Manuscript leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin, produced in England (probably, but...

MS 5650/143

Manuscript leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin, produced in England (probably, but could possibly be Italy)

Text: From a Book of Hours, in Latin

Script: Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus)

The text is from the opening of the Hours of the Virgin and contains the hymn “Christum ducem” followed by the first two verses from Luke 1:68-69. There are seventeen lines of text on each side.

Both sides have a three-quarter panel border composed of gold and blue ornamentation with elaborate red and blue penwork.

One-line initials are in blue (with red penwork) or burnished gold (with blue penwork). Two-line initials ‘B’ and ‘X’ are in blue and burnished gold with red and blue penwork. Line ruling is in black. Rubrics are in red, and line fillers are in blue and burnished gold.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274), Franciscan friar, bishop and cardinal, wrote the hymn “Christum ducem” It is typically medieval with one of those twists so beloved of medieval intellectuals - the last line of each verse is the first line of a hymn from the breviary. Subsequently Josquin Des Prez (c.1450 - 1521) composed music for the hymn, arranged for four voices - soprano, alto, tenor and base.

The hymn “Christum ducem”

(Please note that the Latin text here differs slightly from that on the leaf.)

Christum ducem, qui per crucem

redemit nos ab hostibus

Laudet cantus noster letus,

Exultet celum laudibus. Let our joyful song praise Christ the

leader, who through the cross

has rescued us from our enemy;

let the heavens exalt with his praises.

Pena fortis dire mortis,

Et sanguinis effusio,

Corda orant ut te querant,

Jesu nostra redemptio.

May the harsh punishment of your death

and the outpouring of your blood

crush our hearts, that they might seek

you, Jesus our redemption.

Per felices, cicatrices,

Sputa, flagella, verbera,

Nobis grata sunt collata

eterna christi munera.

O auspicious wounds, the

spitting, lashing, beatings, the

eternal gifts of Christ have thankfully

been gathered together for us.

Nostrum tangat corut plangat

Tuorum sanguis vulnerum,

In quo toti sumus loti,

Conditor alme siderum.

May the blood of your wounds touch

our hearts lest they grieve, the blood

in which we are all washed,

bountiful creator of the stars.

Passionis tue donis

Salvator nos inebria,

Qua fidelis dare velis

Beata nobis gaudia.

Intoxicate us, Saviour, with the gifts

of your passion, by which in your

faithfulness you may grant to give us

blessed joys.

Recto side:

1 semet ip(su)m : ut non fatige

2 mini animis vestris de-

3 ficientes R(esponsorum) Deo gra(tia)s y(mnus)

4 X p(istu)m ducem qui p(er) [i.e. Christum

5 crucem . redemit

6 nos ab hostibus : laudet

7 cetus noster letus . exul- [It should be ‘cantus’

8 tet celum laudibus . [line filler]

9 P ena fortis dire mort(is)

10 et sanguinis effusio : cor-

11 da orant ut te querant

12 iesu nostra redemptio

13 P er felices cicatrices .

14 sputa flagella verbera :

15 nobis grata sint colata [It should be ‘sunt collata’

16 eterna (christ)i munera [line filler]

17 N ostrum tangat cor-

Verso side:

1 ut plangat . tuorum san-

2 guis vulnerum : in quo

3 toti sumus loti . conditor

4 alme syderum [line filler]

5 P assionis tue donis .

6 salvator nos inebria : q(ua)

7 fidelis dare velis . beata

8 nobis gaudia R(esponsorum) Amen .

9 V(ersus) Dabit percutienti se ma-

10 xillam R(esponsorum) Saturabitur ob-

11 probriis A(ntiphona) Proprio . Cantic(um) .

12 B Enedictus d(omi)n(u)s d(eu)s [Luke 1:68-69

13 isr(ahe)l : quia visita-

14 vit et fecit rede(m)ptio(n)em pleb(is)

15 E t erexit cornu (?) sue [The symbol is uncertain

16 salutis nobis : in domo

17 david pueri sui [line filler]

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,D,E,P,S.

Versals: B,E,N,P and X.

Note that capital letters are touched with yellow.

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

Note the absence of a dot over ‘y’ in ‘syderum’ (verso, line 4).

Note the two forms of ‘d’ in ‘dominus deus’ (verso, line 12).

Note the two forms of ‘i’ in ‘probriis’ (verso, line 11).

C Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘de’, ‘do’, ‘oe’ and ‘pe’.

D Elision between letters ‘ci’, ‘fi’, ‘fr’, ‘fu’, ‘ri’, ‘ti’ and ‘tu’, and possibly others.

E Ligature between letters ‘ct’, in ‘BEnedictus’ (verso, line 12).

F Ligature between letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘noster’ (recto, line 7).

G Abbreviation for ‘ipsum’ (recto, line 1).

H Abbreviation for ‘dominus’ (verso, line 12).

I Abbreviation for ‘redemptionem’ (verso, line 14).

J Use of ‘xp’ for Greek ‘chi-rho’ in ‘christi’ (recto, line 16).

K The purpose of the symbol in verso line 15 following the word ‘cornu’ is not clear.

MS 143

Latin

1 leaf

Material: Vellum leaf