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Alternative title

Psalterium Glosatum

Type of resource

mixed material

Extent

ff. 280

Date created

[ca. 1200-1225]

Language

Latin

Material

Vellum

Layout

double columns of 56 lines (gloss: text indented in it in larger script)

Height (mm)

419

Width (mm)

289

Collation

1(8)-29(8) 30(12) 32(10) 33(8) 34(10).

Writing

in a splendid hand of the St Albans type

Foliation

ff. i-ii + 1-280 + iii-iv

Research

The book should be compared with the glosses on the Gospels and Epistles at Trinity College B. 5. 3, O. 5. 8, both from St Albans.

2 fo.

in deum

per quod ad eum

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)

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Superseded Interim Catalogue Record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

TJames

140

Stanley

M. 2

Repository

UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library

Location

MS 075

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