Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex containing Peter Lombard's Sententiarum libri iv, written in the late 12th century. Internal evidence indicates that it may once have belonged to Durham Priory; it was owned by George Davenport, by whom it was given to Bishop Cosin's Library ca. 1670.
Parchment: smooth; flesh and hair-sides difficult to distinguish, but quires probably with hairside outermost; original slit (f.180), some flaws (f.16, 38, 120, 135, 149 and 164) and natural edges.
medieval flyleaf, 1-238, 246 wants 6 (blank ?)
Prickings in upper, lower, inner and many outer margins. Written space 204 or, quires 12, 15, 18-20 and 22-24, c.201 or, quire 21, 197 x 145, or, quires 12-15 and 17-20, 147, or, quires 16 and 21-24, 150 mm, with space between columns 14-18 mm; ruled in sharpish grey brown. Two columns. 38 lines, the first above top ruled line; f.20, 49 lines (over erasures?).
Written in Protogothic minuscule, proficiently but with some variations in size, probably by one hand. Punctuated with mid punctus, elevatus and versus.
Initials: (i) in chapter lists, 1 line, alternately blue and red; (ii) to chapters and prologues II-IV, 2 line, alternately red, and blue or, f.1-133 and sporadically thereafter, alternately green, occasionally with feeble infilling in red; (iii) to prologue I, 5 line, oxidised red, with feeble infilling in blue and red; (iv) to books, between 9 and 12 line, red and blue or green, with feathered geometrical infilling in red, green and, except f.138v, blue, followed for Books I and III by the first 6 or 7 letters in two rows of 4 line narrow lombards in red, blue and green. Running titles in red, giving book number, “primus” perhaps by the hand of the text on f.24v-25r; otherwise added, 14th/15th, cf. added rubrics, f.56v.
Some careful early corrections over erasures, e.g. f.10v, 11v, 44r, 107r, 184r, 188r. Original marginal citations and glosses in red supplemented in ink, often on ruling in the margins, by a smaller hand, 12th/13th century, responsible for many inter linear glosses, chiefly in Bk I. Early corrections and notes in brown. Further annotations giving precise citations, in an English secretary hand, early 15th century, which possibly assigned distinction numbers on the chapter list of book III and arabic sectional numbers on f.5v-15r and 65r-80r. Marginal distinction numbers in red, some rubrics (f.1r, 56v) and red running titles, 14th/15th century.
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 marks close to the inner edges of the front and back flyleaves, perhaps from former metal attachments to boards. Offsets of mitred turn-ins from former medieval binding on f.1r and 190v
Written in England?, late 12th century.
There is an erased inscription at the head of f.1r, and another at the foot of f.189r. “Liber sentenciarum ...”, with “prec. xxs.” in darker ink over erasure, “s[secundum?]. <Rob. ... s[eynt?] O[swald?>”, f.1r, all 14th century. “<xs pro (?) & f... s...>”, 14th/15th century, f.190v head.
Distinctive hand pointers by John Manby, monk of Durham (1463-1494/5), f.119r and 120r; cf. Thomson, (1989), plate 34a-b. Attribution of author and title of item (1) in the hand of Thomas Swalwell, monk of Durham (c. 1483-1539), f.2r. Not recorded in the medieval catalogues of Durham Cathedral Priory.
Inscription:
“Geo. Davenport. 1663.”, on paper slip stuck to front pastedown, from previous binding; his note of contents, f.1v.
With chapter lists in front of each book but without original numeration. Bk I cap 131 has the uncorrected reading but Bk III cap. 38 has the revised reading,. Book III begins “Erat autem” instead of “Cum venit igitur”, f.104r. The last sentence of III,xxxix,6 is replaced by a separate section “De triplici iuramento illicitorum Iuramenta tripliciter esse contingit illicita. ... auctoritate seruari prohibetur”, f.136r; between IV,xxxiv,5 and 6 there are two short sections without rubrics: “Nicholaus papa. Si quis cum duabus sororibus fuerit fornicatus ... de laicis uiris. ac mulieribus solummodo statuimus. Item ex triburiensi concilio. Si quis cum nouerca sua dormierit; ... cum filiastra sua. uel cum sorore suae uxoris dormierit. obseruandum est.”, f.174v. The lists of capitula (f.2v-4r, 57r-58v, 102v-104r, 137r-138v) do not correspond to the text. Of the notulae, only those between III,xv,6 and 7 form part of the main text, as separate sections, f.12v and 115v, together with the passage “Innocencius.papa. Decernimus ... deseruire” between the first and second parts of IV,xxxvii,1 f.176r; one was written by the original scribe in the lower margin, f.22v, others were added later (13th century) in the top margin, f.6r. The Epilogue to I,i is misplaced between I,ii,1 and 2, f.6r; I,ix,5 and 8 are transposed, f.15r. Book II ends (xliv,3) “nulli potestati obediamus.”, followed by Bk III capitula list, and its prologue, divided at “ualeamus. ... Hic enim rationis ordo”, f.102v-104r. The original rubrics, with minor variants, and divisions are standard, except that the rubrics are in the margin. In numbers of places the divisions diverge: no rubric or break at e.g. I,v,2, II,iii,5, III,iii,2, or IV,i,10. The divergences mostly coincide with those in DUL Cosin MS V.i.6. Only some chapters have original numbers, in red, e.g. I c.3, 6, 7, 27 119. The considerable early marginal and interlinear annotation, f.2r-36v, includes sporadic numbering of sections. The book and distinction numbers were added later, including e.g. I,xviii at I,xvii,19, II,xiv at II,xiii,10, and IV,xi at IV,xi,4. Some rubrics later still, in spaces originally left blank, e.g. f.56v, 15th/16th century.
The first part follows closely but not exactly the version of the widely circulated statute that forms cap. 77 in the statutes of William of Bitton I, bishop of Bath & Wells, continuing with cap. 78 and the first part of 79, up to “ac eorum fautores”, and ending with an unidentified section, beginning “Statuimus eciam quod predia dent decimas”.
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]).
Councils & synods: with other documents relating to the English church , ed. F.M. Powicke and D. Whitelock (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986)
R. M. Thomson, Catalogue of the Manuscripts of Lincoln Cathedral Library , (Woodbridge: D.S. Brewer, 1989)