Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 049: Bible
Description
Abstract/Contents
- Summary
- CCCC MS 49 is an English Bible which has been dated to c. 1270-80. Most English thirteenth-century Bibles are somewhat larger than contemporary Parisian Bibles, as in the case of this manuscript, and relatively few were made in comparison with the very large numbers from Paris. Each book of the Bible has an historiated initial. The manuscript belonged to St Augustine's abbey, and its illumination is related to a Psalter (Oxford, Corpus Christi College MS 285) connected with Christ Church, Canterbury. Another Bible (Oxford, Merton College MS 235) is also related in the style of its illumination and was probably painted by the same artists. In view of the connections with St Augustine's and Christ Church it is possible that the book was written and decorated in Canterbury.
- Contents
- Bible
Bibliographic information
- M.R. James Date
- xiii
- Downloadable James Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:rh121gd7228/MS_49.pdf
- Superseded Interim Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:cv056cv5036/49.pdf
- Contains
-
- Bible. 1r-444r
- Note
-
(1r) Jerome ad Paulinum
Prologue to Pentateuch
(4r) blank
(5r) Genesis - 2 Paralipomenon, Prayer of Manasses absent
(72v) Proll. and Capp. to Joshua (73r). Capp. to Judges (81v)
(90v) Ruth. Prol. Post Samsonem iudicauit
(92r) I Reg. Prol. Capp. (92v). 3 Reg. Capp. (115v)
(139v) I Par. Prol.
(163r) Esdr. - Job (Proll.) (185r)
(195r) Psalter Gallican
(215v) Prov. (Prol.) - Ecclus. (233r)
(247r) Isaiah - Malachi (330r)
Baruch absent: no unusual prologues
(331r) 1, 2 Maccabees. The quire begins with the end of Rabanus's prologue, followed by Prol. Jeronimi, Machabeorum Libri. The hand is that of the Psalter and other portions of the book
(349v) Evv. Proll. Plures fuisse. Matheus ex iudea (350r)
(392r) Acts, Catholic Epistles, Pauline Epistles (Laodiceans follows Heb.)
(438r) Apocalypse
(444v) On this page is
(444v) A.d. millesimo quingentesimo sexagesimo.In domino confido (etc.)
(viir) On the next flyleaves are old pencil notes, and (xv) Sancte augustine ora pro nobis With a sketch of a shield bearing a cross (viiv)
Three scribes seem to be distinguishable. One writes the Pentateuch (?), Psalms, Maccabees etc. Another is seen in Proverbs etc. The third in the Prophets and Epistles. On the whole I believe the work to be French
In the book (at Ecclus. XXXV) is a contemporary book-marker, consisting of a disc of vellum which revolves between two other pieces so shaped that only half of the disc is exposed. It is inscribed in this wise:
See a description of a somewhat similar medieval book-marker in Wordsworth and Littlehale's Service-books of the English Church, p. 280 (Methuen)
The historiated initials are interesting and spirited. The colours used in them are as a rule pale. The subjects are as follows
(1r) Prologue. Jerome nimbed, tonsured, under trefoiled arch facing R. writing, with knife in L. hand, at desk. Buildings in spandrels. Gold ground
(5r) Genesis. Eight medallions (lozenge in quatrefoil). a. Christ holds globe with dove on it. b. Points to clouds, c. Creates trees, d. Holds moon and puts sun into sky. e. Half-length, buds below, f. Creates Adam: beasts on R. and L. g. Sits blessing. h. Crucified with the Virgin and St John. He is beardless in all these pictures. A Stork or Crane on the projecting foot of the initial
(22r) Exodus. Moses takes off shoe. Christ in flames on R. with scroll Moyses Moyses. Sheep below
(36v) Leviticus. Man slaughters lamb on table on L. Man on R. marks lintel of door
(46v) Numbers. L. God with scroll tollite summam. Moses, the Israelites
(60v) Deuteronomy. Moses horned addresses group on R
(73r) Joshua. Two priests bear ark : two blow trumpets
(81v) Judges. Battle of horsemen, chain-mail and surcoats
(90v) Ruth. a. Man and woman (Naomi and Elimelech?).b. Ruth gleaning, c. Reapers
(93v) 1 Regnum. Hannah in prayer at altar on R. Eli listens on L.
(106r) 2. Regnum. Zadok anoints Solomon (full-face). Another on R. holds crown. Fine work
(116v) 3 Regnum. Judgment of Solomon: the dead child lies in front
(128v) 4 Regnum. Elisha kneels and receives the mantle of Elijah who ascends on R. in two wheeled car drawn by horse
(140r) 1 Paralipomenon. A king seated with joined hands crowned by a priest on L. Two spectators
(150r) 2 Paralipomenon. Solomon on L. crowned directs four workmen, one mixes mortar, a 2nd climbs ladder, a 3rd has plummet, the 4th listens
(163r) Prologue to Esdras. Josiah at altar: people adore on L.
(172v) Tobit. Tobias with staff. Raphael points to Tobit on R.
(176r) Judith. Judith beheads Holofernes (crowned). Maid's head seen on R.
(180v) Esther, aAhasuerus stretches his sceptre down to b Esther, c Mordecai in broad hat, d Haman hanging. Fine work
(185v) Jobnude on dunghill, his wife on R.
(195r) Psalter. Beatus vir. Above. David plays harp, another plays fiddle. Below. David slings at and then beheads Goliath.This is a splendid initial with very fine grotesques in the stalk and foot of it
(198r) Dominus illuminatio. Christ. David points to his eye
(200r) Dixi custodiam. David seated points to his mouth
(202r) Quid gloriaris. A man about to slay a young woman in blue
(202r) Dixit insipiens. David seated. The fool with bauble and cake before him
(204r) Salvum. Above, two men cast out Jonah. Below, he emerges from the fish and grasps a tree
(206v) Exultate. David sits playing on seven bells
(208v) Cantate. Two coped clerks sing at desk
(211r) Dixit dominus. The Father and Son (both beardless). The Dove descends between them
(213r) Ad dominumcxix (cxx) has a large decorative initial
(216r) Proverbs. Solomon on L. Rehoboam in green before him holding a ball
(223v) Ecclesiastes. A young woman seated. A young man in blue also seated holds up a wreath of flowers and lays his hand on her arm
(226r) Canticum Canticorum. The Virgin seated, with the Child kissing her
(227v) Sapientia. Wisdom seated crowned with open book
(233r) Ecclesiasticus. Crowned man seated
(247r) Isaiahnude bound head down between two posts and sawn by two men
(263v) Jeremiah. Ezekiel in bed. Above, the heads of the four cherubic beasts (wrongly put here)
Lamentation. No initial
(284v) Ezekiel. The prophet seated with scroll
(304r) Daniel (Prologue). In the den, at window of a tower on R. Lions' heads seen at opening below. On L. Habakkuk with food, and angel above
(304v) Text. Decorative initial
(313r) Hosea. seated with book. Joel (316r), Amos (317v), Obadiah (320r), similar
(320v) Jonah. sits nude under tree looking at Nineveh on R.
The remainder except Haggai and Zechariah. (which have no initial) have single figures
(331r) 1 Maccabees. Alexander dying in bed, two men listen to him, fine work
(342r) 2 Maccabees. Nehemiah kneels with people behind him. Christ seen in air on R.: below, a lamb among flames: fine work
(350r) Matheus. Jesse reclines. Six heads in tree above: one crowned
(361v) Marcus. Decorative
(369r) Lucas. writes on board on his knee
(382r) John. looks at his pen
(392r) Acts. Four Apostles seated : Peter, Paul and two others
(404v) Catholic Epistles. Single figures and decorative
(411r) Romans - Philemon. Paul seated, with or without sword
(433v) Hebrews. Decorative
(437v) Laodiceans. Paul with sword
(438r) Apocalypse. John writing
- Bible. 1r-444r
- TJames
- 44
- Stanley
- E. 2
- Location
- https://purl.stanford.edu/qy662bj1544
- MS 049
- Repository
- UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction:
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- License:
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).