Manuscript leaf from Petrus Riga (from the Aurora a paraphrase of the Bible in verse),...

MS 5650/142

Manuscript leaf from Petrus Riga (from the Aurora a paraphrase of the Bible in verse), in Latin, produced in England

c.1200-1240

Text: From Petrus Riga (from the Aurora a paraphrase of the Bible in verse), in Latin

Script: Praegothica

This is a fine leaf from the Aurora, an early verse translation of sections of historical narrative from the Bible. It was written originally by Petrus Riga who later composed two later revisions. Our leaf comes from the second version, written in a tall thin shape suitable for carrying in the pocket and would have been used in the study of theology or preaching of the Gospel around the countryside. The Aurora is a distillation of the historical passages of the Bible, but with much addition of allegory and commentary. “For those who could read Latin, it supplied Scriptural lore in a popular form and it also served as a book of popular theology, devotional reading, moral instruction, and entertainment. Its influence was propagated by teachers, preachers, and lexicographers, by poets and other writers. It was studied, imitated, translated, and quoted. Not only was it widely read in monasteries and convents but it was also recommended reading for the sons of nobles” (Beichner. Aurora, Petri Rigae Biblia Versifocata).

The leaf comes from the same copy of Aurora used by Otto Ege as leaf No. 7 in his collection of “Forty sets of leaves from fifty medieval manuscripts”. Related leaves are found in American University Colleges which hold some of these sets. Fourteen of these are described in the Denison College website (http://ege.denison.edu).

On each side the leaf has 49 lines of text in a single column. It is lightly ruled in plummet and is written in brown ink in a small very early gothic hand. The first letter of each line starts with a capital letter just set apart from the remaining text in the line. There is a large puzzle initial ‘Q’ in red and blue with contrasting penwork extending into the lower margin. Also there are five smaller initials alternately in blue and red with penwork in both colours.

The text shows the end of the Fourth Books of Kings (i.e. The Second Book of Chronicles) and the initial ‘Q’ begins the Book of Tobias, “Qui legit historiam Thobie. . .”

Reference: P E. Beichner. Aurora, Petri Rigae Biblia Versifocata, A Verse Commentary on the Bible, 1965, p.xi). The text is Stegmuller, Repertorium Biblicum, IV, 1989, pp. 380-83, nos. 6823-26.

Recto:

1 P ost in regibus est sextus . quia dux(it) hebreos

2 I pse per hos reges regia iura docens .

3 S eptimus gradus in sanctis (et) profetis .

4 S eptimus in vobis sancti iusti q(ue) p(ro)phę (est) [‘e caudata’ in ‘prophę’

5 per quos predictus fulsit in orbe deus .

6 O ctavus gradus in presulibus .

7 E st in presulibus octavus . namq(ue) sacerdos .

8 I pse sacerdotes pontifices q(ua) [deleted text] dedit

9 N onus gradus in homine .

10 C um deus assumens carnem descendit i(n) alvu(m)

11 V irginissam nonus dicitur esse gradus .

12 D ecimus in cristo cum descendit ad unferos . [correctly ‘inferos’

13 um deus assumens [line filler] [deleted text – see Note J

14 P ost tormenta crucis faciens ad tartara (christ)us

15 D escensum . decimum monstrat adesse gradum .

16 S ic quasi per legis umbram veniendo . p(er) istos .

17 H uc descendisti criste benigne gradus .

18 A c iterum sicut sol iusticie per eosdem .

19 U t surrexisti scandis ad alta poli .

20 S ic umbram veterem veri fulgore serena(n)s

21 O ris clave diu clausa patere facis .

22 R ex quia pro fastu monst(ra)bat opes alienas

23 O mnia predoni preda fuere malo .

24 S ic animus iusti qui de virtute sup(era)bit

25 P erdit opes animę . demonib(us) q(uia) patet . [‘e caudata’in ‘animę’

26 S ub ioachim iesechias captivat hebreos

27 R ex babilonis . eos ad mala multa trahe(n)s .

28 N uris ier(usa)l(e)m validis munita . cocorum [pointer in left margin

29 P rincipe destruitur . menia lapsa ruunt

30 V irtutes animę sic princeps destit alvus [‘e caudata’ in ‘animę’

31 C um parat arma cocus dans renova(n)sq(ue) cibos .

32 N am neq(ue) quis poterit virtutu(m) tange(re) cutin( ) .

33 S i dominetur(us) eis ventris iniquus amor .

34 P ost ann(os) decies septem solvuntur hebrei [correction from ‘anni’

35 I erusalem redeunt . pristina festa novant .

36 P erq(ue) iesum magnum te(m)plum iuvenesce(ns) cepit

37 F itq(ue) vetusta domus illa puella recens .

38 S ic post hanc vitam q(ue) volvitur orbe dierum

39 S eptem . nos revocat ad sua templa deus .

40 Explicit lib(er) Regum Incip(it) thobyas .

41 Q ui legis historiam thobie . discute sensum

42 Qui latet . e petra larga flu(e)nta bibes .

43 Thobias p(o)p(u)l(u)m signare videtur hebreum .

44 I lle deum coluit . serviit iste deo .

45 I eroboam vitulis cum multi sacra p(er)aret .

46 I lle cavebat eos ydola vana milla colens . [deletion of ‘vana’

47 S ic cum gentiles colerent sacra falsa minist( )

48 O vimi cultus solus hebrens erat

49 C aptus [erased text] ab assyriis fuit ille . s(ed) avicior(um)

Verso:

1 N on potuit laqueo mens tamen illa capi .

2 A ssyrii sathanam signant cui(us) dolus omnes [comment ‘alleg( )’ in margin

3 C aptivans . nobis abstulit alta poli .

4 F ratres captivos thobias pavit . hebrei

5 P ascebant patres per sacra verba rudes .

6 A nnam thobyas vir factus duxit . hebre(us) .

7 C revit in egipto . sub pharaone manens

8 C ui veluti coniunx nubsit c(um) lex dat(ur) illi

9 P er moysem . docuit qu(i) sacra verba dei . [correction from ‘que’

10 E x anna natum thobiat gignit . (et) illum

11 H ominis insignem reddit honore sui .

12 S ic de stirpe sua venturum novit hebreus

13 C ristum . quod moysi sermo fatetur ibi . [comment ‘cont( ) indos( )’ in margin

14 I n vobis surget ex vestra gente p(ro)pheta .

15 Q ui non audiet hunc ille peribit homo . [‘r’ replaced by ‘r’ !

16 I nponit q(ue) suum nomen credendo . fatendo

17 H oc quod de cristo sermo paternus ait .

18 H unc p(ri)mogenitum ponam dic(itur) pat(etur) . altum

19 P(ro) cunctis terrę regibus . ore david . [note ‘Pro’ [‘e caudata’ in ‘terrę’

20 O mnia quę docuit p(e)cc(at)a cavere . fatendo [‘e caudata’ in ‘quę’

21 (Et) credendo quod hic viveret absq(ue) nota . [tironian ‘Et’

22 T hobys subscripto bis quinq(ue) talenta gabelo

23 C redit . cognarum te reb(us) egere videns . [deletion of ‘te’

24 S ic per scriptores legis commisit hebreus

25 G entili populo iussa [deleted word] docenda dei .

26 U t paup(eri)tatem fidei ditaret in illo

27 (Et) ditem faceret munere legis eum . [‘r’ replaced by ‘r’ !

28 R ex iubet occidi thobiam . sing(u)la tolli

29 P ropter opus rectum quod parat ille d(omin)o .

30 Q ui fugiens nudus latuit e(st) coniuge . nato

31 N am multos gratos fecerat ille sibi

32 S ic rex peccati per falsa necare studebat [comment ‘alleg( )’ in margin

33 S acra . dei p(o)p(u)l(u)m . tollere legis opus . [note elongated ‘s’ in ‘opus’

34 N ec valuit quia plebs diversis illa magist(ri)s

35 F lorebat . quibus est nacta salutis opem .

36 C um sponsa nato . latuit . quia ius sinagoge

37 (Et) spem de cristo plebs erat illa tenens .

38 N ato(rum) gladiis occiso rege . recepit

39 S ingula thobias . quę tulit ipse sibi . [‘e caudata’ in ‘quę’

40 V icto sepe sathan aliqua p(re)ce plebis hebreę [‘ę caudata’ in ‘hebreę’

41 R erum prosperitas sepe ridebat eis .

42 C um thobis multos condisset honore septe(m )

43 O ccisos . fessus ab sua tecta redit .

44 D ormiit . ex nido quem fecit yrundo . iace(n)tis .

45 I llius in lumen stercora lapsa ruunt

46 H ac causa radius fulgoris ab eius ocellis

47 E xulat . (et) ceca frons sine luce manet

48 S ic velut ex parte cecatio contigit illi

49 I udęę populo . quem sacra verba p(ro)bant . [double ‘e caudata’ in ‘Iudęę’

Notes:

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

Note the dotted ‘y’, e.g. in ‘Assyrii’ (verso, line 2).

Capitals: A,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T and Tironian ‘ET’.

B Versals: C,E,P,Q and S.

C Alternative forms of letters: ‘i’(2), ‘m’(2), ‘s’(3) and ‘t’(2).

Only when ‘ii’ terminates a word the second ‘i’ has a descender as in ‘Assyrii’ (verso, line 2).

When a word ending in ‘m’ is the last word in a line then the final stroke of the ‘m’ has a descender, e.g. in ‘eosdem’ (recto, line 18).

Apart from the round ‘s’ and the tall ‘s’ a third type of ‘s’ known as a trailing ‘s’ and shaped like a ‘c’ but with a descender is found at the end of some words and particularly when at the end of a line, e.g. ‘facis’ (recto, line 21).

The letter ‘t’ has, apart from a normal short ‘t’ is slightly taller in an ‘st’ ligature and sometimes has a sharp backward down stroke if it is the last letter in a word, and at the end of a line, e.g. ‘novant’ (recto, line 35).

D Fusion occurs between pairs of letters ‘pp’ as in ‘populum’ (verso, line 33).

E Ligature of ‘ct’ occurs frequently as in ‘sancti’ (recto, line 4).

F Ligature of ‘st’ occurs frequently as in ‘cristo’ (verso, line 17).

G Tironian ‘et’ occurs in several places, e.g. verso, line 10. It is also used as a capital at the start of a line, e.g. verso lines 21, 27 and 37.

H The symbol ‘÷’ is used to represent ‘est’ (recto, line 4).

I ‘e caudata’ is a letter ‘e’ with a tail ‘ę’ and often interpreted as either ‘ae’ or a diphthong ‘æ’ and occurs in several places, e.g. in ‘animę’ (recto, line 25).

J In copying recto line 13 the scribe’s attention slipped and he started to copy line 10 again but soon he realised his mistake. He deleted the text by underlining it, and filled the remaining space with a wiggly line. No one else would have been willing to paint or draw a line filler in this location.

K Abbreviation in ‘rebus’ (verso, line 23).

L Abbreviation for ‘sed’ (recto, line 49).

M Abbreviation for ‘cum’ (verso, line 8).

N The significance of the comment ‘alleg( )’ in the left margin of verso lines 2 and 32 is not known.

O The significance of the comment ‘cont( ) indos( )’ in the left margin of verso line 13 is not known.

P The reason for the rather elaborate pointer at recto line 28 is not known.

MS 142

Latin

1 leaf

Material: Vellum leaf