Manuscript leaf from a Noted Breviary, in Latin, produced in France

Text: From a Noted Breviary, in Latin

Script: Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus)

The text is written in two sizes of black or red gothic script. The words associated with the music notes are in a smaller script and many capitals are touched with red. There is line pricking on the central margin of the leaf. The lessons are taken from St Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Two-line versals are in red and blue alternately and decorated with red and blue penwork; one-line versals are in red or blue. Thirty-five lines of square musical notation are on red four-line staves. Text struck through in red probably signifies important words rather than deleted words, as in the case of the word ‘evovae’ (see Note I).

The writing is very confident, and the scribe must have enjoyed adding the occasional flourish to a letter.

Reference:

Hughes, A., Medieval Manuscripts for Mass and Office - A Guide to their Organization and Terminology, University of Toronto Press, 1995.

Recto side (column 1):

1 Cap(itulum) .

2 lati . P(salmus) In conu(n)tendo. evovae . D (omi)n(u)s

3 autem . hi(m)pn(us) T elluris in-

4 gens conditor V(ersus) Dirigatur-

5 Ad

6 . m( ) . a(ntiphon) In deo salutari meo exultavit

7 spiritus meus. p(salmus) Magnificat . evovae

8 Feria (quarta) Iniutatorium . [Fourth festival

9 I N manu tua domine omnes fines

10 Himpnus

11 terre . p(salmus) Venite. R erum ca(n)tor

12 optime .

13 In nocturno ant(iphona) Avertet do-

14 minus captivitatem plebis sue . p(salmu)s .

15 Dixit insipiens . p(salmus) Exaudi deus . a(ntiphona)

16 Quoniam in te confidit anima mea .

17 p(salmus) Miserere mei . p(salmus) Miserere mei mi-

18 serere . evovae . a(ntiphona) Iuste iudicate filii

19 hominum . p(salmus) Si vere . p(salmu)s Eripe me .

20 evovae . a(ntiphona) Da nobis domine auxili-

Recto side (column 2):

1 um de tribulat(i)one . p(salmus) Deus reppulisti

2 nos . p(salmus) Exaudi deus dep(recor) . evovae . a(ntiphona) In

3 B(e)n(e)dicite gl(oria) deu(m) [marginal text

4 n(ost)r(u)m. p(salmus) Iudica [marginal text

5 ecelesiis benedicite dominum . p(salmus) Iubila-

6 te deo . p(salmus) Exurgat deus . evovae . V(ersus)

7 Deus vitam meam . Annunciave(run)t .

8 S i igit(ur) p(re)pucium L(e)c(ti)o p(ri)ma [First lesson

[Romans 2:26

9 legis custodiat iusticias

10 nonne p(re)pucium illius in cir-

11 cumcisione reputab(itu)r . et iude-

12 cabit q(uo)d ex natura e(st) p(re)puciu(m)

13 legem consu(m)mans . te qui p(er)

14 litteram et c(ir)cumcisionem

15 prevaricator legis es . Non e-

16 nim qui i(n) manifesto iudeus e(st)

17 neq(ue) que in manifesto i(n) carne

18 c(ir)cumcisio s(ed) qui in abscondito

19 iudeus et c(ir)cumcisio cordis in

20 sp(irit)u no(n) littera cuvis laus no(n)

21 ex hominib(us) s(ed) ex deo est . R(esponsorium)

22 P Aratum cor meum deus paratum [Psalm 56:8

23 cor meum cantabo et psalmum dicam

24 domino V(ersus) Clamabo ad deum altissimu(m)

Verso side (column 1):

1 deum qui benefecit michi . Cantabo

2 Q uid est (er)g(o) amplius L(e)c(ti)o (secunda) [Second lesson

[Romans 3:1

3 iudeo aut que utilitas

4 c(ir)cumcisionis : Multum p(er)

5 omnem modum . Primum

6 quid(em) q(uia) c(re)dita ei sunt eloq(ui)a

7 dei . Quid eni(m) si quidam il-

8 lor(um) no(n) credid(er)unt : Numq(ui)d

9 incredulitas illor(um) fidem dei

10 evacuavit : Absit . Est aute(m)

11 deus verax : om(n)is h(om)o me(n)dax

12 sicut sc(ri)ptum e(st) . Ut iustifi-

13 ceris in sermonib(us) tuis : (et)

14 vincas cum iudicaris . R(esponsorium)

15 A diutor meus tibi psallam quia deus [Psalm 58:18

16 susceptor meus es deus meus miseri-

17 cordia mea . V(ersus) Letabor et exultabo in te

18 psallam nomini tuo altissime . De(us)

19 S i autem iniqui- L(e)c(ti)o (tertia) [Third lesson

[Romans 3:5

20 tas n(ost)ra iusticiam co(m)me(n)-

21 dat quid dicemus : Nu(m)quid

22 iniquus deus qui iram in-

23 fert : Secundum ho(m)i(n)em di-

24 co . Absit . Alioquin quomo-

25 do iudicabit deus h(un)c mu(n)du(m) :

Verso side (column 2):

1 Si enim v(er)itas i(n) meo me(n)dacio

2 Bundavit i(n) gl(ori)am ip(s)ius q(ui)d [abundavit

3 adh(uc) ego tanquam pec(ca)tor iu-

4 dicor : Et no(n) sicut blasphe-

5 mam(ur) et sicut aiunt nos

6 quidam d(ice)re : faciamus ma-

7 la ut veniant bona . Quo-

8 rum dampnat(i)o iusta e(st) .

9 Quid ig(itu)r : Precellimus eo(s) :

10 Nequaquam Responsorium

11 E xaudi deus deprecat(i)onem meam . [Psalm 60:2

12 intende or(ati)oni mee a finibus terre ad

13 te clamavi do . mi ne . V(ersus) Dum an-

14 xiaretur cor meum in petra exalta-

15 sti me . Do mi ne . Gloria . │In

│

16 │lau-

│

17 A Mplius lava me domine dib(us) . a(ntiphona)

18 ab ininsticia mea . p(salmus) Miserere . evovae .

19 a(ntiphona) Te decet himpnus deus in syon . p(salmu)s

20 Ip(su)m . evovae . a(ntiphona) Labia mea laudabu(n)t

21 te in vita mea deus meus . p(salmus) De(us) de(us) .

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,

A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,L,M,N,P,Q,R,S,T,U/V.

Note the dot above ‘y’ in ‘syon’ (verso 2, line 19).

Note the very short ascender on ‘d’ - almost non-existent.

The shapes of capitals A, H, M, N and P are especially interesting.

Versals: A,D,E,I,P,Q,R,S,T.

B Alternative forms ‘i’(2), ‘r’(2) and ‘s’(3).

Where two or more letters ‘i’ are written together the last one has

a descender.

Some words ending a line with a short ‘s’ have a flourish,

e.g. ‘Hympnus’ (recto 1, line 10). Other words ending in ‘s’ have

a trailing ‘s’, e.g. ‘nobis’ (recto 1, line 20).

C Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘bo’, ‘de’, ‘do’ and ‘pp’.

Note the fusion between ‘pp’ of ‘prepucium’ (e.g. recto 2, line 10).

D Ligature between letters ‘ct’ in ‘nocturno’ (recto 1, line 13).

E Ligature between letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘custodiat’ (recto 2, line 9).

F Ligature between letters ‘st’ in ‘iusticiam’ (verso 1, line 20).

G Ligature between letters ‘st’ in ‘iniusticia’ (verso 2, line 18).

H Generally ‘et’ is written in full, but in one place a crossed Tironian

‘et’ is used (verso 1, line 13).

I The word ‘evovae’, crossed through in red, represents the vowels in

‘seculorum amen’. This occurs in (a) recto 1, lines 2, 7, 18 and 20,

(b) recto 2, lines 2 and 6 and (c) in verso 2, lines 18 and 20.

(See Hughes p. 114)

J Abbreviation of ‘sed’ (e.g. recto 2, line 18).

K Abbreviation of ‘hominibus’ (recto 2, line 21).

L Abbreviation of ‘ergo’ (verso 1, line 2).

M Abbreviation of ‘quia’ (verso 1, line 6).

N Abbreviation of ‘rum’, e.g. in ‘illorum’ (verso 1, line 9).