Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex, a composite of four separate parts: (I) f.1-3; (II) f.5-22; (III) f.23-94; (IV) f.95-129. Parts (II) and (III) were evidently a freestanding item of their own, 14th/15th century (shown by their entries thus in the Spendement catalogues of 1392 and 1416. By s.15th/16th century (II)-(IV) had clearly been joined to the material now in DCL MS B.IV.39A (shown by the contents list by Thomas Swalwell in that volume, which also reveals that a ‘Tractatus bonus et satis subtilis de eucharistia’ then followed the Wulfstan material Part (III)). This was all recorded as one volume by Rud, and was presumably divided into the present two volumes (A and B), with Part I being prefixed to the latter, by Tucketts in 1846.
Foliated: 1-3 in modern pencil; 5-123, 123*-128 in earlier ink (with a bogus ink 3 on f.5); 129 in modern pencil
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). f.129v has stains from turn-ins of an earlier binding.
Pressmark: “D”, f.5r, top right, 14th/15th century. Recorded in 1392 and 1416 Spendement catalogues, in Vitae sanctorum sections.
Parchment: low quality, yellow with pronounced follicle marks.
Singleton within a bifolium
No pricking or ruling
Written in Textualis semi-quadrata. Second contents list in hand of Thomas Swalwell.
Rust-stained holes at the fore-edge of f.1-2, from the metal fixtures of a pair of clasps on an earlier binding. Green stain at the lower edge, centre, of f.1 from metalwork on an earlier binding.
Provenance as DCL MS B.IV.32. Ex libris states “Iste liber assignatur communi almarialo dunlm' ex procuratione domini Johannis de Rypon' monachi et medici”
f.1v, list of contents of DCL MS B.IV.32; f.2r, ex libris inscription for same; f.3v two contents lists for same.
Parchment: modest quality; H sides yellow and follicle marked; pronounced H/F contrast. Arranged HF, FH.
I8, II10
Text-block: 198-205 x 112-115 mm. Lines: 30 (space, 6-7 mm; height of minims, 3 mm). Pricking: awl. Prickings preserved in upper and lower margins only. Ruling: lead. Double verticals flank the text on both sides; first two and last two horizontals extended. Other horizontals irregularly overlap the verticals.
Written in Textualis semi-quadrata, variable, the writing always set well above the horizontal rulings; the same hand was responsible for the rubrics.
Text headed by a 4-line-high green initial, with simple flourishing in red. Each subsequent chapter by a 2+-line-high plain initial, alternately red then green.
Crude sketch of a human head in profile was added, 13th century, to the lower margin of f.17r.
Written in England, Worcester?, mid 13th century.
Proverbs and apothegms jotted casually and lightly but in big letters (minims 4 mm high), 13th century, in margins up to f.14r.
Parchment: modest quality, with noticeable H/F contrast; variable thickness. Arranged HF, FH.
I-IX8
Text-block: 205 x 115 mm. Lines: 30 (space, 6-7 mm; height of minims, 4 mm). Pricking: awl. Prickings generally preserved in the upper and lower margins. Ruling: lead. Double verticals flank the text on both sides; first two and last two horizontals extended. Other horizontals irregularly overlap the verticals.
Written in Textualis semi-quadrata. Similar to, but generally neater and more consistent than, the hand of Part (II). This hand appears to have done the rubrics throughout this part. f.77r in a second hand.
The incipits of both books of (b) and of Book II of (c) are headed by two-colour (red and green) initials, 5+ lines high. The start of (c) is marked by a red initial, 5 lines high, crudely flourished in green. Chapters headed by 2+ line-high capitals, alternately red then green.
Written in England, Worcester?, mid 13th century (not before 1235).
Arranged in two books (the second starting on f.37v). Abridged from William of Malmesbury’s Vita Wulfstani
Arranged in two books. Reference to the pirate William de Mareis/Marisco dates this miracle to 1235x1242.
f.94v blank
Parchment: modest to low quality; follicle marks on H sides; propensity to curl; major scar running horizontally across text-area on f.97. Predominantly arranged HF, FH, with irregularities.
I-III12
Written area. (f) and (g): 193 x 135-8 mm; written above top line. (h): 235 x 160+ mm (the outer edges of the text have been cropped). (f) and (g): Two columns (width, 60 mm). (h): four columns (widths, 5, 5, 5 and 145 mm respectively). Lines. (f) and (g): 37-43 (space, 5 mm; height of minims, 2 mm). (h): 30+ (space, 8 mm; height of minims, 2.5 mm or 1 mm). Pricking: knife (the only surviving prickings are some in the upper margins). Ruling. (f) and (g): lead (now largely invisible) to f.120v; ink on f.121r-123v. Seemingly frame-ruled with single verticals flanking both columns (two in total at the intercolumnar space) and an extended top horizontal. (h): ink. Four closely-space verticals to the left; all horizontals run right across the page.
Written in Anglicana. Number of hands uncertain, probably two, changing after f.123.
The two prologues to (g) are headed by 2-line-high red capitals. The spaces reserved for 2-line-high capitals to head chapters remain blank. Further subdivisions were marked by red paraphs; sentence capitals were generally stroked in red.
Written in England, Durham?, later 14th century.
Lacks beginning. Text also appears in Cambridge, Jesus College, MS 24, a Durham Priory book. According to the 15th/16th century contents list at the start of B.IV.39A, a "Tractatus bonus et satis subtilis de eukaristia" preceded this item.
Here arranged in 4 books: I = Liber Visionum I (23 numbered chapters; f.96r-101r), II = Liber uiarum dei + Adjuratio conscriptoris (f.101r-115v); III = De resurrectione Marie (3 chapters, f.115v-116v); IV = Revelatio de sacro exercitu uirginum Coloniensium (30 numbered chapters; f.117r-123v). This is Redaction B according to the classification of K. Köster, "Elisabeth von Schönau ..."; all British copies are of this type, apparently descending from a manuscript sent by Robert of Ford to Abbot Baldwin of Ford between 1169 and 1178.
An abbreviated and adapted version of Usuardus, Martyrologium. Similar to version in Cambridge, Jesus College, MS 24, a Durham Priory book (where Cuthbert and Oswald are likewise in red). f.129r-v, blank.
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]).
Darlington, R. R.,ed., The Vita Wulfstani of William of Malmesbury , Camden Society 40 (London: Camden Society, 1928)
Köster, K., "Elisabeth von Schönau: Werk und Wirkung im Spiegel deer mittelalterlichen handschriftlichen Überlieferung", Archiv für mittelrheinische Kirchengeschichte 3 (1951), 243-315
Raine, J., ed., The Historians of the Church of York and its Archbishops , Rolls Series 71, (London: Longman , 1879-94)