Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Collection of Monastic Rules and Commentaries thereon (John Cassian, De institutis cenobiorum, Collationes. Palladius, Historia Lausiaca. Basil (translated by Rufinus), Regula. Ps.-Basil, Admonitio ad filium spiritualem. Fructuosus, Regula monachorum. Isidore, Regula monachorum. Augustine, Regula. ?Robert of Bridlington, Dialogus in Regulam S. Augustini. Benedict of Nursia, Regula. Smaragdus, Expositio in Regulam S. Benedicti. Francis of Assisi, Regula etc.)
Parchment: modest to low quality with pronounced contrast between H/F sides, prominent follicle marks and a lively propensity to curl, occasional edgecuts. Arranged FH, HF. Parchment repairs/replacement patches, contemporary with original manufacture, to the outer margins of 266, 269, 308, 340, 347. Generally grubby.
Early modern ink foliation (used here) starts with “1” on the first leaf of text; to f.122 the numbers are placed above the medieval foliation; thereafter they are written over it. Medieval lead foliation starts with “1” on the first leaf of main text, omits f.88, jumps from 176 to 178 (omitting 177), and stops on f.261. Parchment tab labeled “13” attached to f.137. Glue stains indicate that further tabs were formerly attached to the first leaf of many of the individual items, e.g. 105, 118, 130, 135, 138, 157 (two), 187, 215, 220, 261, 273, 352. Straw book-marks between 45/46 and 60/61.
Unnumbered medieval flyleaf is a singleton, currently glued at the gutter to f.1. I-XII12, XIII8, XIV-XXII12, XXIII14 (leaves 1, 2, 13 and 14, f.261-2, 273-4, all singletons), XXIV-XXVIII12, XXIX8, XXX9 (= 10 with leaf 10, after f.351, cancelled), XXXI7 (= 12 with leaves 8-12 cancelled). First leaves: 1, 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85, 97, 109, 121, 133, 145, 153, 165, 177, 189, 201, 213, 225, 237, 249, 261, 275, 287, 299, 311, 323, 335, 343, 352.
Text-block: 262-268 x 152-156 mm.
Two columns (width, 72+ mm).
Lines: 50 (space, 5 mm; height of minims, 2.5-3 mm).
Pricking: awl. Prickings intermittently survive in all three outer margins. (The presence in quire XXV (f.287-298) of two sets for the horizontals, one partial and misaligned with the full set, suggests an erroneous first attempt, abandoned and re-done).
Ruling: lead. Single verticals at the inner edge of the text block as a whole, double verticals at its outer edge; single verticals at the inner edges of both columns (i.e. 2 in total at the intercolumnar space). The first two and the last one or two horizontals are extended; an additional pair of horizontals in the upper margin; a further pair occasionally in the lower margin (f.40v-48r, 60v, 261r).
1. f.1r-272v (quires I-XXII plus most of XXIII; items (a)-(n)). Textualis semi-quadrata, regularly varying in formality and degree of elongation; possibly more than one hand. Sentence capitals are heavily stroked in red.
2. f.273r-351v (the end of quire XXIII, plus quires XXIV-XXX; item (o)). Textualis, generally quadrata, sometimes semi-quadrata; always more formal and angular than 1. On 273r-274v (i.e. the end of quire XIII) sentence capitals are lightly stroked in red; thereafter they are touched in yellow/ochre.
3. f.352r-358v (quire XXXI; items (p)-(r)). The same hand was responsible for the corrections. Textuali semi-quadrata, poorly controlled. Sentence capitals crudely stroked in red.
Corrections throughout. Many are by one hand, writing Anglicana, formal and neat. The same hand added occasional Nota marks, e.g. f.156r, 158r (“Nota bene de discrecione”). This hand appears in items (a)-(j), ?(k), (m) and (o).
The Prologue to item (a), the Prologue and individual Collations of (b), the main incipit of (c), the Preface to (d), the main incipits of (e)-(h), the incipits to every book in (i), the Prologue and Incipit to (m), the main incipit of (o) and the incipit of (p) are all headed by red and blue initials, 4+ lines high, flourished in both colours, plus red and blue border extensions; those heading (h) and (m) feature a dragon amidst foliage. The incipits to items (j)-(l), (q) and (r) and all subsections in the other items are headed by blue initials 1 to 4 lines high, flourished in red: in (a) that for Book XI (f.33v) is larger and more elaborate than the rest; in (d) the initials heading the Interrogationes are 1 line high, those for the Responsiones 2+ lines high; that for (k) incorporates a grotesque head; those in (o), 4+ lines high, are consistently larger than most.
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). Rust stain on f.1 from the clasp on an earlier binding (its position exactly matching that of the present upper clasp).
Written in England, Oxford?, first quarter of 14th century.
Inscriptions: “Liber sancti Cuthberti de Dunolm' ex procuracione [fratris Ricardi de – written in rasura] Wlton' assignatus communi almariolo qui alienauerit a claustro anathema sit” plus full contents list “Isti sunt libri qui continentur in isto uolumine. Johannes Cassianus ad castorem episcopum in librum de institutis monachorum et de origine causa et curacione octo [sic] principalium viciorum. Johannes heremite in x collacionibus missis ad papam leoncium ... Regula sancti Francisti et testamentum eiusdem cum quadam expositione super regulam”, mid 14th century, unnumbered flyleaf recto. Richard of Wolviston, monk of Durham c.1326-1349 (DLV, C.855). The listing of content occupies most of the page. The words “Regula sancti” at the start of the entry for the Rule of St Benedict were rewritten in rasura by the original scribe. The final entry (“Regula sancti Francisci ...”) was supplied by a different hand. Below the list, an annotating hand added, “Nota capitulum xxiiij, libri xii Johannis Cassiani; qualiter cognoscitur car-?- superbia ...” followed by a siglum – with a corresponding note (“De superbie condicionibus ...”) plus siglum beside the start of the relevant chapter on f.39r.
Pressmark: “.D.”, later 14th century, “Iohannes Cassianus ad castorem Episcopum cum alijs tractatibus xxti de communi Monachorum Dunelm”, mid 14th century, f.1r, upper margin. “Iohannes cassianus de Instiitutis monachorum Et Smaragdus super regulam benedicti De communi libraria monachorum dunelm'”, start of 15th century, f.1r, upper margin, immediately below the previous inscription.
Recorded in the 1395 Cloister catalogue, with full itemisation of content akin to that on the flyleaf.
Book II start on 3r, III on 6r, IV on 8v, V on 14v, VI on 20v, VII on 23r, VIII on 26v, IX on 29r, X on 30r, XI on 33v; Books II-VIII (but not IX-XI) are each preceded by a capitula list. Up to f.12v (the end of quire I), but not thereafter, each chapter within the text was numbered. Fuller, alternative rubrics were supplied in the margins for Books II, III and VI by a 14th century hand that made other corrections. Running headings added both in lead and in ink. Added Nota marks and pointing hands.
Collatio II starts on 46v, III on 52r, IV on 57r, V on 61r, VI on 66r, VII on 70r, VIII on 76v, IX on 81v, and X on 88r, its end presented as a major break (I-IV, and VI are preceded by capitula lists, the others are not). Collatio XIV starts at the top of column 2 on f.91v, XV starts on 97r, XXIV on 99r, the Preface to XI on 105v, XI on 106r, XII on 109r, XIII on 114r, XVI on 120r, XVII on 124v, XVIII Preface and incipit on 130v, XIX on 135r, XX on 138v, XXI on 141r, XXII on 148r, and XXIII on 151v (XIV, XV, XXIV, XI-XIII, and XVI-XIX are preceded by capitula lists, but XX-XXIII are not). Whereas a major break is indicated between X and XIV, no such division is signaled between XVII and XVIII on 130v. Very faint running headings. Added Nota lines and marks; pointing hands on 57v, 72r, 98v etc.; a bolder hand flagged themes on, e.g., 47v, 48r, 48v, 80v, 93v, 98r, 100r, 133v, 153r; a neater, small one did so elsewhere, e.g. 149r, “Nota hic de pollucione nocturna et de bono consilio”.
Prologue and text of Type I. Faint lead running headings. Nota lines and marginal notes (often identifying the individuals discussed), written in a semi-cursive hand.
The last six words of the main text were rewritten in rasura by an early corrector. The main correcting hand also supplied marginal annotations throughout, flagging themes, e.g. (187v) “Si est ordo in preceptis”, (f.190v), “De disciplina infantium”, (191v) “De ordine fratrum”, (192v) “Ne quis presumat de proprio sensu”, (193r) “Quomodo penitendum”, “Qui digni fructus penitentie” and “De falso penitente”, (206r) “Quomodo sit quis stultus in hoc seculo”.
Preface and 20 chapters, not quite divided in standard fashion: e.g. the final section (210v) begins at: “Qui enim pacienter pertulerit mala in futurum coronabitur ...”. Very faint running headings. A couple of themes flagged in the margins by the 14th century annotator.
Text in 25 chapters, the chapter numbers added by the corrector. Faint running headings.
The interpolated version. Text preceded by capitula list of 24 numbered chapters; text arranged in 24 unnumbered chapters. Ends at top of 220r, column 2, the rest of which is blank.
The so-called Third Rule. Arranged in 33 numbered chapters. Faint running heading. No annotation.
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)