Manuscript leaf from a Psalter, in Latin, produced in Northern France or Flanders...

MS 5650/127

Manuscript leaf from a Psalter, in Latin, produced in Northern France or Flanders (Arras?)

c.1300

Text: From a Psalter, in Latin

Script: Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus)

The text shows a part of Psalm 118, from Verse 92 to 107.

There are eighteen lines written in a Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus) script in black ink. The lines are ruled in black and there is slight vertical line pricking. There are two two-line versals, ‘Q’ and ‘L’, in blue, pink, green and orange on a burnished gold ground.

On the recto is the ‘Q’ with a finely painted gryllus and an ivy leaf extension. This signifies an important break in the Psalm represented by the Hebraic letter ‘Mem’. On the verso is the ‘L’ with two ivy leaf extensions with one supporting a bird, which appears to be a goldfinch. This signifies another important break in the Psalm represented by the Hebraic letter ‘Nun’. There are thirteen one-line versals alternately in blue or burnished gold with blue and red penwork. Also there are twelve imaginative long line endings in blue, red and burnished gold.

Transcription

Recto side:

1 [118:92] . . . est : tunc forte perissem in humili- [Psalm 118

2 tate mea . [line filler]

3 [118:93] I n et(er)num non obliviscar iusti-

4 ficationes tuas : q(uia) in ip(s)is vivifi-

5 casti me . [line filler]

6 [118:94] T uus sum ego salvum me fac

7 q(uonia)m iustificationes tuas exq(ui)sivi .

8 [118:95] M e expectaverunt p(e)cc(at)ores ut per-

9 derent me : testimonia tua intel-

10 lexi . [line filler]

11 [118:96] O mnis consummationis vidi

12 finem : latum mandatum tuu(m)

13 nimis . [line filler]

14 [118:97] Q uomodo dilexi legem tuam

15 d(omi)ne : tota die meditatio mea est .

16 [118:98] S up(er) inimicos meos prudentem

17 me fecisti mandato tuo : quia in

18 et(er)num michi est . [line filler]

Verso side:

1 [118:99] S up(er) omnes docentes me intellexi :

2 q(uia) testimonia tua meditatio mea e(st) .

3 [118:100] S uper senes intellexi : q(uia) manda-

4 ta tua quesivi . [line filler]

5 [118:101] A b omni via mala p(ro)hibui pedes

6 meos : ut custodiam verba tua . [line filler]

7 [118:102] A iudiciis tuis non declinavi : q(uia) tu

8 legem posuisti michi . [line filler]

9 [118:103] Q uam dulcia faucib(us) meis eloq(ui)-

10 a tua : super mel ori meo . [line filler]

11 [118:104] A mandatis tuis intellexi : p(ro)pt(er)ea

12 odivi o(mn)em viam iniquitatis . [line filler]

13 [118:105] L uc(er)na pedib(us) meis v(er)bum tuu(m)

14 et lumen semitis meis . [line filler]

15 [118:106] I uravi et statui custodire iudicia

16 iustitie tue . [line filler]

17 [118:107] H umiliatus sum usq(ue)quaq(ue) d(omi)ne

18 vivifica me s(e)c(un)d(u)m v(er)bum tuum .

Notes:

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

Where there are two adjacent letters ‘i’ the second letter has a

descender, as in ‘iudiciis’ (verso, line 7).

Generally the round ‘s’ at the end of a word is larger than the ‘x’

height, e.g. as in ‘tuas’ (recto, line 4).

Sometimes the top of the letter ‘l’ is flat and sometimes forked.

B Versals: A,H,I,L,M,O,Q,S,T.

C Alternative forms of letters ‘a’(2), ‘i’(2), ‘r’(2) and ‘s’(2).

D Fusion between letters ‘ba’, ‘da’, ‘de’, ‘do’, ‘pc’, ‘pe’, and ‘pp’.

E Elision between letters ‘fi’, ‘ti’, ‘tu’ and ‘tn’.

F Ligature of ‘st’, e.g. in ‘est’ (recto, line 1).

G Ligature of ‘ct’ in ‘expectaverunt’ (recto, line 8).

H Hairlines on letters ‘h’, ‘x’ and the ‘us’ word ending.

I Abbreviation of ‘eternum’ (recto, line 3).

J Abbreviation of ‘quia’ (recto, line 4).

K Abbreviation of ‘quoniam’ (recto, line 7).

L Abbreviation of ‘peccatores’ (recto, line 8).

M Abbreviation of ‘tuum’ (recto, line 12).

N Abbreviation of ‘domine’ (recto, line 15).

O Abbreviation of ‘Super’ (recto, line 16).

P Abbreviation of ‘est’ (verso, line 2).

Q Abbreviation of ‘quia’ (verso, line 3).

R Abbreviation of ‘prohibui’ (verso, line 5).

S Abbreviation of ‘propterea’ (verso, line 11).

T Abbreviation of ‘omnem’ (verso, line 12).

U Abbreviation of ‘pedibus’ (verso, line 13).

V Abbreviation of ‘verbum’ (verso, line 13).

W Abbreviation of ‘usquequaque’ (verso, line 17).

X Abbreviation of ‘domine’ (verso, line 17).

Y Abbreviation of ‘secundum’ (verso, line 18).

MS 127

Latin

1 leaf

Material: Vellum leaf