Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
A composite volume of two parts: (A) f.2-40, Daniel, glossed and (B) f.41-88, Esdras, glossed; with added. Made separately in France or England in the second half of the 12th century, as indicated by the set of quire signatures to (B), they had clearly been brought together by late 12th or early 13th century as is indicated by note of content of that date on f. iir.
Modern pencil foliation. The four medieval parchment flyleaves are foliated i-iii and 1, the text is foliated 2-88.
Calf over card or paste-board boards, with a simple panel design formed from foliate rolls; spine title applied on a red leather panel. Traces of the turnovers from an earlier binding on f.i and 88. Marks from a removed book-plate on f.iv.
Inscription: “Daniel, et Esdras Glosatj. liber Iohannis de Rana”, 12th/13th century, f.iir, top. John of Rana, appears as a witness to charters of Bishop Hugh of Le Puiset and others, under Priors Absolom (1154-8) and Germanus (1163-86), in two of which he is described as magister.
“Liber Sanctj Cuthbertj”, 12th/13th century, f.iir, immediately below the previous inscription.
Pressmark: “.A.”, mid 14th century, f.iir, top left.
“.A.”, later 14th century (?), re inked 14th/15th century, f.2r, top right.
“Daniell′ et Esdras glo.”, start 15th century, f.2r, top left.
Recorded in Spendement catalogue.
Parchment: low quality. Glaring contrast between H and F sides; flaws and edgecuts. Arranged: HF, FH.
Flyleaves4 (f.ii+iii a bifolium; f. i and 1 ?singletons), I4, II-V8, VI3 (= 4 with leaf 3, blank, cancelled)
Written area: 220 x 150 mm. Items (b), (c) and (d) Prefaces: 2 columns (78 mm). In item (d) main body, the columns vary in number (1-4) and width, page by page. Lines: 45 (space, 5 mm; height of biblical text minims, 4+ mm; height of gloss minims, 2 mm). In item (d) the biblical text is written on every other line, up to a maximum of 23 lines per page (i.e. always starting below top line). The gloss is written on every line, up to a maximum of 46 per page (i.e. regularly starting above top line). Pricking: awl. Prickings survive in all four margins; they were supplied for the verticals that flank the outer edges of the text-block, and (in both side margins) for all 45 horizontals. Ruling. Items (b) and (c): lead. Pairs of verticals flank the written area; single verticals at the inner edge of both columns (two in total in the intercolumnar space). The first horizontal is always extended; the last and penultimate and/or antepenultimate are sometimes extended. Item (d): lead and ink. Planned for complex glossed book design – generally a central column of scriptural text written every other line in a column that varies in width from page to page, the gloss, written on every line, to either side of this; from time to time the scriptural text occupies the full width of the written area.
(a) written in Textualis libraria (b)-(d) written in a variety ofProtoGothic and Textualis semi-quadrata, some transitional, possibly five hands.
In (d) a fine arabesque initial, 12 lines high, in red, green and blue marks the incipit of the biblical text, f.6r.
A 4-line-high blue capital, embellished in red, heads the first preface (f.5r).
Coloured capitals, red or green, generally, 2+ lines high, head the second and third prefaces (both on f.5r) and mark Daniel 7.1, 7.15, [the space reserved for such a letter at 8.1 remained unfilled], 9.1, 9.24 (start), 9.24 (end), 10.1, 10.2 (red with blue detailing), 10.7, 11.4 (end: incorrectly supplying an ‘m’ rather than an ‘l’[acerabitur]), 12.1, 13.1 (blue with red detailing).
Coloured capitals, 1 line high, red, green or blue (not in a regular sequence), head many sentences on f.6r-8r, and a couple of sentence capitals on f.26v and f.27v are stroked in red and green respectively. No other capitals are so treated.
In item (c) each chapter is headed by a 3+ lines high capital, red, green or blue, all but two of them embellished in one of the other colours.
Written in France or England, second half of 12th century.
The books of the Bible, subdivided into groups, spread across the page but linked by red lines in the manner of a genealogy. The titles of the subgroups and the names (or lead name) of the books are headed by alternately red then green capitals. Hebrew names and other alternative designations are supplied for many of the Old Testament groups; there is a rubric for each section. The numbers of epistles associated with each New Testament figures are supplied superscript. A title was added at the top of the page, 15th/16th century, probably by Thomas Swalwell: “qui libri veteris testamenti dicuntur legis qui agiographa, et qui dicuntur apocrifa hic patet”. f.ir-iiir and 1r-v, blank.
Paragraphs on divers points of interpretation and practice, including on finger counting, Abelard, Peter Lombard, Introitus to John’s Gospel, etc.
First Prologue and the sections on Doves, Winds and Hawks.
Prefaces, text and marginal and interlinear glosses. No original or added medieval chapter numbering. Chapter numbers were inserted by an early modern hand. f.40 is blank.
Parchment: modest quality with noticeable H/F distinction. Arranged HF, FH.
I-VI8
Columns vary in number (1-4) and width, page by page. Lines: 41 (space, 5 mm; height of biblical text minims, 3+ mm; height of gloss minims, 1+ mm). The biblical text is written on every other line, up to a maximum of 20 lines per page (always starting below top line). The gloss is written on every line, up to a maximum of 41 per page (i.e. regularly starting above top line). Pricking: awl. Prickings survive in all four margins; they were supplied for the verticals that flank the outer edges of the text-block, and (in both side margins) for all 41 horizontals. Ruling: lead. Planned for complex glossed book design - generally a central column of scriptural text written every other line in a column that varies in width from page to page, the gloss, written on every line, to either side of this. Single verticals (guided by prickings) flank the text-block area as a whole. One to three pair(s) of verticals (not guided by prickings) were added within the text-block, their positions changing from one page to the next according to the needs of text and gloss.
Written in Protogothic. One hand throughout for scriptural text and gloss; very similar to scribe of (A) f.22r-39v and the scribe of DCL MS A.III.3, Part A.
(e) is headed by 15 line high initial done in red, green and blue, with a simple interlace twist running up its stem, plus one line of red, green and blue display capitals. Item (f) is headed by a 3 line high blue initial, embellished in red. Many sentences throughout (e) and (f) are headed by 2 line high coloured capitals, red, green or blue. Item (g) is headed by a plain ink capital enhanced by a paraph. A sketch of the Crucifixion, was added in lead to f.88r; difficult to date, and possibly post-medieval, it is juxtaposed with (now) very faint 12th/13th century lead jottings, one of which begins, ‘Saluator mundi …’.
Written in France or England, second half of 12th century.
Original chapter numbering in Roman numerals in the margins: i-iv the standard Parisian chapters. 1-4; then v at 4.6; vi at 5.1; vii at 6.1, viii at 6.16; ix at 7.1; x at 8.1; no xi or xii; xiii at 9.15; xiiij at 10.18.
Original chapter numbering in the margins runs on from (a): xv for 1.1, xvi for 2.1, xvii for 2.11, xviii for 3.1, xix for iv.7, xx for 4.16; no xxi; xxii for 5.14, xxxiii for 6.1, xxiiij for 6.16, xxv for 7.4, no xxvi, xxvii for 9.14, xxviii for 9.1, xxix for 9.6, no xxx, xxxi for 11.2, xxxii for 12.12, xxxiii for 12.27, xxxiiij for 13.3, xxxv for 13.8, xxxvi for 13.15, xxxvii for 13.23.
Summary of content, interpretation and organization; 37 numbered entries – corresponding to the chapter numbers used. Most of f.86r and all of 86v-88v are blank apart from jottings.
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]).
de Hamel, Christopher, Glossed books of the Bible and the origins of the Paris book
trade , (Woodbridge, Suffolk, England: Boydell Press,
1984)
Peter Lombard, Bishop of Paris,
approximately 1100-1160, Commentarium in
Psalmos ,
Library of Latin Texts A (Turnhout: Brepols, 2010)
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)
Stegmüller, F., Repertorium biblicum medii aevi , (Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1950-1961)