Canterbury/Rochester school, scribe Theodulf, Bishop of Orleáns, approximately 760-821 Alcuin, 735-804 Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, 1024?-1108, former owner Lumley, John Lumley, Baron, 1534?-1609, former owner Wall, Herman van de, 1672-1733, former owner Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872, former owner Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Manuscript. HM 62
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Description
vol. I, ff. 1v- 241v; vol. II, ff. 1v- 262v. [Bible]. Latin. Bible in the following order: in vol. I: Octateuch, Psalms (with Ps. 151), Sapiential books (with the prayer of Solomon), 1-2 Paralipomenon, Ezra, Nehemiah, Gospels; in vol. II: 1-4 Kings, Job, Tobit, Esther, Judith, 1-2 Maccabees, Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Acts, Catholic Epistles, Apocalypse, Pauline Epistles (with the letter to the Laodiceans after Hebrews); Baruch has been added at the end in a later hand. Most books are preceded by a chapter list (except the Minor prophets); there are 71 prologues; stichometry noted in rubrics concluding Romans and Hebrews. In Vol. 1: f. 1, s. XIII, list of the contents of vol. I, and an ownership note: Prima pars biblie per bone memorie Gundulfum Roffensem Episcopum. Liber de claustro Roffensi quem qui inde alienaverit alienatum celaverit vel hunc titulum in fraudem deleverit excomunicatus est, ferentibus sentenciam [dicto] sancto Episcopo Priore et singulis presbiteris Capituli Roffensis; f. 1, s. XVI/XVII, an owner's note: Memorandum this Bible is perfecte which I woulde wishe to be safelye kepte togither with ye booke in written hande called Reductorium Bibliae in quo moralizantur omnes figurae Bibliae. The book is covered in wood and white lether. In Vol. II, f. 1, s. XIII, list of the contents of vol. II, and an ownership note: Secunda pars biblie. Per felicis recordacionis Gundulfum Roffensem episcopum. Liber de claustro Roffensi quem qui inde alienaverit alienatum celaverit vel hunc titulum in fraudem deleverit excomunicatus est, ferentibus sentenciam dicto sancto Episcopo Priore et singulis presbiteris capituli Roffensis. vol. I, f. 240. [Alcuin]. [Verses on the books of the Bible]. Incipit: In hoc quinque libri retinentur codice moysi. Explicit: Ad laudem christi propriamque in secla salutem. Latin. Added, s. XIImed, Stegmüller 290 and 1083. vol. I, ff. 240-241. [Theodulf of Orleans]. [Verses on the books of the Bible]. Incipit: Quicquid ab hebreo stilus atticus atque latinus. Explicit: Lector cui fulvum mentis acumen inest. Latin. Added, s. XIImed, Stegmüller 298 and 8006, lacking the last 4 verses. vol. I, f. 241; f. 241v blank. [Chanson de geste: first six verses, unidentified]. Incipit: Oor escutez seinurs que deus vus seit ami/L chevalier e seriant baieler e meschin/ Cest atre povre gent nel quier mie tolir/ Chancun bien fete plereit vus a oir/ Deu munt seint michiel d'ici qu'en puntif/ E de cordres sur mer d'ici qu'en aufric. French. Added, s. XIImed, the first 6 verses of an unidentified chanson de geste; see S. Harrison Thomson,"Oor Escutez Seinurs...," MLN 46 (1931) 368-69, and B. Woledge and I. Short,"Liste provisoire de manuscrits du XIIe siècle contenant des textes en langue française," Romania 102 (1981) 1-17, recording HM 62 on p. 8. Title supplied from printed catalog. Support: Parchment. Script: Late caroline minuscule. Layout: vol. I: 1-8⁸ 9⁸(+5, f. 69) 10-14⁸ 15¹⁰(through f. 123) 16-29⁸ 30⁶(-6); vol. II: 1-6⁸ 7⁸(+8, f. 57) 8-31⁸ 32¹⁰(-10) 33⁴. In both volumes, 2 columns of 45-48 lines ruled in dry point with double bounding lines on all 4 sides and triple rules between the columns; occasionally the 3 top and bottom lines full across, or the first and the third lines from the top and from the bottom full across; occasionally, 4 lines between the columns. Some pricking remains in the lower margins. Span folios: Vol. I, ff. 1- 241v; Vol. II, ff. 1- 262v. Decoration: Some later sketches in lead in vol. I: f. lv, in the space reserved for the first word, "Desiderii," a seated figure, blessing; f. 105v, in the initial for Psalms, a man with one arm upraised; f. 111, in the initial for Ps. 51, a lion-like animal and in the initial for Ps. 52, foliage (?); f. 123, lower margin, a crude sketch of a knight on horseback; in vol. II: f. 6, lower margin, a man half-length; f. 68v, in the initial for Tobit, foliage. Other Decoration: Plain red initials, the smaller ones usually placed outside the written space, sometimes touched over in silver, now oxidized; occasionally with simple red flourishes (e.g. vol. I, f. 135v), or with some purple (e.g. vol. I, f. 161); a few initials filled in ochre, one blue initial. Vol. I, f. 68v and vol. II, ff. 259-262, red or green initials with small but competent leafy tendrils. Scribe's notes in lead in rubric space, ff. 194v-199v, "dimitte spacium" or "non scribe." Material added in several hands, s. XIIin-med, in the script of the Canterbury / Rochester school (see N. R. Ker, English Manuscripts in the Century after the Norman Conquest, Oxford, 1960, pls. 12a, 12b, 29a): in vol. I, ff. 68v-70, a revised chapter list for Deuteronomy, for which the original list on ff. 68v and 70 was erased, a leaf was inserted (f. 69) and the whole re-written; ff. 240-241, the Alcuin, Theodulf and French verses; in vol. II, ff. 259-262, Baruch; some marginalia also in this script, e.g. vol. I, ff. 53v, 76, 80. Assigned Date: s. XI2. Input into Digital Scriptorium by: C. W. Dutschke, 3/5/2012. Cataloged from existing description: C. W. Dutschke with the assistance of R. H. Rouse et al., Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library (San Marino, 1989); Bound, s. XIXin, by Charles Lewis in blue morocco, stamped with the crest of Theodore Williams ; gilt edges. De Ricci suggests a previous binding of white leather over wooden boards, apparently on the basis of the note, s. XVI/XVII, in vol. I, f. 1, which more probably pertains to the "Reductorium Bibliae." HM 62. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
Extent
Vol. I, ff. 241; Vol. II, ff. 262 : parchment ; 260 x 400 mm.
Bible--Commentaries--Early works to 1800 Poems (rbgenr) Marginalia (Annotations) (aat) Manuscripts (documents) (aat)
Source
Manuscripts, Huntington Digital Library
Provenance
In both volumes, f. 1, thirteenth century ex libris of the Rochester cathedral priory attributing early ownership to Gundulf, bishop of Rochester, 1077-1108. Marginal note in lead, vol. II, f. 134,"Dominus Gilbertus episcopus scit bene cantare, deus eum litera dicat" may refer to Gilbert Glanville, bishop of Rochester, 1185-1214; other notes in the same hand, f. 192v. Listed, ca. 1130, in the Rochester library catalogue which forms the second part of the Textus Roffensis, reproduced by P. Sawyer, Textus Roffensis Part II. Early English Manuscripts in Facsimile 11 (Copenhagen 1962) f. 225v; printed by R. P. Coates in Archaeologia Cantiana 6 (1864-65) p. 124. Also listed in the Rochester catalogue of 1202, London, Brit. Lib., Roy. 5.B.XII, f. 2, printed by W. B. Rye in Archaeologia Cantiana 3 (1861) n. 48. Ker, MLGB, p. 164 . First reappears in the library of John, Lord Lumley (1534?-1609); see S. Jayne and F. R. Johnson, eds., The Lumley Library: The Catalogue of 1609 (London 1956) p. 48, n. 111. At some time thereafter the book moved to the continent where it appears in the collection of the Amsterdam theologian Herman van de Wall (1672-1733), who owned another manuscript bible presumably of English origin, containing the letter of Senatus, prior of Worcester, to Master Alured; van de Wall's sale, Catalogus variorum et insignium librorum...quos...collegit et reliquit...Hermannus van de Wall...Minister Amstelodamensis; quorum publica auctio habebitur...ad diem 7 Septembris et sqq. Anno 1734...Amstelodami apud Salomonem Schouten, reported by F. L. Hoffmann in Serapeum 19 (1858) 225-28. Hereafter the bible passes through a number of private libraries and sales in the Low Countries: mentioned as"sold not many years ago by a bookseller at Louvain for 2000 florins" in John Thorpe, Customale Roffense (London 1788) p. 158. Sale of Jean-Baptiste Leplat (bookseller at Malines) in Malines, 2 May 1763, n. 3. Gasparoli sale, Antwerp, 3 September 1823, n. 2 to J. Schuylen. Belonged to the Rev. Theodore Williams who had the book rebound; his sale, by Steward, Wheatley and Adlard, London, 5 April 1827, n. 355 to Sir Thomas Phillipps. Phillipps n. 3504.
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