Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 075: Glossed Psalter (Glossa ordinaria)
Description
Abstract/Contents
- Summary
- This large glossed Psalter, CCCC MS 75, dating to c. 1220, contains the commentary of Peter Lombard (c. 1095-1160) completed towards the end of his life in 1158/9. This was the most read of all commentaries on the psalms in the later centuries of the Middle Ages. This is a luxury copy with historiated initials placed at the liturgical divisions of the psalms, even though this book was intended for scholarly rather than liturgical use. The iconography of these initials is characteristic of the specifically English system used in the thirteenth century, although some of them, like Noah's drunkenness for psalm 51, are rarely found. M. R. James suggested that the script was characteristic of the abbey of St Albans, but the study by Thomson of St Albans books of this period rejects it. It might have been made in East Anglia because it is illuminated by the same artists as the Psalter, London, BL MS Lansdowne 431, which was made for an Augustinian house in that region, perhaps Barnwell near Cambridge.
- Contents
- Glossed Psalter (Glossa ordinaria)
Bibliographic information
- M.R. James Date
- xiii early
- Downloadable James Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:dc568sv6844/MS_75.pdf
- Superseded Interim Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:mj048bg6908/75.pdf
- Contains
-
- Glossed Psalter (Glossa ordinaria). 1r-279v
- James
- Glossa ordinaria super Psalmos. 1r-279v
- Note
- Prologue
- Incipit
- (1r) Cum omnes prophetas
- Explicit
- (2r) sedet sed secundus est
- Note
- The cycle of subjects in the historiated initials is very unusual
- Incipit
- (2v) Beatus vir
- Note
- (2v) Large and splendid initial, chiefly in red and gold on blue ground in gold frame. The letter is filled with convolutions and contains also small red and white beasts. Initials to verses alternately red and blue with flourishing in blue or red
- Incipit
- (44v) Dominus illuminatio
- Note
-
(44r) Fine decorative initial to gloss, on purple ground. Noli me tangere
(44v) Initial to Psalm. Christ stands on R. with small cross. On R, and L. are hares. Burnished gold ground - Incipit
- (71v) Dixit custodiam
- Note
-
(71r) Initial to gloss has wrestlers
(71v) Initial to Psalm. Judgment of Solomon. Solomon sits on L., a man with silver sword before him: two women, one holding a child, on R. - Incipit
- (94r) Quid gloriaris
- Note
-
(93v) Fine decorative initial to gloss
(94r) Initial to Psalm. The shame of Noah: he lies in front: his three sons and Canaan stand over him: two spread a robe over him - Incipit
- (95r) Dixit insipiens
- Note
-
(95r) Decorative init. to gloss
(95r) Initial to Psalm. Balaam on ass, with whip of three lashes, faces R. The angel on R. with sword holds the ass's bridle. Blue ground outside the letter - Incipit
- (122r) Salvum me fac
- Note
-
(121v) Initial to gloss decorative
(122r) Psalm. Above, three men, one with long blank scroll, thrust Jonah out of boat. Below, Jonah with scroll sits (not astride) on the back of a purple fish. Two trees seen behind - Incipit
- (154r) Exultate
- Note
-
(154r) Decorative initial to gloss, purple ground external
(154r) Psalm. Above, a figure, nude but for mantle, with silver sword. Below, seated figure with two scrolls - Incipit
- (180v) Cantate
- Note
-
(180v) Decorative initial to gloss
(180v) Psalm. Two shepherds look up: one points to star above in cloud. In front sheep and on R. a comical dog - Incipit
- (184v) Domine exaudi
- Note
-
(184v) Decorative initial to gloss
(184v) Psalm. A bearded man seated face R. with hands raised: a youth on L. Above, a cloud: and on R. a building in layers of blue and red divided by bands of vermilion: it has a turret - Incipit
- (208r) Dixit dominus
- Note
-
(208r) Decorative initial to gloss
(208r) Psalm. The Annunciation. The angel stands on L, on a rock holding blank scroll. The Virgin on R. with book - Explicit
- (279v) uite eterne uox est. omnis spiritus laudet dominum. Finite Christus rex libro sit benedictus. Amen
- Note
- 280r-280v blank
- Glossed Psalter (Glossa ordinaria). 1r-279v
- TJames
- 140
- Stanley
- M. 2
- Location
- https://purl.stanford.edu/kz066hg9217
- MS 075
- Repository
- UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction:
- Images courtesy of The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For higher resolution images suitable for scholarly or commercial publication, either in print or in an electronic format, please contact the Parker Library directly at parker-library@corpus.cam.ac.uk
- License:
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).