Manuscript leaf from a Lectionary, in Latin, produced in Italy

Text: From a Lectionary, in Latin

Script: Caroline Minuscule; Uncial

The text shows parts of Mark Chapter 6 and Matthew Chapter 4, and several prayers.

Twenty-nine lines written in a large rounded black Caroline Minuscule (‘littera antiqua’), with some Uncial lettering mainly for red rubrics. Line ruling on the recto side is in hard point, and the writing is on the line. The recto side is the hair side of the vellum and the verso is the flesh side. A six-line initial ‘I’ in red, black and white, with a short marginal extension, six two-line painted initials in red with some decoration, seven rubrics in red.

This is a beautifully written leaf. The large script was necessary for reading manuscripts from a lectern, often in dimly lit churches or cathedrals. The Caroline script of this leaf is very close to that in British Library, Harley MS 7183, of which Edward Johnston has written “This has all the qualities of good writing in a marked degree, and I consider it, taken all round, the most perfect and satisfactory penmanship which I have seen.”.

A lectionary contained readings from the Epistles and Gospels, the Acts of the Saints and lives of the martyrs; since these were often read from a side pulpit it became necessary for them to be written in a separate volume, apart from the complete missal. In this leaf are two readings from the Gospels, and seven prayers and covers the beginning of Lent (‘DOMINICA . I . IN QUADRAGESIMA’). Each prayer terminates with ‘P(er)’ which may stand for ‘Per ihesum christum dominum nostrum . Amen’, or perhaps ‘Per omnia secula . . . . Amen’.

Three lines, and traces of a fourth line, of annotations in a neat but smaller contemporary hand appear at the bottom of the recto side. Also there are traces of annotation on the right hand margin of the recto side. It seems that the leaf was originally much larger. One side border a little jagged, some of the decoration of the initial ‘I’ is missing, and there is a tear at bottom of the leaf, and a little worming in the lower part of the leaf.

Translation of the Bible texts taken from the King James Bible are:

Recto side:

From Mark Chapter 6

[6:50] . . . . . talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

[6:51] And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

[6:52] For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

[6:53] And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

[6:54] And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

[6:55] And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

[6:56] And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Verso side:

From Matthew Chapter 4:

[4:1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

[4:2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

[4:3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

[4:4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

[4:5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

[4:6] And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

[4:7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

[4:8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

[4:9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

[4:10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

[4:11] Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Recto side, column 1:

1 cum eis ! et dix(it) illis . [Mark Ch. 6

2 Confidite ! ego sum

3 nolite timere . [6:51] Et a-

4 scendit ad illos in na-

5 vem ! et cessavit ven-

6 tus . et plus magis

7 intra se stupebant .

8 [6:52] Non eni(m) intellexe-

9 rant de panib(us) . Erat

10 enim cor illoru(m) ob-

11 cecatu(m) . [6:53] Et cu(m) trans-

12 fretassent ! p(er)vener(un)t

13 in terra(m) genesareth !

14 et applicueru(n)t . [6:54] Cu(m)q(ue)

15 egressi e(ss)ent de navi !

16 continuo cognover(unt)

17 eum . [6:55] Et p(er)currentes

18 universam regione(m)

19 illam . cęperunt in [See Note K

20 [g]rabattis eos qui se

21 [m]ale habebant cir-

22 cumferre . ubi audi-

23 ebant eu(m) e(ss)e . [6:56] Et quo-

24 cu(m)q(ue) introierit in vi-

25 cos . vel in villas . aut

26 civitates ! in plateis

27 ponebant infirmos .

28 et dep(re)cabant(ur) ut v(e)l

29 fimbria(m) vestim(en)ti ei(us)

Recto side, column 2:

1 tangerent . Et quot-

2 quot tangebant eu(m) .

3 salvi fiebant SEC( ) [Uncial lettering in red

4 S Uscipe d(omi)ne sacrificiu(m)

5 cum iuste voluisti di-

6 gnanter immolatio-

7 ne placare . pr(ęst)a q(uęsumu)s ut

8 huius op(er)atione mun-

9 dat(us) beneplacitu(m) tibi

10 [ ]mentis offerimu(s)

11 [ ]ctum . P(er) AD CO( ) [Uncial lettering in red

12 C Elestis vitę munere [See Note K

13 vegetati . q(uæsumu)s d(omi)ne . ut q(uod)

14 est nobis in p(re)senti vita

15 mysteriu(m) . fiat ęt(er)nitati(s) [See Note K

16 auxilium . P(er) AD PP( ) [Uncial lettering in red

17 F Idelis tui d(eu)s p(er)petuo

18 dono firm(an)tur . ut ea-

19 dem et p(er)cipiendo re-

20 quirant et quęrendo [See Note K

21 sine fine p(er)cipiant . P(er)

22 DOM(INI)C(A) . I . IN QUADRAG(ESIMA) . [Uncial lettering

23 D EUS QUI AD S(ANCTUM) IOH(ANE)M . [Uncial lettering

24 eccl(esi)am tua(m) annua

25 quadragesimali ob-

26 servatione purificas .

27 pr(ęst)a familię tuę . ut [See Note K

28 quod a te obtinere .

29 abstinendo nititur .

Verso side, column 1:

1 hoc bonis operib(us) exe-

2 quamur . P(er) SEQ( ) [Uncial lettering in red

3 S(AN)C(T)I EV(AN)G(ELUM) S(E)C(UN)D(UM) IOH(ANE)M [Uncial lettering

4 [4:1] I N ILLO T(EM)P(O)R(E) ! Ductu(s) [Matthew Ch.4; Uncial lettering

5 est ih(esu)s in desertu(m) a(b) sp(irit)u .

6 ut te(m)ptaretur a diabo-

7 lo . [4:2] Et cu(m) ieiunasset

8 quadraginta dieb(us) et

9 quadraginta noctib(us)

10 postea esurit . [4:3] Et acce- [Should be ‘esuriit’

11 dens te(m)ptator dix(it) ei .

12 Si filius d(e)i es . dic ut

13 lapides isti panes fia(n)t .

14 [4:4] Qui respondens ! dixit

15 ei . Scriptu(m) est . Non

16 in solo pane vivit h(om)o !

17 sed in om(n)i verbo quod

18 procedit de ore d(e)i . [4:5] Tu(n)c

19 assumpsit eu(m) diabolu(s)

20 in s(an)c(t)am civitate(m) et sta-

21 tuit eu(m) supra pinnacu-

22 lum te(m)pli . [4:6] Et dix(it) ei .

23 Si filius dei es ! mitte

24 te deorsum . Scriptu(m)

25 est eni(m) ! q(ui)a ang(e)lis suis

26 mandavit de te ! et in

27 manib(us) tollent te . ne

28 forte offendas ad lapi-

29 dem pede(m) tuu(m) . [4:7] Ait illi

Verso side column 2:

1 ih(esu)s . Rursum . Scrip- [Uncial ‘R’ and ‘S’

2 tum e(st) . Non te(m)ptabis [Uncial ‘N’

3 d(omi)n(u)m d(eu)m tuum . [4:8] Ite-

4 rum assumpsit eum

5 diabolus in monte(m)

6 excelsum valde ! et

7 ostendit ei om(n)ia re-

8 gna mundi . et gl(ori)am

9 eorum . [4:9] et dixit illi .

10 Hęc tibi om(n)ia dabo ! [See Note K

11 si cadens adoraveris

12 me . [4:10] Tunc dicit ei ih(esu)s ! [Uncial ‘T’

13 Vade sathana . Scri-

14 ptum e(st) . D(omi)n(u)m d(eu)m

15 tuu(m) adorabis ! et illi

16 soli servies . [4:11] Tunc reli-

17 quit eu(m) diabolus . et

18 ecce ang(e)li accesser(un)t !

19 et ministrabant ei .

20 S Acrificium d(omi)ne SEC( ) [Uncial lettering in red

21 quadragesimalis ini-

22 tio solemnit(as) immo-

23 lamus te dep(re)cantes

24 ut cu(m) ępularu(m) restri- [See Note K

25 ctionem carnalium .

26 a noxiis quoq(ue) volu-

27 ptatib(us) te(m)peremur . P(er)

28 T ui nos d(omi)ne AD CO( ) [Uncial lettering in red

29 sa cram(en)ti libatio s(an)c(t)a .

Notes:

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

B Letter ‘y’ in ‘mysterium’ in recto side, column 2, line 15, has no descender.

C Capital letters: A,C,D(2),E(2),H,I,N(2),Q,R,S,T,U.

D Letters (Uncial): A,C,D,E,G,H,I,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U.

E Versals: C,D,F,I,S,T.

F Alternative forms of ‘d’(2) and ‘s’(2).

G Ligature between letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘est’ (verso 1, line 5).

H Elision between letters ‘fi’, ‘gi’, ‘ti’ and ‘tu’.

I Abbreviation for ‘Cumque’ (recto 1, line 14).

J Abbreviation for ‘quęsumus’ (recto 2, line 13).

K Use of e caudata (ę) to signify the ‘æ’ diphthong, e.g. in ‘Hęc’ in verso side,

column 2, line 10.

L In the transcription an exclamation mark ‘!’ has been used to represent the slanted

line over a dot, which appears frequently in the text.