Manuscript leaf from a Gradual, in Latin, produced in Italy

Text: From a Gradual, in Latin

Script: Southern Textualis Formata (Rotunda)

The leaf shows part of a hymn to be sung on the nativity of Saint Stephen.

The writing is in a rounded gothic script in brown ink. There is line ruling, but no line pricking. Eight four-line staves are ruled in red with musical notes. There is one large (50 x 50 mm.) illuminated versal ‘E’. Rubrics in red, six large initials in red or blue with penwork embellishment in the contrasting colour.

The leaf is of a less commonly seen intermediate size, larger than a portable volume to be used for personal devotions, but not large enough to be put before a large group of singers.

Transcription

Recto side:

1 v(ersus) D Ies sa(n)ctificatu(s)

2 illuxit nobis venite

3 gentes (et) adorate dominu(m) q(uia) hodie descen-

4 dit lux magna sup(er) terram . off(icium) . [offertorium ?

5 T Ui su(n)t celi et tua est terra

6 orbe(m) terraru(m) et plenitudinem eius tu

7 fu(n)dasti iustitia et iudici-

8 um p(re)paratio sedis tue . co(llecta) . V Ideru(n)t

Verso side:

1 Om(ne)s fines terre salutare dei n(ost)ri .

2 In nativitate

3 S(an)c(t)i stephani .

4 p(ro)to m(a)r(tyr)is .

5 E T enim sederu(n)t pri(n)cipes Introitus .

6 et adversu(m) me lo loquebant(ur) et iniqui [Psalm 118:23

7 persecuti su(n)t me adiuva me domine deus meus

8 quia s(er)vus tuus exercebatur in tuis iuistifica-

9 tionibus . Ps(almus) B Eati im(m)aculati in via q(ui) a(m)bula(n)t

10 in lege domini . v(ersus) . G Loria . GR(aduale) S Ederu(n)t pri(n)-

11 cipes et adversu(m) me loquebant(ur) et iniq(ui)-

Notes:

A Letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,E,I,L,O,T,U.

Versals: B,D,E,G,S,T,V.

B Alternative forms of ‘d’(2), ‘s’(3) and ‘v’(2).

Note the trailing ‘s’ in ‘psalmus’ (verso, line 9).

C Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘do’, ‘de’, ‘ho’, ‘pe’, ‘pp’ and ‘ps’.

D Elision between letters ‘fi’, ‘ti’ and ‘tu’ and possibly others.

E Ligature between letters ‘st’.

F Use of the uncrossed Tironian ‘et’ (recto, line 3).

G Abbreviation of ‘servus’ (verso, line 8).

H ‘XVI’ in Roman numerals in red in the left margin of the verso side.

I In the music staves, on the recto the first five are in the C clef and

the remaining three are in the A clef. On the verso the first is in the

E clef, the second in the C clef, the third in the A clef, the fourth in

the C clef, the fifth, sixth and seventh in the A clef and the eighth

back in the C clef. There appears to be a change of clef partly along

the fourth verso stave.