Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Glossed copy of the twelve minor prophets from the Old Testament, written in Northern France at the end of the 12th century.
Parchment: stout and relatively even-toned; very occasional repaired flaws (e.g. f.96). That of the flyleaf (f.1) is much thinner and of poorer quality.
Modern pencil foliation.
flyleaf (f.1) a singleton, I-XIX8, XX6
Written area: main text block 220 x 148 mm.
Lines: biblical text written every other line, occasionally every third line (starting below top line) up to a maximum of 20 in quires I-VII, of 22 thereafter (space, 5 mm; height, 4+ mm); 
gloss 
written every line (starting above top line) to a maximum of 40 in quires I-VII, of 45 thereafter (space, 5 mm; height 1.5+ mm).
Pricking: awl. Pricked for all rulings; done in both side margins for the horizontal rulings. Prickings survive in all four margins.
Ruling: lead. Complex glossed book design: the biblical text written on every other line in a central zone (and sometimes extending into one or both of the flanking columns), the gloss written every line to either side of it; with further blocks of gloss in the outer margins. Four sets of triple verticals define the outer edges of the main text-block and the three columns within it; a further pair of verticals and two single verticals subdivide the outer margin; another pair of verticals subdivides the inner margin. The number of horizontals extended varies (and is regularly obscured by ad hoc horizontal ruling in both outer margins), but is often the first two and the last two, or the first three and the last three, but occasionally (e.g. f.66r) 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, 23. A further pair of horizontals runs across the upper margin (for the running heading).
f.2r-159r (items (a)-(n)), biblical text and primary gloss written inTextualis quadrata, stately (the biblical text twice the size of the gloss ; item (n) written in gloss -grade script).
Additional marginal and interlinear gloss throughout (a) to (m) written in Textualis libraria, compressed.
f.159r-v (item (o)) written in Textualis libraria, functional.
Decorated initials of Channel style, 7+ lines high, coloured pink-red, blue, green, and ochre with white highlights against a gold ground that is outlined in green, head the General Preface (a), f.2r) and the first biblical incipit (b), f.3v. The former incorporates 5 near-complete lions and dragons plus one beast head, the latter has one lion atop symmetrical foliate sprouts.
The incipits of all other biblical books are headed by a red and blue initial, 8+ lines high, flourished in both colours.
The first preface for other biblical books is generally headed by a red or blue initial, 4 lines high, flourished in the other colour (those for items (g) and (l) are 2 lines high).
Many sentences within the biblical texts are headed by 1- to 2-line-high initials, alternately red then blue, flourished in the other colour. Blocks of marginal gloss (plus the headings in item (n)) are headed by a 1-line-high initial, alternately red then blue, preceded by a florid paraph in the other colour (the flourishing of the paraph is sometimes done in both red and blue, and in a couple of cases it incorporates human (f.117r) or beast heads (f.2r)). Running headings (giving the name of the biblical book) are presented in 1-line-high capitals, alternately red then blue. Guide letters for the initials survive throughout; guide words for the running headings survive in whole or part at the extreme top left of many versos.
Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards, 2 clasps (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century)
Written in Northern France, end of 12th century.
Rud, p.42, records a lost inscription, ‘In initio: “Ex dono Mag_i Rob. De Hadingtonâ.”’, presumably on a flyleaf that was discarded when the book was subsequently rebound. Master Robert of Haddington was a student in Paris who returned to Durham with his library (some 38 volumes) which he donated to the priory, and who appears, described as magister, as a witness to a number of Durham charters in the 1190s. DCL MS A.III.16 contains a list of his books, of which other survivors are: A.III.2, A.III.5, A.III.16, A.III.17, A.III.19 and York Minster, XVI.Q.5.
Pressmark: “E”, late 14th century, f.2r, top right
Pressmark: “Pi”, “G”, 15th century, f.2r, top right; also (now faint) f.1v, top left, and (very faint, possibly erased) slightly lower on f.1v.
Inscription: “pa pe | G 1” plus list of content (“Contenta huius libri 12ce′ prophete minores viz Osee ... Malachias”), 15th/16th century in hand of Thomas Swalwell, f.1v, top left. In Spendement catalogues.
The standard 14 chapters were indicated by numbers (mainly Arabic, but x and xi Roman) added as running headings: not later than 13th century, these could be contemporary with the text.
The standard 3 chapters indicated by Roman numerals as running headings
The standard 9 chapters are indicated by Arabic numerals as a running heading.
Standard chapter number, supplied as a running heading throughout.
Standard 4 chapters indicated by Roman numerals as running headings.
Standard 7 chapters indicated via Arabic numerals in running headings.
Standard 3 chapters indicated via Arabic numerals in running headings.
Standard 3 chapters indicated in Arabic numerals as running headings.
Standard 3 chapters indicated in Arabic numerals as running headings.
Standard chapters indicated in Arabic numerals as running headings.
Standard chapters indicated in Arabic numerals as running headings.
Standard chapters indicated in Arabic numerals as running headings.
Two lists in parallel columns with 20 and 19 entries respectively
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)
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, Friedrich, Repertorium biblicum medii aevi , (Madrid: 1950-1980)