Manuscript leaf from a Breviary, in Latin, produced in Northern Italy

Text: From a Breviary, in Latin

Script: Southern Textualis Formata (Rotunda)

This leaf is from a Northern Italian Breviary written in a Rotunda script. On each side of the leaf there are two columns of twenty-four lines. Rubrics are in red. The Breviary was for Benedictine Use. The text relates to the Feast of Saint Sylvester (31st December) and describes episodes in the life of Saint Sylvester interspersed with prayers to the saint.

The episodes in the life of the saint follow fairly closely the description in Jacobus de Voragine's The Golden Legend and refer to him as being angelic in appearance, holy in his works, Catholic in faith, abiding in hope, filled with charity, distinguished in speech, outstanding in genius and great in council. The text goes on to describe his farewell to his disciples when he realised that death was approaching and entrusts his church to them. Further, it describes the sick visiting his tomb for healing. He was buried in the cemetery of Priscilla three miles from Rome. As an infant he was given to Cyrinus to be brought up as a Christian and later became Bishop of Rome and helped the poor.

Recto side, column 1:

1 se accusabat indign(um)

2 tanto magis indigni-

3 or ab om(n)ibus clama-

4 batur . Sed auctore d(e)o

5 levatur . R(esponsorium) Assurgens

6 helena de solio regali proiec-

7 tis aureis vestib(us) provolu-

8 ta genib(us) b(ea)ti silv(est)ri Penite(n)-

9 cie locu(m) dari sibi petebat V(ersus)

10 Omnis quippe populus pro-

11 volutus ad genua eius ro- [line filler]

12 gaba(n)t ut pro eis d(omi)nus exo- [line filler]

13 raret . Penite(n)tie Gloria p(atri)

14 (et) filio (et) sp(irit)ui s(an)c(t)o Ad ca(n)t( ) a(ntiphona)

15 Bene te venisse gratulent(i)u(m)

16 pax tibi (et) victorie de celo sub-

17 ministre(n)tur Evangeli(um) .

18 de comuni R(esposorium) Tuam

19 b(ea)titudine(m) dep(re)camur s(an)c(t)issime

20 p(ate)r (et) pastor silv(este)r . Ut p(ro) nob(is) o(mn)i-

21 bus tibi famulantibus d(omi)ni

22 mis(er)icordia(m) exorare digne(r)is

23 V(ersus) Et peccatoru(m) n(ost)roru(m) veni-

24 am adepti p(er) ting(er)e meream(ur)

Recto side, column 2:

1 ad reg(na) celorum . Ut pro R(esponsorium)

2 Erat namq(ue) b(ea)tus silvester

3 aspectus ang(e)licus op(er)e s(an)c(t)os [sanctus

4 fide catholicus . Spe pacie(n)ti(s)-

5 simus caritate diffusus V(ersus)

6 Sermone p(re)clarus i(n)genio

7 optimus consilio magnus

8 Spe R(esponsorium) Cum vid(er)et se b(ea)tus

9 silv(este)r relinqui pond(er)e carnis

10 (et) corpore solvi convocatis di-

11 scipulis suis osculatisq(ue) sin-

12 g(u)lis dix(it) . Iam me filii k(arissi)mi

13 etas pellit ad transitu(m) ante [line filler]

14 om(n)ia amplissima i(n) vobis o(mn)i-

15 bus com(m)e(n)do caritate(m) in qu(a)

16 omnium bona virtutu(m) co(n)sis-

17 tunt V(ersus) Conmendo autem [line filler]

18 vobis ecc(lesia)m dei ap(osto)licis funda-

19 ta(m) doctrinis ut semp(er) v(est)ris e-

20 xortationibus de die i(n) diem [line filler]

21 in s(an)c(t)is proficiat incrementis

22 Iam R(esponsorium) O quantus e(st) cole(n)-

23 dus cu(m) revere(n)tia venerabili(s)

24 ac sacratus dies iste . In quo

Verso side, column 1:

1 beatus silv(este)r hoc triste s(e)c(u)l(u)m

2 disere(n)s felix migravit ad re-

3 gna celorum . V(ersus) Gaudea-

4 mus om(ne)s in domino die(m)

5 festu(m) celebrantes In quo .

6 R(esponsorium) Laudemus dominu(m)

7 in b(ea)ti antisticis sivestri i(n)

8 qua tyris p(re)ciosi Ad sepul-

9 crum eius egri veniunt (et)

10 sanantur V(ersus) Sepultus est

11 in cymiterio p(ri)s(c)ille vie sala-

12 rie miliario t(er)tio ab urbe ro-

13 ma . Ad se Ad laud(es) ant(phona)

14 INfantulus dum e(ss)et b(ea)tu(s)

15 silv(este)r a vidua matre iuxta no-

16 mine traditus e(st) cyrino p(re)sb(yte)ro

17 cuius (et) vita(m) imitatus e(st) et [line filler]

18 more(m) et summum apice(m) (christi)-

19 ane religionis attingit All(elui)a

20 ant(iphona) . Silv(este)r b(ea)tissimus u(r)bi(s)

21 rome ep(iscopu)s nutritor fuit pau-

22 p(er)um (et) doctus eva(n)g(e)licus all(eluia) .

23 an(tiphona) Timoth(e)i (christi) m(arty)ris silv(este)r [linefiller]

24 b(ea)tissimus sustolle(n)s co(r)puscu-

Verso side, column 2:

1 lum dedicavit eius m(iniste)rium

2 All(elui)a . ant(iphona) Ad hec s(an)c(t)us silv(este)r

3 ait evang(e)lica s(um)ma te allloq(ua)r

4 stulte ac nocte anima tua [line filler]

5 tolletur ate (et) torme(n)ta q(ui) nob(is)

6 minaris tu eterna recipies

7 All(elui)a an(tiphona) . Silv(este)ro aut(em) in carc(er)e

8 orante tarquinium insyma

9 prande(n)te ultio divina p(er)cus-

10 sit Ad b(e)n(e)dictus antipho(na) .

11 Vir dei silv(este)r libera nos vel [line filler]

12 uno anno anece dyaconis u(t)

13 credamus (christu)m tuu(m) divini-

14 tatis h(abe)re virtute(m) All(elui)a . Ad

15 Mag( )a . Inclita b(ea)ti silv(este)ri [line filler]

16 m(arty)ris recole(n)tes sacratissim(m)am

17 die(m) divine laudis p(rae)conio ce-

18 lebremus quatinus eius pia

19 intercessione a domino suble-

20 vemur All(elui)a In oct(av)is s(an)c(t)i [line filler]

21 stephani et s(an)c(t)i Iohannis

22 (et) s(an)c(t)oru(m) innoce(n)tu(m) omnia [line filler]

23 fiant de comuni p(rae)ter qua-

24 tuor lecciones de evange-

Notes:

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

A,B,C,E,G,I,L,M,N,O,P,R,S,T,U/V.

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

Note sideways ‘m’, e.g. in ‘autem’ (recto 2, line 17).

Generally the final ‘s’ of a word is a round ‘s’, but sometimes it is a trailing ‘s’, e.g. in ‘digneris’

(recto 1, line 22).

C Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘de’, ‘do’, ‘he’, ‘ho’, ‘ob’,

‘oc’, ‘op’, ‘pc’, ‘pe’, ‘po’ and ‘pp’.

D Elision between letters ‘ci’, ‘cu’, ‘cr’, ‘fi’, ‘fu’, ‘gi’, ‘gn’,

‘gr’, ‘ri’, ‘ti’, ‘tu’ and ‘tr’.

E Ligature of ‘st’, e.g. in ‘vestibus’ (recto 1, line 7).

F Use of the uncrossed Tironian ‘et’ (e.g. recto 1, line 14).

G Use of ‘xp’ for the Greek ‘χρ’ in ‘christum’

(verso 2, line 13).

H Abbreviation of ‘vestibus’ (recto 1, line 7).

I Abbreviation of ‘pater’ (recto 1, line 20).

J Abbreviation of ‘namque’ (recto 2, line 2).

K Abbreviation of ‘karissimi’ (recto 2, line 12).

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

M Abbreviation of ‘beatus’ (verso 1, line 14).

N Abbreviation of ‘presbytero’ (verso 1, line 16).

O Abbreviation of ‘episcopus’ (verso 1, line 21).

P Abbreviation of ‘martyris’ (verso 1, line 23).

Q Abbreviation of ‘Alleluia’ (verso 2, line 14).

R At the ends of some lines is a short line filler consisting

of a crossed letter ‘i’, e.g. at end of verso side, column 2,

line 4.