Physical description of manuscript
Support
Parchment: modest quality with noticeable H/F distinction; imperfections, propensity to curl. Arranged FH, HF.
Extent: iii+238+i f
Size: 364 mm x 256 mm
Foliation
Modern pencil foliation of main body of book runs: 1-2 (medieval parchment flyleaves), 3-137, 137*-239
Secundo folio: quas scilicet incongrue
Collationflyleaves (f.1-2) bifolium, I-XXIII10, XXIV8
Catchwords: Contemporary catchwords on every quire apart from the last.
Condition of manuscriptMould damage to f.37-8 and f.47-8; a strip cut from the lower margin of f.43, 54, 61, 109, from the outer margin of f.71, and from the lower corner of f.227.
Layout
Text-block: 248-255 x 165-170 mm. Two columns (width, 78 mm).
Lines: 60 (space, 4+ mm; height of minims, 2 mm).
Pricking: awl. Prickings survive in all three outer margins.
Ruling: ink. Single verticals flank both columns (two in total in the intercolumnar space); a further vertical in the outer margin. First two, middle two (occasionally three) and last two (occasionally three) horizontals extended; a further pair of horizontals in the upper and the lower margins. Disjunctions between the ruling on one half of a bifolium and the other (e.g. f.176v-177r; f.186v-187r; f.196v-197r) show that ruling was done by page rather than by bifolium.
Script
Written in Textualis libraria. Number of hands uncertain, probably one. Various omissions were made good in the margin by the original scribe himself, sometimes outlined with red (e.g. on f.113v-115r). Lemmata were underlined in black, which was sometimes then retraced in red. Chapters were generally marked within the text by a black ink paraph,plus a black ink paraph and number in the margin.
Decoration
Red and blue initials, 8-22 lines high, flourished in both colours, head each item, as also in items (a), (b), (e), (i), (n)-(p), and (r)-(t) the biblical incipit proper, and in addition in items (s) and (t) the second prologues.
In item (h) a red initial, 3 lines high, flourished in blue, marks the start of the moral interpretation.
Rubrication intermittent.
Binding
Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over
thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British
Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th
century). Traces from the turnovers of an earlier binding on f.1. Rust stains towards the fore-edge of f.1 from two sets of three fixtures for the clasps on an earlier binding; rust stains at the centre of the lower edge of f.1 from the fixtures for a chain hasp on an earlier binding.
Manuscript history
Creation
Written in France or England,
mid 13th century.
Provenance
Inscription: “¶Liber Sancti Cuthberti ex dono Bertrami de middeltona Prioris Dunelmensis”, later 13th century, f.2v, top. Bertram of Middleton, monk of Durham c. 1213 or 1218 to May 1266, prior 1244-58 (see also DCL MSS A.I.13, A.I.15, A.III.12 and A.III.21, part 1).
Note of content, registering each biblical book (“Genesis, Exodus ... Iudith, Hester”), later 13th century, f.1v, bottom.
Similar note of content (“Genesis, Exodus ... Iudith Hester”), 13th/14th century, f.2v, top.
“Hugo de uihenna super vetus testamentum”, 14th century, f.2v, top.
Pressmark:
“.H.”, 13th/14th century, f.2v, top left. “H” deleted, 14th century, f.2v, top right. “H”, 13th-14th century, f.3r, top right.
“1a. Secundi. B”, 15th century, f.3r, top right.
Sent to Durham College, Oxford, by John Wessington in 1409 (Catalogi Veteres, p. 40); still there in 1416 (Catalogi Veteres, p. 86).
Manuscript contents
(a)
f.3
r-57
v
Original title: In Genesim
Incipit: Principium uerborum tuorum ueritas deus pater immo et operum
Explicit: Quibus auditis ex auditis, in gentibus ioseph id est qui sederunt in gentibus ioseph, quibus trans annis Centum decem annis s
Language: Latin
Light marginalia by original scribe. Light contemporary annotation, including pointing hands and other Nota marks.
Stegmüller, 3631 (with different explicit)
(b)
f.57
v-77
r
Original title: In Exodum
Incipit: Erunt vque ciuitates in terra egypti loquentes lingua chananaea
Explicit: corda iniquorum, corruscante bonis
Language: Latin
Occasional annotation, 13th-14th century.
Stegmüller, 3634
(c)
f.77
r-97
v
Original title: In Leviticum
Incipit: In principio huius libri sicut et in aliis facultatibus vque consideranda sunt
Explicit: filii israel, qui infirmi, et non capaces mysterii
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3636
(d)
f.97
v-115
v
Original title: In Numeros
Incipit: Pentateuchus liber unus est ab uno actore editus
Explicit: et progressu uirtutum mouetur ambulans de uirtute in uirtutem
Language: Latin
f.113v-115r, seven major omissions were supplied in the margins by the original scribe. No annotation.
Stegmüller, 3638
(e)
f.115
v-134
v
Original title: In Deuteronomium
Incipit: Est puer unus hic, qui habet vque panes
Explicit: et reges uoluerunt uidere que uidetis et non uiderunt
Rubric: Incipit prologus deuteronomii
Language: Latin
Minimal annotation – a few added Notas.
Stegmüller, 3640
(f)
f.135
r-144
r
Original title: In Joshuam
Incipit: Sexto loco inter libros ueteris testamenti ponitur liber iosue
Explicit: Nouellis id est centum agnis
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3641
(g)
f.144
r-155
v
Original title: In Iudices
Incipit: in sex tribulationibus liberabit me dominus
Explicit: secundum iosephum sed secundum alios post samsonem
Rubric: Incipit Iudic′. Post mortem iosue
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3643
(h)
f.155
v-156
r
Original title: In Ruth
Incipit: Ecclesiasticus xi, breuis in uolatantibus apis et tamen magnus exoritur fructus tocius ecclesie pabulum
Explicit: dare cibum, id est subtilia et altiora disputare sicut apostolus fecit
Rubric: Incipit Ruth
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3645 (with different explicit)
(i)
f.157
r-170
r
Original title: In librum I Regum
Incipit: Iudex sapiens iudicabit populum suum
Explicit: fatui autem et impii omnes dies uite illorum
Rubric: Incipit liber regum
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3647
(j)
f.170
r-181
v
Original title: In librum II Regum
Incipit: sicut dictum est supra
Explicit: ab israel, id est ab habitatoribus terre
Rubric: Incipit IIus. Factum est autem etc
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3649
(k)
f.181
v-193
r
Original title: In librum III Regum
Incipit: Finitis duobus primis libri regum
Explicit: tempus quo solus defuncto fratre regnauit attenditur
Rubric: Incipit liber IIIus. Et rex dauid etc
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3651
(l)
f.193
r-204
r
Original title: In librum IV Regum
Incipit: Hic incipit liber quartus regum qui apud hebreos non est liber unus
Explicit: Et sic impletum est consilium ieremie
Rubric: Incipit liber quartus. Preuaricatus est moab
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3653
(m)
f.204
r-207
r
Original title: Moralitates in IV Regum
Incipit: Mistice. Ochorias significat principes iudeorum
Explicit: circum amicti stolis albis
Rubric: Incipiunt moralitates super quartum librorum Regum
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3654
(n)
f.207
r-216
v
Original title: In I Paralopomenon
Incipit: Adam suple genuit seth, uel seth est filius adam
Explicit: scilicet sint in cunctis regnis terrarum scripta sunt
Rubric: Incipit paralipomenon
Language: Latin
Contemporary marginalia include distinctiones for Perfectio f.208r. Minimal other annotation.
Stegmüller, 5922
(o)
f.216
v-223
v
Original title: In II Paralipomenon
Incipit: Sicut diximus a principio. Ieronimus duos prologos huic libro premisit
Explicit: cui humana creatura et angelica famulantur
Rubric: Incipit secundus paralipomenon. Eusebius etc
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3659 (preface)
Cited: Stegmüller, 3658 (incipit)
(p)
f.223
v-226
r
Original title: In I Esdram
Incipit: Reuertere reuertere sunamitis, re, re etc., uox est sponsi
Explicit: que pepererant filios de quibus minus uideretur
Rubric: Incipit liber esdre
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3661
(q)
f.226
v-229
r
Original title: In II Esdram
Incipit: Uerba neemie, qui interpretatur consolator dominus
Explicit: et largitoris omnium bonorum commendat
Rubric: Incipit Secundus
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3663
(r)
f.229
r-232
v
Original title: In Tobiam
Incipit: Sagitte potentis acute cum carbonibus desolatoriis uel deuastatoriis alia litera, sagitte potenti sunt diuine sententie
Explicit: quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram
Rubric: Incipit liber thobie
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3667
(s)
f.232
v-236
v
Original title: In Judith
Incipit: Mortuo cyro rege persarum quidam medus arfaxat nomine
Explicit: fleuimus dum recordaremur tui syon
Rubric: Incipit Judith
Language: Latin
Cited: Stegmüller, 3669
(t)
f.236
v-239
r
Original title: In Esther
Incipit: Legitur proverbia xviii, frater qui iuuatur a fratre
Explicit: scilicet aman, inter ceteros dies, scilicet festos
Rubric: Incipit prologus hester
Language: Latin
No annotation. f.239v, blank
Stegmüller, 3671
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham Cathedral Library.
Bibliography
Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss. 
, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).
Stegmüller, F., Repertorium biblicum medii aevi , (Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1950-1961)
