Manuscript leaf from St Ambrose a Lectionary, in Latin, produced in Northern Europe...

MS 5650/97

Manuscript leaf from St Ambrose a Lectionary, in Latin, produced in Northern Europe (between The Netherlands and the near Rhineland, possibly Arras)

c.1160

Text: From St Ambrose a Lectionary, in Latin

Script: Praegothica

The text is from St Ambrose De Benedictionibus Patriarcharum.

It is estimated that on the original leaf there would have been 36 to 37 lines of writing per column, and that the leaf might have been about 32 to 33 cm high and 23 to 24 cm wide. There are thirty-two lines of text in a small brown Continental Protogothic book script which is somewhat compressed. There is faint line ruling in ink but no line pricking.

The very large 28-line zoomorphic initial ‘P’ (200 x 70 mm.) is at the beginning of Chapter 1 of De Benedictionibus Patriarcharum. This outstanding initial, together with other capitals found on the other fragments from this manuscript is drawn in red minium and brown. In the bowl of the initial ‘P’ is a large scaly creature with grotesque head with a red and green wing, also several curling stems in white and terminating in curly leaves, on green, blue and yellow grounds. The style of these initials derive from Ottonian node scroll initials, particularly in the shape of the leaf scroll and the colouring. The initial ‘P’ shows great similarity with many of the Cistercian initials illustrating Nataša Golob’s book on Cistercian manuscripts.

For the text of St. Ambrose, see: Migne, Patrologia Latina, Vol. 14, pp.707-709. A translation is given below.

The background colours may have been retouched.

References:

1 Migne, Patrologia Latina, Vol. 14, pp.707-709

2 Nataša Golob, Twelfth-Century Cistercian Manuscripts - The Sitticum

Collection, Harvey Miller Publishers, 1996.

Translation of text by Donor:

Recto side:

First of all, we learn how much respect to pay to parents when we read that he who was blessed by his father, was blessed, and he who was cursed, was cursed. For that reason, God has granted this favour to parents, that the filial duty of sons should be appealed to. Therefore the prerogative of parents is the instruction of sons. Therefore honour your father that he might bless you. Let the dutiful man honour his father on account of the favour, the ungrateful man on account of fear. And if the father is poor and does not have an abundance of wealth that he might leave to his sons, let him nevertheless have the inheritance of a final blessing by which he might bestow on his successors the wealth of sanctification. And that is far more blessed than to become rich. Joseph hastened to receive a blessing, and finally he offered up his sons Ephraim and Manasseh too, whom Jacob blessed; that since he had twelve sons and the thirteenth was to be the Apostle Paul, as if late chosen, the thirteenth tribe from the grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim, divided between them both, should be sanctified, for which reason Paul was to be found not outside the number of ancestral tribes, who of the Old Testament . . . . .

Verso side:

Jacob, however, promised that he would say those things which were to come in the last days, not those things which had been performed. Therefore he agreed to be patriarch and opinion agrees, who with the Jews in pursuit, seeing the future Passion of the Lord, cursed the monstrous audacity of the firstborn people, who unbelieving and not subject to the law of God, and not knowing how to bear the yoke of Christ with a tough neck, wronged the author of life not only with the crime of murder but also of sacrilegious insult.

“May you not boil over like water”, he said, “nor let it burst forth into greater madness and let not the fervour of rage and insanity allow sinners to recover; but let them perform penitence for their sins, since a harsh people ascends the bed of the father and defiles the holy couch, that is by fastening the flesh of the Lord Jesus our Creator to the gibbet of the cross, on which his saints rest in healthful refreshment, just as on the same bed or paternal couch. Who therefore would deny the saying concerning the people, since these universal questions apply to the people? For he himself has been called the firstborn Israel; he himself has been said to have a tough neck.” Moses said of him: “You, however, are a tough-necked people. And in truth, who is as tough, as audacious and as insolent as the people of the Jews who beat with lashes and transfixed with nails the Lord Jesus, through whom they had seen the dead restored to life and the blind restored to sight, when they could not deny His divine works? What to the scribes and priests, authors and chief of the priests Caiphas equally raging . . . . .”

Recto side of fragment:

1 P RIMUM om(n)iu(m)

2 quantam

3 discimus

4 parentib(us)

5 referre re-

6 verentia(m)

7 c(um) legim(us)

8 q(uonia)m qui be-

9 nedicebatur

10 a patre benedi-

11 cendus qui maledicebat(ur) maledictus

12 erat . Ideo parentib(us) hanc gr(ati)am do-

13 navit d(eu)s . ut filior(um) pietas p(ro)vocet(ur) .

14 Prerogativa (i)g(itur) parentu(m) . disciplina

15 e(st) filior(um) . Honora (er)g(o) patre(m) . ut bene-

16 dicat te . Honoret patre(m) pius p(ro)pt(er)

17 gr(ati)am . ingratus p(ro)pt(er) timore(m) . (Et) si

18 paup(er) e(st) pat(er) . (et) non habet divitiaru(m)

19 copias q(ua)s relinquat filiis . hab(eret) tam(en)

20 ultimę benedictio(n)is hereditate(m) . qua [e caudata

21 s(an)c(t)ificationis opes successorib(us) largiat(ur) .

22 Et multo plus e(st) beatu(m) qua(m) divite(m)

23 fieri . F estinabat ioseph sumere

24 benedictione(m) . Deniq(ue) (et) filios suos op-

25 tulit manassem (et) effrem . q(uo)s bene-

26 dixit iacob . ut q(uia) duodeci(m) habebat

27 filios (et) tertius decimus futurus erat

28 ap(osto)l(u)s paulus . quasi posterior elect(us)

29 tertia decima trib(us) de manasse (et) effre(m)

30 nepotib(us) s(an)c(t)ificaret(ur) in utru(m)q(ue) divisa . q(uo)

31 paulus n(on) extra paternaru(m) t(ri)buu(m) nume-

32 [ru(m) inveniret(ur)] . q(ui) veteris testamenti (et)

Verso side of fragment:

1 ea quę gesta s(un)t spopondit se e(ss)e dicturu(m) . [e caudata

2 Ergo patriarchę sibi congruit (et) constat [e caudata

3 sententia . q(ui) videns p(er)sequentib(us) iudeis

4 futura(m) d(omi)ni passione(m) execrat(ur) immanem

5 primogenitę plebis audatiam . quę in- [e caudata

6 credula nec d(e)i lege subdita . (et) iugu(m) [deletion of ‘d(e)i’

7 (christ)i dura nesciens portare cervice . aucto-

8 rem vitę n(on) solu(m) scelere necis . s(ed) etia(m) sacri- [e caudata

9 legę insultationis affecit iniuria . Non [e caudata

10 efferveas inq(ui)t sicut aqua . ne in maiore(m)

11 p(ro)ru(m)pas amentia(m) . s(ed) agant penitentiam [deletion

12 (et) fervor furoris atq(ue) insanię n(on) sinat resipi- [e caudata

13 scere peccatores . s(ed) agant pęnitentia(m) de- [e caudata

14 lictor(um) . q(uonia)m durus pop(u)l(u)s ascendit cubile

15 pat(r)is (et) thorum polluit s(an)c(tu)m . hoc e(st) carne(m)

16 d(omi)ni i(e)h(s)u creatoris n(ost)ri patibulo adfigens

17 crucis . in qua velut in quoda(m) cubili

18 (et) patrio thoro s(an)c(t)i ei(us) salutari refectione

19 requiescunt . Q(ui)s (i)g(itur) abnuat de pop(u)lo

20 dictum . cu(m) pop(u)lo hęc universa conve- [e caudata

21 niant ? Ipse eni(m) dictus e(st) p(ri)mogenit(us)

22 isr(ae)l . ipse durę esse cervicis . De ipso [e caudata

23 dixit moyses . Vos aut(em) pop(u)l(u)s dura

24 cervice estis . (Et) re vera q(ui)s tam durus

25 (et) tam temerarius (et) contumeliosus

26 qua(m) pop(u)l(u)s iudeor(um) q(ui) d(omi)n(u)m i(e)h(su)m per

27 que(m) viderant mortuos suscitatos . cę- [e caudata

28 cos illuminatos . flagellis verberaver(un)t

29 clavis confixer(un)t . cu(m) divina ei(us) opera

30 negare n(on) possent ? Q(uo)d scribis (et) pon-

31 tificib(us) auctorib(us) (et) p(ri)ncipe sacerdotu(m)

32 caypha parit(er) sęviente [com(m)issu(m) evangelii] [e caudata

Notes:-

A Letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,y,

D,E,H,I,M,N,P,Q,R,U/V.

Initials: F,P.

B Alternative forms of the letters ‘d’(2) and ‘s’(2) occur.

Also ‘r’ in the word ending ‘rum’, e.g. in ‘filiorum’ (recto, line 13),

the tall ‘t’ in ‘st’ ligatures and occasionally Uncial ‘m’ and

‘n’ are used, e.g. in the name ‘moyses’ (verso, line 23).

C There appear to be no fused letters.

D Ligature between letters ‘ct’, e.g. in ‘maledictus’ (recto, line 11).

The ‘c’ does not join up with the ‘t’.

E Ligature between letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘posterior’ (recto, line 28).

The ‘s’ and the ‘t’ join at a sharp point.

F Abbreviation for ‘gratiam’ (recto, line 12).

G Abbreviation for ‘filiorum’ (recto, line 13).

H Abbreviation for ‘provocetur’ (recto, line 13).

I Abbreviation for ‘igitur’ (recto, line 14).

J Abbreviation for ‘ergo’ (recto, line 15).

K Abbreviation for ‘propter’ (recto, line 16).

L Abbreviation for ‘haberet’ (recto, line 19).

M Abbreviation for ‘est’ (recto, line 22).

N Abbreviation for ‘apostolus’ (recto, line 28).

O Abbreviation for ‘domini’ (verso, line 4).

P Abbreviation for ‘dei’ (verso, line 6).

Q Abbreviation for ‘sed’ (verso, line 8).

R Abbreviation for ‘quoniam’ (verso, line 14).

S Abbreviation for ‘sanctum’ (verso, line 15).

T Use of Tironian ‘et’ symbol, e.g. recto, lines 17 and 18. Both majuscule and minuscule forms are used.

U A semi-colon ‘;’ is used as word ending representing ‘ed’,

‘ue’, and ‘us’.

V A small ‘f’ was placed in recto, line 23, to indicate to the

illuminator that an initial ‘F’ was required.

W Use of ‘e caudata’ (ę), representing the diphthong ‘æ’, e.g. in ‘ultimę’ in recto, line 20. It also represents the diphthong ‘œ’ in ‘pęnitentiam’ in verso, line 13. The use of ‘e caudata’ died out in the twelfth century, but was revived later.

X When the scribe had reached line 11 of the verso side his eye slipped

a line and he started copying from the wrong point. He must have realised this fairly soon, and before adding a caudata, and merely deleted the incorrect words by drawing a line through them.

MS 97

Latin

1 leaf

Fragment of a vellum leaf