DCL MS. C.III.29Breviary, noted (fragments)
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

Portions of the Sanctorale from a Breviary, with Psalms, Antiphons and Responsories (all noted on four-line staff), and lections - extending from Circumcision to Sexagesima, written in England in the earlier 14th century, formerly re-used in the binding of Durham Cathedral Inc.32-34.

Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1m2801pg79b.html

Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment. Modest quality. Extensive surface damage, staining and loss of ink, in large part owing to the re-use.

Extent: 12 bifolia
Size: 192 mm x 136 mm
The bifolia measure 192 x 262 mm, but the outer margin of one half has invariably been trimmed more than the other.
Collation
Catchwords: Contemporary catchwords on one face of “ex 34 front bottom” and of “ex 33 front, bottom”.
Multiple sewing holes visible at the original centrefolds, principally at c. 6, 22, 40, 90, 130, 140, 160, 175, and 185 mm from the current top of the leaf.
Layout

Written area: 141 x 97 mm. Two columns (width: 45 mm). Lines: 34 (space, 4 mm; height of minims, 2 mm). Prickings: none survive. Ruling: now invisible.

Script

Written in Textualis semi-quadrata; relatively uncompressed and with letter-bowls that are relatively rounded rather than multangular; moderate quality. Chant texts written to a smaller scale.

Decoration

Two colour (red and blue) initials, 4+lines high for Lectio I on Inc 34 front top and for Lk 3.21 on Inc. 33 front, bottom. Single colour initials, red, blue or green, 2-4 lines high, sometimes crudely flourished, head other lections and hymns. Calligraphic penwork initials, generally with red details, 2 lines high, head noted texts.

Manuscript history
Creation

Written in England, earlier 14th century.

Provenance

All were formerly attached to the pastedowns in DCL incunabula 32-34, two bifolia inside each front board, two inside each back board. All are marked in pencil with the place in the host book from which they were removed; four are in addition numbered 1-4. Presumably recycled 15th-16th century as paste-downs or padding for the bindings of DCL Incs. 32, 33, 34 - Bartolus, de Saxoferrato, Super prima et seconda Digesti veteris; Super infortiati (Venice: Baptista de Totis, 1493, 1494), which were given to the cathedral priory in 1519 by Thomas Farne, vicar of St Oswald’s, Durham (see contemporary inscriptions). At an uncertain date (as part of a restoration of the bindings, 19th or 20th century?), the leaves were mounted on the new endpapers. They were removed therefrom, collected, and boxed separately in 1982.

Manuscript contents
Ex Inc. 34, front, bottom (1)
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) In principio et ante secula deus erat uerbum …; Postquam consummati sunt … [Lk 2.21]; Ritus et religio circunci/sionis … (b) Cum natus esset … [Mt 2.1]; Sicut ex lectione euangelica . Catchword.

Edited: Sarum, cf. col. cclxxxix for In die circumcisionis
Edited: Sarum, cf. col. cccxxvi for In die epiphanie
Ex Inc. 34 back, bottom (2)
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) R. O admirabile commercium … A. Natus est ineffabiliter …; A. Germinauit radix iesse … . (b) Lectio iiii. Tunc uidebis et afflues … [Isaiah 60.5]; R. Interrogabat magos …; Celebrato proxime die quo intemerata uirginitas humani generis edidit saluatorem … ; R. Illuminare, illuminare hierusalem … Ad omnium enim hominum spectat salute quod infantia mediatoris dei et hominum …; R. Magi veniunt …

Edited: Sarum, cf. ccxcii-iii for Circumcisio domini
Edited: Sarum, cf. cols. cccxxiv; cccxxii, cccxxi; cccxxi-xxii for In die epiphanie
Ex Inc. 34 back, top (3)
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) Hymnus. A solis ortu. V. Benedictus qui uenit. Magnum hereditatis misterium templum dei factus est uterus nesciens uirum … [for Oct. Nat. Dom.]. In octabas beati stephani … Intuens in celum beatus stephanus … Stephanus seruus dei … (b) R. Omnes de saba … A. Reges Tharsis et insule …; Lectio iii. Surge illuminare iherusalem qui uenit lumen tuum et glora domini super te orta est. Quia ecce tenebre / operient terram. R. Stella quam uiderunt magi …A. Omnis terra adoret …

Edited: Sarum, cols. ccvii; ccxcv;
Edited: Sarum, cccxxi-ii; cccxix: In die epiphanie
Ex Inc. 34, front, top (4)
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) Defuncto Herodo ecce angelus domini apparuit in sompnum ioseph dicens surge et accipe puerum et matrem … [Mt 2.20]. (b) Hymnus. Hostis herodes impie… Lectio I. Omnes sitientes uenite … .

Edited: Sarum, cccix: In vigilia epiphanie
Edited: Sarum, cccxix for In die epiphanie
Ex Inc. 33, front, bottom
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) Factum est autem cum baptizaretur omnis populous [Lk 3.21]; In laudibus. A. Ante luciferum. (b) Nuptie facte sunt in chana … [Jn 2.1]. Catchword.

Edited: Sarum, cccxxviii-xix: In die epiphanie
Edited: Sarum, ccccxxxviii for Dominica II post Octabas Epiphanie
Ex Inc. 33, front, top
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) A. tria sunt munera que obtulerunt … A. Apertis thesauris suis obtulerunt … A. Maria et flumina benedicite … A. Hodie celesti sponso / iuncta est ecclesia … Colla’. Deus qui hodierna die unigenitum tuum gentibus stella duce reuelasti. (b) Paulus seruus iesu Christi uocatus apostolus segregatus in euangelio dei quod … [Romans 1.1]; R. Domine ne in ira tua.

Edited: Sarum, cccxxix-cccxxx for In die epiphanie
Edited: Sarum, ccccvii for Dominica I post oct. epiphanie
Ex Inc. 33, back, bottom
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) [Ab oriente uenerunt] magi in bethleem adorare dominum ... Gaudete in domino dilectissimi iterum dico gaudete quoniam breui interuallo temporis post sollempnitatem natiuitatis … . (b) Sabbato post octabas epiphanie. Benedictus deus et pater domini nostri iesu Christi; Hymnus. O lux beata trinitas …; Ant. Peccata mea domine …; Coll. Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui celestia simul et terrena … ; Ad compl’. Hymnus. Te lucis ante terminum … .

Edited: Sarum, cccxxxi-ii: per octabas epiphanie
Edited: Sarum, cccciv
Ex Inc. 33, back, top
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) [In octabas epiphanie. ] Ad vesperas. Baptizat miles regem seruus dominum … In dominica infra octabas lectio prima. Hodierna festiuitatem dilectissimi apparitio domini et saluatoris … In laudibus. A. Ueterem hominem renouans … A. Tu qui in spiritu et igne … A. Baptista contremuit … . (b) Nam quod eum fulgentioris stelle … Quod autem baptizatus est agnus dei regenerantis … In iio nocturno. . Cum factus esset iesus annorum duodecim … [Lk 2. 42].

Edited: Sarum, ccclvii: In octabas epiphanie
Edited: Sarum, ccccxii for Dominica i post octabas epiphanie
Ex Inc. 32, back top
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) R. Ego dixi domine miserere mei. Sana animam meam quia peccavi …In laudibus …Hymnus. Alex dieie nuntius … Hymnus. Rereum creator optime … [. (b) Ecce dedi uobis omnem herbam afferentem …(Gen 1); Porro enoch uixit sexaginta quinque annis …(Gen 5); Corrupti est terra coram deo et replete est iniquitate (Genesis 6.8) … Fac tibi archam de lignis leuitatis … (Gen. 6) Fenestram in archam facies (Gen. 6).

Edited: Sarum, cf. ccccxxv Feria IV ebdomade I post octabas epiphanie
Edited: Sarum, cf. dxiv-v: Dominica in sexagesima
Ex Inc. 32, back, bottom
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

(a) R. In sudore uultus tui … A. Miserere mei deus et a delicto meo munda …. (b) De fructu lignorum que sunt in paradyso … (Genesis 3), Hymnus Nox et tenebre et nubilia confuse mundi et turbida …. Hymnus, Nox atra rerum contegit terre colores omnium … ; Dixit dominus ad adam quis indicauit tibi quod nudus [Gen 3].

Edited: Sarum, ccccxciv: Dominica in septuagesima
Edited: Sarum, col. div: Per ferias septuagesime
Ex Inc. 32, front top
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) R. Plantauerat autem dominus deus paradisum … R. Tulit ergo dominus hominem et posuit. (b) //Serpens decepti me et comedi … [Gen 3.13] Et ait dominus ad serpentem … [Gen. 3.14]. Hymnus. Magne deus potenie …; R. Repleatur os meum laude ut hymnum …; Feria via. Hymnus. Tu trinitatis unitas orbem potenter qui regis … Lectio I. Fecit quoque dominus deus ade et uxori eius tunicas polliceas [Gen.3.21].

Edited: Sarum, cf. ccccxcii: Dominica in septuagesima
Edited: Sarum, cf. div dominica in septuagesima
Ex Inc. 32, front bottom
Modern title: Breviary (fragment)
Language: Latin

includes: (a) //custos fratris … clamat ad me de terra [Gen 4.10; Hymnus. Aurora iam spargit A. Erat primi nouissimi; R. Formauit igitur dominus deus hominem de limo terre … . (b) Eiecitque dominus adam et collocauit [Gen 3.15: div]; R. Misericordia tua domine magna est super me … hymnus, Summe deus clementine mundique factor machine; Hymnus Aurora iam spargit spolum [sic] … Dixit dominus ad caim quare iratus est … [Gen. 4.5]. R. Misericordiam et iudicium cantabo tibi domine … .

Edited: Sarum, cf. ccccxcix; cccclxxxix: septuagesima
Edited: Sarum, ccccxxxiii

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. C.III.29 - Breviary fragment
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1m2801pg79b.html
Bibliography

Breviarium ad usum insignis ecclesiae Sarum   OCLC citation, ed. F. Procter and C. Wordsworth (Cambridge: CUP, 1879-86)

Index terms