Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex containing Peter Lombard's Sententiarum libri iv, written in France in the mid 13th century. It was owned by George Davenport, by whom it was given to Bishop Cosin's Library ca. 1670.
Parchment, supple; some flaying holes, e.g. f.4, 105, and edges, f.56; quires with flesh-side outermost); outer edges cropped. Possibly goat. Tear repaired f.38.
Foliated, 18th/19th century, 1-200, repeating 57 and 147. Folios or openings numbered, in soft brown, 13th/14th century, at the top left of versos, on f.1-138: 37-172, repeating 63 (f.27v and 28v) and 103 (f.68v and 69v).
1-1112, 1212 wants two (blank ?) of 10-12, probably 10-11 before f.141; 13-1712
Pricking remains in outer margins of f.158-164. Written space 185-190 x 114 (52.8.52) mm.; ruled in greyish brown, rather soft in quire 17. Three pairs of vertical rules, in the outer margin and bounding the written space; a pair of close horizontal rules remaining near the head of some leaves, especially f.189-191 (171-3), which have a second pair in the lower margin. 2 columns. 40 lines, below top ruling.
Written in gothic minuscule, expertly, by two or three hands, changing at f.88ra/b (?) and 189r, with the poor quality hair-side of the central bifolium of quire 13 (f.147 and 147*v) written rather larger. Punctuation by punctus and punctus elevatus.
Text capitals filled with red. Initials: (i) in chapter lists, 1 line, alternately red and blue; (ii) to divisions, 2 line, as (i), with infilling and flourishing of the other colour; (iii) to books, 6 or 7 line, red and blue divided, with complex infilling and flourishing in red and blue.
Correction of omission in main hand, f.75v margin. Corrections and supplies of omissions in brown ink, also by a smaller anglicana. Book and distinction numbers added in soft brown or occasionally ink at head of rectos and, from f.175r onwards, the latter also on versos; also sporadicaly in margins and in ink, more frequently in Books I and II, many when book was less tightly bound. Many marginal notes, citing authors and books, commonly Hugo, by the smaller anglicana corrector, 13th/14th century; cropped on f.86v. Lengthy marginal notes of similar period in soft brown, rubbed and hard to read, perhaps including, f.156r and 157r, a few English words, e.g. “kyng”. Ink notes by one or two English hands later 15th century. Profiles of faces by earlier and more by later annotators, e.g. f.22r and 151r, 178v and 179r.
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)
Written in France, mid 13th century.
The late medieval annotations, some starting “rogo” (f.195r, 196v), resemble those in printed books belonging to the monks of Durham but have not been identified with any. Pen trials in margins, all seemingly by one hand, later 16th century, some upside down, include snatches of songs: saye on swyete berd on bryare saye as symth the how hath a thang so dere as my loue is on to me saye on swyet de beord, cf. the love-song "Byrd one brere", NIMEV no. 521; f.13r; “frend John norhamtone were do ye dewell now at Collyberene [Collabear, Devon ?] in the grene my good”, f.13r; “This belle mad the xxiii and day of febeararye In the Fourth yere of the Ragne of Elyabath that I harry norcaok (?) doth ought”, f.46r; “Rechard Londone after my moste Hartily Commendacions ...”, f.64r; “John Rede”, thrice in various spellings, f.96r; “John Read at asshell [Devon ?] wyth in the par parishe of Pcolmmp (?) [Uffculme or Cullompton, Devon ?] ...”, f.138v; “Sir Jening of norlye”; “What shall I suye [or saye] synce faeth is dead | and truth away from vs is Fled | shall I be lead with doublyes | naye naye myssteres”, f.141r. Note of content, early 17th century, f.1r. “Geo. Davenport. 1664.” on paper piece stuck to front pastedown.
Incomplete at beginning and end (contains I,d.25,c.4 IV,d.32,c.2.). The amount of text lost at the beginning is the equivalent of approximately 34 folios, and at the end, the equivalent of approximately 26; the early numbering indicates the loss of 36 leaves at the beginning. Bk I cap. 131 has the uncorrected reading but Bk III cap. 38 has the revised reading with one phrase from the unrevised text (sapientia genita que tantum modo filius est). The prologues to Books II and III (f.32v, 84v-85r) are standard. The first sentence of IV, d.24, c.11 is repeated after the second sentence, f.189r. The lists of capitula (f.30v-32v, 85r-86r, 142r-144r) do not correspond with the text. In numbers of places the divisions diverge: no rubric or break at e.g. I,xxx,2, II,ix,9, III,iii,2 or IV,i,6. The divergences mostly co-incide with those in DUL Cosin MS V.i.5. f.141r-v, between Books III and IV, unruled blank, except for abundant early notes in soft brown.
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]).
A new index of middle English verse , ed. J. Boffey & A. S. G. Edwards (London: British Library, 2005)