Manuscript leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin, produced in France (Paris)

Text: From a Book of Hours, in Latin

Script: Textualis Formata (Textus Quadratus)

The text is from a Book of Hours showing the end of the Petitions and the beginning of the Collects that follow the Litany of Saints. There are two columns of fifteen lines of text on each side of the leaf.

The recto has a three-quarter panel border composed of gold oak leaves and bezants, and coloured flowers, all on hairline stems. Also a gold and coloured bar extends down the outer length of the text on both sides and terminating in a bulbous pattern. A two-line versal ‘D’, gilded with a leaf pattern, introduces the Collects. There are twenty-three one-line initials, also gilded. There is faint line ruling.

Books of Hours written in two columns are very rare; the majority of surviving examples date from the early 15th century and can be associated with the patronage and circle of Jean, Duke de Berry: examples include his Belles Heures (New York, Cloisters) and the Très Riches Heures (Chantilly, Musée Condé).

Recto Column 1:

1 . . . nem tuam [line filler] L(ibera nos domine)

2 P er admirabi-

3 lem ascensionem

4 tuam [line filler] L(ibera nos domine)

5 P er adventum

6 sancti spiritus pa-

7 racliti [line filler] L(ibera nos domine)

8 I n die indicii

9 libera nos domine

10 P eccatores te

11 rogamus audi no(s)

12 U t pacem no-

13 bis [line filler] T(e rogamus audi nos)

14 U t remissione(m)

15 omnium peccato-

Recto Column 2:

1 rum n(ost)rorum nob(is)

2 dones [line filler] T(e rogamus audi nos)

3 U t ecclesiam tu-

4 am regere et conser-

5 vare digneris . T(e rogamus audi nos)

6 U t fructus terre

7 dare regere et conser-

8 vare digneris T(e rogamus audi nos)

9 U t cunctum po-

10 pulum (christ)ianum

11 precioso sanguine

12 tuo redemptum co(n)-

13 servare digneris .

14 te rogamus audi

15 nos [line filler]

Verso Column 1:

1 U t omnibus fi-

2 delibus dei deffunc-

3 tis requiem eterna(m)

4 donare digneris . T(e rogamus audi nos)

5 U t nos exaudire

6 digneris [line filler] T(e rogamus audi nos)

7 F ili dei [line filler] T(e rogamus audi nos)

8 A gnus dei qui

9 tollis peccata mun-

10 di parce nobis d(omi)ne

11 A gnus dei qui

12 tollis peccata mun-

13 di exaudi nos d(omi)ne .

14 A gnus dei qui

15 tollis peccata mu(n)-

Verso Column 2:

1 di miserere nobis .

2 K yrieleyson .

3 X risteleyson . [ (Christ)eleyson

4 K yrieleyson .

5 P ater n(oste)r . [line filler]

6 E t ne nos [line filler]

7 D omine exau(di)

8 E t clamor [line filler]

9 O remus [line filler

10 D eus cui

11 propriu(m)

12 est misereri semp(er)

13 et parcere suscipe

14 deprecationem no-

15 stram ut quos de . . .

Notes:

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

Versals: A,D,E,F,I,K,O,P,U,X.

Note that ‘y’ is sometimes dotted and sometimes not.

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

Note that in the word ‘indicii’ (recto 1, line 8) the final ‘i’ has a descender.

Note that the word ‘nostrorum’ (recto 2, line 1) has both forms

of ‘r’.

Note that the word ‘spiritus’ (recto 1, line 6) has both forms of ‘s’.

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

possibly others.

D Ligature of ‘ct’ in ‘sancti’ (recto 1, line 6).

E Ligature of ‘st’ in ‘est’ (verso 2, line 12).

F Slight bifurcation in some ascenders of ‘b’ and ‘l’.

G Slight bifurcation in some descenders of ‘p’.

H Note the abbreviation of the expression ‘Libera nos domine’

(recto 1, line 1).

I Note the abbreviation of the expression ‘Te rogamus audi nos’

(recto 1, line 13).

J Note the use of ‘xp’ for the Greek ‘chi-rho’ in ‘christianum’ (recto 2, line 10).