Manuscript leaf from a Lectionary, in Latin, produced in The Netherlands (?)

MS 5650/128

Manuscript leaf from a Lectionary, in Latin, produced in The Netherlands (?)

c.1500

Text: From a Lectionary, in Latin

Script: Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus)

The leaf comes from a folio manuscript that was probably a Lectionary, and was probably produced in The Netherlands or thereabouts.

The text comes from two Gospel Readings (a) Mark Chapter 16, from Verses 18 to 20, to be read at Ascension and (b) John Chapter 14, from Verses 23 to 31, to be read at Pentecost.

The text is written in a Textualis Formata script in a single column of what would be twenty lines to a full side. There is a gap of four lines between the two readings. The reading from John starts with a large versal ‘I’, painted in red and blue and which extends for six lines in the margin with further pen-drawn extensions in red. There are two one-line versals, one in red and one in blue. Lines are drawn in black; rubrics are in red. Capital letters are touched with red.

The line ruling is interesting. There is a gap of four lines between the text from St. Mark’s Gospel and the text from St. John’s Gospel and five unused lines following the text from St. John’s Gospel. In both unused areas there is apparently no horizontal ruling. This suggests either (a) very careful planning in the ruling of lines or (b) the rubbing out of unused lines or (c) the ruling of some lines after the text had been written. The text is written fractionally above the ruled lines following common practice. However, careful examination shows that fainter lines have been ruled and that the writing sits between these faint (‘x-height’) lines. See, for example, ‘Sed ut’ in line 13 of the enlarged image of the verso. The faint lines also appear in the empty areas. This seems to indicate case (c) as being correct - that the faint lines were to guide writing and that the more prominent lines were for effect. A somewhat similar situation has occurred in MS 5650/65, written round about the same date. The faint lines are not easy to see. The vertical lines would, of course, been ruled prior to writing.

At the top of the right-hand margin of the verso there is slight offsetting of an initial, possibly another ‘I’, from the leaf in the original Lectionary which followed our leaf.

Other leaves from the same manuscript are in Quaritch Catalogue 1036 (1984), Item 68 and Quaritch Catalogue 1147 (1991), Item 61.

Recto side:

1 [16:18] . . . eos nocebit . Sup(er) egros manus imponent : et [Mark 16

2 bene habebunt . [16:19] Et dominus quidem ihesus

3 postquam locutus est eis . assumptus est in

4 celum : et sedet a dextris dei . [16:20] Illi autem p(ro)fecti .

5 p(re)dicaverunt ubiq(ue) : domino coop(er)ante et ser-

6 monem confirmante : sequentibus signis .

7

8

9

10

11 I N illo t(empore) . I n die s(anc)to . Pentecost( ) . S(e)c(on)d(um) Ioh(ann)em .

12 [14:23] Dixit ih(esu)s dis(cipulis) . s(uis) . S i quis diligit me : sermo- [John 14

13 nem meum servabit . Et pater meus dilige(n)t

14 eum : et ad eum veniemus . et mansionem

15 apud eum faciemus . [14:24] Qui non diligit me :

16 sermones meos non servat . Et sermonem

17 quem audistis non est meus : sed eius q(ui)

18 misit me patris . [14:25] Hec locutus sum vobis :

19 apud vos manens . [14:26] Paraclytus aute(m) sp(iritu)s

20 sanctus quem mittet pater in nomi(n)e meo :

Verso side:

1 ille vos docebit omnia . et suggeret vobis

2 omnia quecumq(ue) dixero vobis . [14:27] Pacem re-

3 linquo vobis : pacem meam do vobis . Non

4 quomodo mundus dat : ego do vobis . Non

5 turbetur cor vestrum : neq(ue) formidet . [14:28] Au-

6 distis quia dixi vobis : vado et veniam ad

7 vos . Si diligeritis me gauderitis utiq(ue)

8 quia vado ad patrem : quia pater maior

9 me est . [14:29] Et nunc dixi vobis prius quam

10 fiat : ut cum factum fuerit credatis . [14:30] Iam

11 non multa loquar vobiscum . Venit e(ni)m

12 princeps mundi huius : et in me non

13 habet quitquam . [14:31] Sed ut cognoscat mu(n)-

14 dus : quia diligo patrem . Et sicut ma(n)da-

15 tum dedit michi pater sic facio .

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,H,I,N,P,Q,S,V.

B Versals: I,S.

C There are three alternative forms of ‘s’. As well as the round and tall forms

of ‘s’ there is the ‘c’ form in ‘ihesus’ (recto, line 12) and in ‘spiritus’

(recto, line 19).

D Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘de’, ‘do’, and ‘po’.

E Elision between letters ‘ci’, ‘cu’, ‘fi’, ‘fu’, ‘ri’, ‘ru’ and ‘ti’, and possibly

others.

F Ligature of ‘st’, e.g. ‘est’ (recto, line 3).

G Forked ascenders on ‘b’, ‘h’ and ‘l’ but some letters ‘l’ have flat tops.

H Forked descenders on ‘p’ and sometimes on ‘q’.

I The meaning of the mark above ‘pater’ (verso, line 15) is not clear.

J Abbreviation of ‘Super’ (recto, line 1).

K Abbreviation of ‘profecti’ (recto, line 4).

L Abbreviation of ‘predicaverunt’ (recto, line 5).

M Abbreviation of ‘tempore’ (recto, line 11).

N Abbreviation of ‘Secundum’ (recto, line 11).

O Abbreviation of ‘ihesus’ (recto, line 12).

P Abbreviation of ‘spiritus’ (recto, line 19).

Q Abbreviation of ‘neque’ (verso, line 5).

R Abbreviation of ‘enim’ (verso, line 11).

MS 5650/65

MS 128

Latin

1 leaf

Material: Vellum leaf