Reginald of Durham, Libellus de admirandis beati Cuthberti virtutibus, probably the author's copy written at Durham Priory in the later 12th century.
Parchment: modest to low quality with pronounced contrast between yellow, follicle-marked H sides and white F sides; some sheets very thin; holes, imperfections and edgecuts. Generally arranged HF, FH (exceptions include Q. III: HF, HF, FH, HF). The first and least leaves are additionally weathered, the first further imperfect owing to the irregular excision of its outer margin and the perforation of much of its inner margin by the copper-based pigment that was used for the opening initial. Areas of p.321 and 322 (centred on rubrics) have been obscured by reagent stains. Tab attached to p.19+20 (the start of the text proper).
Modern pencil foliation of the paper preliminary leaves; 18th century ink pagination by Christopher Hunter (300 used three times resulting now in 300a, 300b, 300c).
I5 (p.1-10; original structure uncertain, possibly 8, now lacking leaves 1, 7 and 8, and with 5 and 6 made conjoint by a modern repair), II-III8, IV-VI10, VII8 (the first and last leaves, p.103+4 and 117+18, are half-sheets), VIII10, IX8, (the third and sixth leaves, p.143+4 and 149+50 are half-sheets), X9 (seemingly two bifolia [p.155+6 plus 165+6; and p.161+2 plus 163+4] with two singletons between their first halves [p.157+8, p.159+60] and followed by three singletons [p.167+8, 169+70, and 171+2]), XI-XII8, XIII10, XIV-XVI8, XVII6, XVIII13 (= 14 with leaf 3 cancelled), XIX6, XX5 (= 6 with leaf 6, probably blank, lost or cancelled)
Written area: 110-120 x 60-80 mm. Lines: variable from 26-34 (space, 3.5-4; height, 1 mm). Pricking: awl, often survives in all three outer margins. Ruling: generally lead or ink; occasionally (e.g. p.189ff.) hard point. Sometimes double verticals flank the text-block, other times there are double verticals at the inner edge but single at the outer; all the horizontals project irregularly into the margins.
The main text, including rubrics, was entirely written by a single scribe (possibly Reginald himself): Romanesque to Protogothic minuscule, variable, sometimes more akin to a bookhand, other times more rectilinear and fere-documentary.
Arabesque initials in red and green, 8 to 20 lines high for the general incipit, preface and Chapter 48 (p.1, 4, 108). Red initials, 3+ lines high, sometimes plain, sometimes embellished, head each chapter; guide letters beside them. Particularly large and/or elaborate examples include p.19 (incipit of text proper; chapter 12) and 273 (chapter 107). Sentence capitals stroked in red on p.103-116, 141-152, 293-315 and 321-330 - i.e. quires VII (bar the last leaf), IX (bar the outer bifolium), and the greater part of XVIII-XX.
f.iv-vii + first two unnumbered paper endleaves. List of chapter rubrics, added 18th century. The rubrics from the main body of the book, copied out by Christopher Hunter (1675-1757), with page references.
18th century (reworked in early 19th century) incorporating older (medieval?) metal clasps (one with acorn motifs, one with circles). Pasteboard; 4 spine bands; 2 metal clasps; remounted brown leather from spine and both boards, with added gilt patterning on the turnovers, gilt title.
Written in England, Durham, later 12th century.
Written in the Benedictine Priory of Durham Cathedral. Late 16th century, in an unidentified private collection (deleted notes, dated 1590 and ?1599, added informally to p.1 and 330). Purchased by Dr Christopher Hunter of Durham (1675-1757), physician and antiquary. Returned to Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral when purchased (with other parts of Hunter’s collection) from his executors in 1757 (ex libris on p.3, upper margin).
Introductory letter of the author to Aelred of Rievaulx, prologue and text. The many contemporary alterations to the text show this to be an authorial copy as do the the irregular quire structures - hinting at the insertion/replacement of leaves. Subsequent annotation throughout, many of them belonging to one of three main strata: (1) 14th century, ‘Nota Bene’s and other notes (e.g. p.52, 69, 91, 122); (2) 15th century, chapter numbers in Roman numerals (sometimes overwriting Arabic numerals, e.g. p.108), crosses, hands pointing at rubrics, occasional corrections (e.g., p.95); (3) 16th century, ‘Nota’s and comments in italic (e.g. p.44, 45, 50, 62, 63, 188).
Bibliotheca hagiographica Latina antiquae et medii aetatis (Brussels, 1898-1901);Supplements (Brussels, 1911, 1986)
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]).
Reginaldi Monachi Dunelmensis Libellus de admirandis Beati Cuthberti virtutibus quae novellis patratae sunt temporibus , ed. J. Raine, (London: Nichols and Pickering, 1834)
Mynors, R.A.B., Durham Cathedral
manuscripts to the end of the twelfth century. Ten plates in
colour and forty-seven in monochrome. With an introduction
[including a list of all known Durham manuscripts before
1200] ,
(Durham: 1939)