DCL MS. C.IV.24Formulary and letter writing manualHeld by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts
A complicated composite volume of seven separable sections: (A) f.2-123; (B) f.124-199; (C) f.200-308; (D) f.309-314; (E) f.315-344; (F) f.345-348; (G) f.349-364. The very early association of Parts (A)-(D) and (G) is demonstrated by the reappearance of a single hand (Part A scribe 3) making additions to all of them, and all seven parts may have been together when the volume passed through the hands of William of Guisborough in the early 14th century.
Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2m4j03cz66x.html
Physical description of manuscript
Extent: ii+363+i f
Size: 250 mm x 175 mm
Foliation
Modern pencil foliation on medieval leaves: 2-96, 96*-287, 289-323, 334-364
Secundo folio: devocione subiectum
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)
Manuscript history
Provenance
Given to Durham Cathedral Priory by William of Guisborough after he was prior elect (between 1321 and 1338), shown by a damaged and imperfect inscription on f.364v, “Iste liber donatus communi armariolo ... dunelmensis monster ... de Gisburne quondam electum in priorem dunelmensem, quem qui alienauerit per se ... uel per alium adiutorium consilium uel fanorem uel audaciam prebendo quo alienetur ... ?perduret uel qui presentem librum extra claustrum portauerit comodauerit carolo uel alliumde extra communem armariolum absconderit absque consensu magistri librorum siue custodis, maledictionem dei omnium que ciuium celestium incurrat aqua non conualescat ante satisfactionem siue restitutionem fiat fiat, amen, amen”
Shelf-marks: f.3v, “.l.”, 13th/14th century; “A.G.”, later 14th century.
f.4r, “A.G. Petrus de veneis de forma di ...”, 14th/15th century
Inscription: “contenta patentur in principio”,15th/16th century, by Thomas Swalwell.
SECTION: (A)
Physical description of section of manuscript
CollationI-V12, VI12, VII8, VIII3 (structure uncertain), IX12, X6, XI4 XII-XIII8
Script
Written in Anglicana by many hands.
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in England,
13th/14th century.
Manuscript contents
(a)
f.2
r-52
v
Original title: Summa dictaminis
Language: Latin
(b)
f.52
v
Modern title: Charter
Incipit: Pateat universis per presentes quod nos prior monasterii
Explicit: datum in capitulo nostro et cetera
Language: Latin
(c)
f.53
r-53
v
Modern title: Tract on Wise Behaviour
Rubric: Quia inuentus est sapi
Language: Latin
(d)
f.53
v-55
r
Modern title: 15 Additional Letters in Latin and French, including several from Thomas of Capua, Summa dictaminis.
Language: Latin
(e)
f.64
r-64
r
Modern title: Letters and Charters concerning Durham and England
Language: Latin
(f)
f.64
r-84
r
Modern title: Form Letters, other letters and clauses (including from Popes Gregory IX and Innocent IV)
Language: Latin
(g)
f.86
r-96*
v
Modern title: Ecclesiastical Letters and documents
Language: Latin
(h)
f.97
r-122
r
Modern title: Papal letters etc.
Language: Latin
(i)
f.122
v-123
v
Modern title: Alphabetical index to (B)
Language: Latin
SECTION: (B)
Physical description of section of manuscript
FoliationOriginal foliation: 1-74 (f.124r - f.197r)
CollationXIV-XIX12, XX4
Catchwords: Original catchwords.
Signatures: Leaf lettering.
Layout
Two columns, 37 lines
Script
Written in Textualis, fere rotunda , in Italy, with rubrication and additions in England.
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in Italy,
start of 14th century.
Manuscript contents
(j)
f.124
r-199
r
Original title: Liber questionum / Quaestiones dominicales et veneriales
Language: Latin
(k)
f.199
r
Original title: Rules of Speech according to Roman Curia
Language: Latin
(l)
f.199
r-199
v
Original title: Form Letters
Language: Latin
SECTION: (C)
Physical description of section of manuscript
CollationXXI12, XXII11 (=12 with 7 cancelled), XXIII3 (=4 with 1 cancelled); XXIV-XXIX12, XXX9 (=10 with 9 cancelled)
Script
Written in adocumentary script possibly by a single scribe
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in England,
13th/14th century.
Manuscript contents
(m)
f.200
r-308
v
Original title: Dictamina
Language: Latin
Example letters have been added to the standard text at f.221r-225vand 307v-308v
SECTION: (D)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Layout
Two columns, 48 lines.
Script
Written in Textualis, with documentary additions at end.
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in England,
13th/14th century.
Manuscript contents
(n)
f.309
r-314
v
Original title: Ars Dictandi
Language: Latin
Some letters of Boniface VIII added to the standard text, f.313v-314v.
SECTION: (E)
Physical description of section of manuscript
CollationXXXII4, XXXIII4, XXXIV8
Catchwords: Original catchwords; that on f.344v, shows that formerly the next leaf was f.349r.
Script
Written in documentary script
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in England,
13th/14th century.
Manuscript contents
(o)
f.315
r-347
v
Original title: Summa dictaminis
Author: Matheus de Libris
Language: Latin
SECTION: (F)
Physical description of section of manuscript
CollationXXV4 (=6 with 4-5 cancelled as blanks)
Script
Written in documentary script
Corrections and annotation
A stain and/or furrow running horizontally across the middle of the leaves suggests that they may have been folded in half at one point. That this section was intruded between f.344 and f.349 is shown by the catchword on f.344v.
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in England,
13th/14th century.
Manuscript contents
(p)
f.345
r-347
r
Original title: Practica sive usus dictaminis
Language: Latin
(q)
f.347
v
Modern title: Verses
Incipit: Quot sancti Rome, quot sunt miracula Thome
Explicit: Quot sunt uirtutes, tot vobis mitto salutes.
Language: Latin
SECTION: (G)
Physical description of section of manuscript
CollationXXXVI4, XXXVII-XXXVIII6
Script
Written by several scribes
History of section of manuscript
Creation
Written in England,
13th/14th century.
Manuscript contents
(r)
f.349
r-358
v
Modern title: Form letters
Language: Latin
(s)
f.359
r-364
r
Modern title: Letters relating to the archdiocese of York
Language: Latin
MicrofilmMicrofilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham University Library.
Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. C.IV.24 - Letter writing manualsDigitised in May 2017 as part of the Durham Priory Library Recreated project
Due to the binding, there are many images throughout the book that have marginalia, partial/full letters of text or decoration which is not visible in the image because they are too far into the gutter. In some cases, more detail of the missing information can be seen in the section of the page which is visible on the opposite recto or verso. Some of this information is difficult to see on the manuscript itself.
There are two f.96
There is no f.288
There is no f.324-333. Foliation goes 322, 333 (with a cross and 323 written next to it, foliated as f.323), then 334.
The corner of f.147r had to be held down with clear plastic, visible in the final image, because it did not sit over the vacuum and would otherwise have curled upwards and gone out of focus.
There is an approx. 1cm wide strip of parchment bound in between f.222 and f.223. When photographing f.222v, the strip was lying over some of the text and needed to be pinned back. A strip from an acid-free bookmark was placed around the parchment strip and the next few pages and then a brass paperclip was placed over the acid-free bookmark (so that it did not make contact with the parchment). This was done at both ends and is visible in the final image.
There are two very narrow strips of parchment bound in between f.347 and f.348. Although they are covering the last letters of one line, the Digitisation Assistant was unable to pin them back, as they are too narrow.
Image DCL_C.IV.24_719 is of a hand written note relating to C.IV.24 which was found in the back of the book. After digitisation, the note was placed in an archive pocket and replaced in the back of the book.
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2m4j03cz66x.html
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]).
Hampe, K., “Briefe zur Geschichte des 13. Jahrhunderts aus einer Durham Handschrift”, Neues Archiv der Gesellshaft für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde 24 (1898-99), 505-532
de Hamel, Christopher, Glossed books of the Bible and the origins of the Paris book
trade , (Woodbridge, Suffolk, England: Boydell Press,
1984)
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)
Index terms 