Manuscript leaf from a Breviary, in Latin, produced in France (Arras)

MS 5650/91

Manuscript leaf from a Breviary, in Latin, produced in France (Arras)

c.1420

Text: From a Breviary, in Latin

Script: Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus)

The text shows Isaiah 38:12 to 38:20, and parts of Psalms 52 and 53.

The text is in two columns of thirty-three lines, in a formal gothic script. One five-line initial ‘D’ in several colours and burnished gold, with a gold bar border emanating from the initial and extending the length of the left and bottom margins and with fine panel borders at top and bottom featuring acanthus leaves, flowers, and many gold ivy leaves and buds on swirling hairline stems, three two-line initials in red or blue with penwork flourishing in the contrasting colour, and with thirty-two one-line versal initials in alternating red or blue. Rubrics are in red as is line marking. Line pricking is preserved.

This leaves comes from a handsome liturgical manuscript prepared for the use of a secular church confidently identifiable from the calendar leaves as being in Arras, an important centre of illumination.

Recto side, column 1:

1 [38:12] . . . -voluta e(st) a me : quasi taber- [Isaiah 38:12

2 naculum pastorum P re-

3 cisa e(st) velut a texente vita

4 mea dum adhuc ordirer

5 succidit me : de mane usq(ue)

6 ad vesp(er)am finies me . [38:13] S pe-

7 rabam usq(ue) ad mane : qua-

8 si leo sic contrivit o(mn)ia ossa

9 mea . D e mane usq(ue) ad ves-

10 peram finies me : [38:14] sicut pull(us)

11 hyrundinis sic clamabo me-

12 ditabor ut columba . A tte-

13 nuati sunt oculi mei : sus-

14 picientes in excelso . D (omi)ne

15 vim patior responde pro me

16 [38:15] quid dicam aut quid respo(n)-

17 debit michi : cu(m) ipse fecerim .

18 R ecogitabo tibi om(ne)s an-

19 nos meos : in amaritudi(n)e

20 a(n)i(m)e mee . [38:16] D (omi)ne si sic vivi-

21 tur et in talib(us) vita sp(irit)us

22 mei corripies me et vivifi-

23 cabis me : [38:17] ecce in pace ama-

24 ritudo mea amarissima .

25 T u aute(m) eruisti a(n)i(m)am

26 meam ut non p(er)iret : proie-

27 cisti post tergum tuum

28 o(mn)ia p(e)cc(at)a mea . [38:18] Q uia no(n)

29 infernus confitebitur tibi

30 neq(ue) mors laudabit te :

31 non expectabu(n)t qui desce(n)-

32 dunt i(n) lacum veritate(m)

33 tuam . [38:19] V ivens vivens

Recto side, column 2:

1 ip(s)e confitebitur tibi sicut

2 et ego hodie pater filiis :

3 notam faciet v(er)itate(m) tua(m) .

4 [38:20] D (omi)ne salvu(m) me fac (et) psal-

5 mos n(ost)ros cantabim(us) cunc-

6 tis dieb(us) vite n(ost)re : in domo

7 d(omi)ni . an(tiphona) Cunctis dieb(us) vite n(ost)re

8 saluos nos fac d(omi)ne . a(ntiphona) . In ex-

9 celsis laud(amus) d(omi)ni . p(salmus) Laudate do- [‘laud(amus)’ or ‘laud(ate)’?

10 minu(m) . cap(itu)l(um) . Nemini quic(um)q(ue)

11 ut sup(er) in n(one) . p(re)cedenti . hymn(us) .

12 A les diei nu(n)tius luce(m)

13 p(ro)pinqua(m) precinit

14 nos excitator mentiu(m) ia(m)

15 (christu)s ad vitam vocat . A u-

16 ferte clamat lectulos eg(ro)s

17 sopore desides castiq(ue) recti-

18 ac sobrii vigilate iam su(m)

19 p(ro)ximus . I hesum sciam(us) .

20 vocib(us) flentes p(re)cantes so-

21 brie intenta supplicatio dor-

22 mire cor mu(n)du(m) vetat . T u

23 (christu)s somnu(m) dissite tu ru(m)pe

24 noctis vincula tu solve pec-

25 catu(m) vetus novumq(ue) lume(n)

26 ingere . D eo p(at)ri sit gl(or)ia .

27 v(ersus) . Repleti sumus mane nu

28 s(e)c(on)dia tua exaltavim(ur) et de-

29 lectati sumus in o(mni)b(us) dieb(us)

30 n(ost)ris . Ad b( ) . a(ntiphona) . In domo da-

31 vid pueri sui fecit d(omi)n(u)s rede(m)p-

32 tione(m) plebi sue . ( ) . B(eatus) . Kyrie-

33 leyson p(re)ces ut s( ) in p(re)cede(n)ti n(one) .

Verso side, column 1:

1 or(ati)o de t(em)p(o)re

Feria inq( ) . Ad

2 matut(inam). Imutat( ) . In manu

3 tua d(omi)ne om(ne)s fines terre . p(salmu)s .

4 Venite . a(ntiphona) . A( )utat d(omi)n(u)s . p(salmu)s d(avi)d .

5 [52:1] D Ixit insipie(n)s [Psalm 52:1

6 in corde suo :

7 non e(st) deus .

8 [52:2] C orrupti

9 sunt et ab-

10 ho(m)i(n)abiles facti sunt in i(n)i-

11 quitatib(us) : non e(st) qui fa-

12 ciat bonu(m) . [52:3] D eus de celo

13 p(ro)spexit sup(er) filios ho(m)i(nu)m :

14 ut videat si e(st) intellegens

15 aut requirens d(eu)m . [52:4] O (mne)s

16 declinaveru(n)t simul i(n)uti-

17 les facti sunt : non e(st) qui

18 faciat bonu(m) non e(st) usq(ue)

19 ad unu(m) . [52:5] N onne scient

20 om(ne)s qui op(er)antur i(n)iqui-

21 tatem : qui devorant ple-

22 bem meam ut cibu(m) panis

23 [52:6] D eum non invocave-

24 runt illic trepidaveru(n)t

25 timore : ubi non fuit ti(m)or .

26 Q (uonia)m deus dissipavit ossa

27 eoru(m) qui ho(min)ib(us) placent .

28 confusi sunt q(uonia)m deus sp(re)-

29 vit eos . [52:7] Q uis dabit ex

30 syon salutare isr(ae)l : cu(m) con-

31 verterit d(omi)n(u)s captivitate(m)

32 plebis sue : exultabit ia-

33 cob et letab(itu)r isr(ae)l . n(on) d(icitu)r i(n) n(one) .

Verso side, column 2:

1 [53:3] D Eus in no(m)i(n)e tuo sal- [Psalm 53:3

2 vu(m) me fac : et i(n) vir-

3 tute tua iudica me [53:4] D e(us)

4 exaudi or(ati)onem mea(m) : au-

5 rib(us) p(er)cipe verba oris mei .

6 [53:5] Q (uonia)m alieni insurrexer(un)t

7 adversu(m) me et fortes que-

8 sieru(n)t a(n)i(m)am meam : (et) no(n)

9 p(ro)posuerunt deum ante co(n)-

10 spectu(m) suu(m) . [53:6] E cce eni(m) d(eu)s

11 adiuvat me : d(omi)n(u)s suscep-

12 tor e(st) a(n)i(m)e mee . [53:7] A v(er)te ma-

13 la i(n)imicis meis : i(n) v(er)itate

14 tua disp(er)de illos . [53:8] V olun-

15 tarie sacrificabo tibi : et co(n)-

16 fitebor no(min)i tuo d(omi)ne q(uonia)m bo-

17 num est . [53:9] Q (uonia)m ex o(mn)i tribula-

18 tione eripuisti me : et super

19 i(n)imicos meos despexit ocu-

20 lus meus p(salmu)s david

21 [54:2] E xaudi d(eu)s or(ati)onem

22 meam et ne despexeris de-

23 p(re)cationem mea(m) : [54:3] intende

24 michi et exaudi me . C o(n)-

25 tristatus sum i(n) exercitat(i)o(n)e

26 mea : conturbatus su(m) [54:4] a vo-

27 ce i(n)imici (et) a tribulat(i)one

28 p(ecca)toris . Q (uonia)m declinaver(un)t

29 in me iniquitates : et in

30 ira molesti erant m(ichi) [54:5] C or

31 meu(m) conturbatu(m) est in

32 me : et formido mortis ce-

33 cidit sup(er) me . [54:6] T imor et

Notes:

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

A,B,C,E,F,I,K,L,N,R,V.

Versals: A,C,D,E,I,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,V.

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

Note the form of ‘s’ in ‘christus’ (recto 2, line 15).

C Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘bo’, ‘de’, ‘do’, ‘oc’, ‘pc’, ‘pe’,

‘po’ and ‘pp’.

D Elision between letters ‘ci’, ‘cu’, ‘fi’, ‘ti’ and ‘tu’.

E Ligature with ‘st’, e.g. in ‘pastorum’ (recto 1, line 2).

F Bifurcation of ascenders in letters ‘b’, ‘h’ and ‘l’.

G Use of Tironian ‘et’ (e.g. recto 2, line 4).

H Some very short ascenders, e.g. ‘h’ in ‘adhuc’ (recto 1,line 4).

I Use of ‘xp’ for Greek chi-rho (χρ) in ‘christus’ (recto 2, line 15).

J Abbreviation for ‘ue’ in ‘usque’ (e.g. in recto 1, line 5).

K Abbreviation for ‘quicumque’ (recto 2, line 10).

L Abbreviation for ‘quoniam’ (e.g. in verso 1, line 28).

M Abbreviation for ‘michi’ (verso 2, line 30).

MS 91

Latin

1 leaf

Material: Vellum leaf