Manuscript leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin, printed by Antoine Vérard, produced...

Text: From a Book of Hours, in Latin

Font: Font based on Cursiva Formata (Bastarda) script

Printer: Antoine Vérard

The text is presented to simulate a manuscript version, with numerous abbreviations, and variations of letters to suit the position in words. Hand painted versals and line fillers are all in gold on red or blue. Capitals are touched with yellow and even red line ruling has been added by hand. On two borders of each side are fine metalcut scenes.

Panel borders are on both sides. There are five two-line versals, seventeen one-line versals and one line filler.

This leaf is from the same Book of Hours as MS 5650/64 and MS 5650/87.

Recto side:

1 Q uia apud d(omi)n(u)m misericordia : (et) copiosa apud

2 eu(m) rede(m)ptio . E t ip(s)e redimet israel : ex o(mn)ibus ini-

3 quitatibus ei(us) . v(ersus) . Requie(m) eterna(m) dona eis domi-

4 ne . Et lux perpetua luceat eis. D(omi)ne exaudi ora-

5 tione(m) mea(m) . Require or(ati)ones i(n) officio p(ro)defunct(is) .

6

In adue(n)tu d(omi)ni officiu(m) b(ea)te marie dicit(ur) modo

7 predicto . exceptis specialibus antiphonis in t(em)p(or)e

8 inferius ordinatis . Ad vesperas primi sabba-

9 ti de adventu d(omi)ni : usq(ue) ad vigilia(m) nativitat(is) do-

10 mini dicitur officium modo subscripto . [line filler]

11

Sabbato ante prima(m) d(omi)nicam de adventu Ad

12 vesp(er)as . D eus in adiutoriu(m) . D (omi)ne ad adiuva(n)d(um) .

13 G l(or)ia pa . an(tiphona) . Missus e(st) . cu(m) reliq(ui)s an(tiphona) . d(e) laudib(us) .

14 p( )i . Dixit d(omi)n(u)s . Laudate pue . cu(m) reliq(ui)s p( )is . C(a)p(itulu)m [ ?

15 E Grediet(ur) virga de radice iesse (et) flos de ra-

16 dice ei(us) ascendet : (et) requiescet sup(er) eu(m) sp(irit)us

17 d(omi)ni . Deo gra(tia)s. Hymn(us) . Ave mar(is) stella . v(ersus) . Dif-

18 fusa e(st) gra(tia) i(n) labiis tuis . R(esponsorium) . Propterea b(e)n(e)dixit (et) c(etera) .

19 Ad Magnificat . an(tiphona) . Sp(irit)us s(an)ctus i(n) te desce(n)det ma-

20 ria ne timeas habe(n)s i(n) utero filiu(m) dei all(eluy)a . Kyri

21 eleyson . (Christ)e eleyso(n) : Kyri eleyson . D(omi)ne exau(di) . or(ati)o(nem) .

22 D Eus q(ui) de beate marie virginis utero ver-

23 bu(m) tuu(m) angelo nu(n)ciante carne(m) suscip(er)e vo-

24 luisti : presta supplicibus tuis : ut Q(ui) vere ea(m) dei ge-

25 nitricem credimus eius apud te intercessionib(us)

26 adiuvemur . Per d(omi)n(u)m . an(tiphona) . Ecce d(omi)n(u)s veniet (et) o(mn)es

27 sancti ei(us) cu(m) eo et erit in die illa lux magna alle-

28 luya . v(ersus) . Ecce apparebit d(omi)n(u)s super nubem can-

Verso side:

1 didam . R(esponsorium) . Et cu(m) eo sanctorum milia .

Or(ati)o

2 C Onscientias nostras q(uesumu)s d(omi)ne visita(n)do pu-

3 rifica : ut venie(n)s d(omi)n(u)s noster iesus (christu)s cu(m)

4 o(mn)ibus sanctis parata(m) sibi in nobis inueniat ma(n)-

5 sionem . Qui tecu(m) vivit (et) regnat (et) c(etera) . B(e)n(e)dicam(us)

6 d(omi)no . Deo gratias .

Ad completorium .

7 C onverte nos deus salutaris noster . E t aver-

8 te ira(m) tua(m) a nobis . D e(us) in adiutoriu(m) D (omi)ne ad

9 adiuvandu(m) G loria patri (et) c(etera) . p(atr)i . Sepe expugna-

10 veru(n)t me . De p(ro)fu(n)dis . D(omi)ne no(n) est exaltatu(m). Hy(mn)(us)

11 M emento salutis (et) c(etera) .

Capitulum .

12 E Cce virgo concipiet (et) pariet filiu(m) et voca-

13 bitur nomen eius emanuel . Butirum et

14 mel comedet : ut sciat reprobare malum et elige-

15 re bonu(m) . Deo gratias . v(ersus) . Angelus d(omi)ni nu(n)ciavit

16 marie . R(esponsorium) . Et (con)cepit de sp(irit)u s(an)cto. an(tiphona) . Sp(irit)u(s) sanct(us)

17 p(salmu)s . Nu(n)c dimittis . an(tiphona) . Sp(irit)us sanctus . Quere i(n) pri-

18 mis vesp(er)is . Ad matutinas o(mn)ia dicuntur sicut

19 ante adventu(m) d(omi)ni usq(ue) ad lectiones : excepta an(tiphona) .

20 noni psalmi : et loco eius ubi dicitur Post partu(m) .

21 dicitur an(tiphona) . Angelus domini . Et loco illarum le-

22 ctionum : scilicet In omnibus requiem . Et sic in

23 syon . (et) Quasi cedrus . dicuntur lectiones que se-

24 quuntur .

Lectio prima .

25 M Issus est gabriel angelus a deo in civita-

26 te(m) galilee cui nomen nazareth ad virgine(m)

27 desponsatam viro cui nomen erat ioseph de do-

28 mo david : (et) nomen v(ir)ginis maria . Et ingressus

Recto panels:

Side top panel showing Christ blessing:

Crucifixus │ p(ro) nobis .

Side second panel showing nails being forged:

Post(quam) veneru(n)t │ in locu(m) qui voca- │ tur calvarie : ibi

Side third panel showing Christ being nailed to the Cross:

crucifixeru(n)t eu(m) . │ Luce . xxiii . capi- │ tulo . [Luke 23:33

Side fourth panel showing men with wood saw.

Bottom three panels showing three astrologers:

Tubalcai(n) │ fuit malle- │ ator et fa- │ ber in cun- │ cta opera │ er(is) . Ge . 4 [Genesis 4:22

Verso panels:

Side top panel showing God creating man:

Creavit deus │ ho(m)i(n)em ad (et) c(etera) .

Side second panel showing Christ curing a sick man:

Unus militu(m) lan- │ cea latus ei(us) ape- │ ruit et (con)tinuo exi-

Side third panel showing Christ on the Cross:

vit sanguis et a- │ qua . (et) c(etera) . Iohan- │ nis . xix . [John 19:34

Side fourth panel showing Moses.

Bottom three panels showing two wise men and a floral pattern:

Tulit una(m) │ de cost(is) ei(us) │ et replevit │ carnem p(ro) │ ea . Gene- │ sis . ii . [Genesis 2:21

Notes for main text:

A Printed letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,y,z,A,B,C,D,E,G,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,U.

Painted versals:

,C,D,E,G,M,Q.

B Alternative forms of ‘d’(2), ‘m’(2), ‘n’(2), ‘r’(2) and ‘s’(2).

C Abbreviation of ‘ue’ in ‘usque’ (recto, line 9).

D Abbreviation of ‘con’ in ‘concepit’ (verso, line 16).

E Abbreviation of ‘us’, e.g. in ‘laudibus’ (recto, line 13).

F Abbreviation of ‘is’, e.g. in ‘maris’ (recto, line 17).

G Use of Tironian ‘et’ for ‘et cetera’ etc.

Notes for side panels:

H The font, base on a Textualis Formata script, is different from that used in the main text.

I Printed letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,C,G,I,L,P,T,U.

J Some letters have alternative forms.

MS 5650/64

Among the early French printers was Antoine Vérard, who began printing in 1485. Vérard was the first to print a Book of Hours and his work set a standard of elegance for French book production with illustrated and heavily ornamented pages bound in deluxe editions. It is estimated that Vérard published more than two hundred of these editions in a little more than twenty-five years, beginning in 1485.

The typefaces used by Caxton were all varieties of ?black letter? or ?gothic? type. His earlier works were set in an early form of French lettre bâtarde. By 1490, he had acquired a more round and open typeface, a textura originally used by Antoine Vérard and later favoured by Caxton's successor, Wynkyn de Worde.

Vérard was the most prolific publisher of Horae in Paris. The genre had certain definite, if unspoken, rules. They were to always be visually attractive, ownership was considered a pious act, and they were conservative in appearance, closely based upon manuscript editions, and normally printed on vellum. The use of decorative borders was requisite, as was the type strongly reflecting manuscript calligraphy.

King Henry VII purchased many printed books from Antoine Vérard, as did a number of other patrons with French royal connections.