptus essem’.[ff. 1* verso, [1*a] recto,
[1*a] verso, 2* recto, [92a] recto, [92a] verso, [92b] recto, [92b]
verso, 119v, [119a] recto, [119a] verso, 120r are
blank].Decoration:5 large initials in red and green with foliate or
geometric penwork decoration at the beginning of the preface,
books, and texts (ff. 1r, 30r, 64r, 94r, 95v). Large and small
initials in green or red, a few with simple penwork decoration.
Headings and numerals in red.
