Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 468

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11832

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, copied in the 13th century, is a bilingual Psalter in Latin and Greek, with the Greek written in Latin letters. As was often the case, the Psalms are followed by a series of canticles, hymns excerpted from various Biblical books. These are themselves followed by a few common prayers in Latin. At the beginning of the manuscript there appears a range of brief Latin texts, including verses, notes on astronomy and prognostication, and a list of Greek prepositions and their meanings. Another text appearing here is the calendar of the Benedictine abbey of Ramsey, in Cambridgeshire. A note on f. ii recto indicates that it was the property of a prior named Gregory, who has been identified as Gregory of Huntingdon, prior of Ramsey in the second half of the 13th century. Gregory was a scholar of Greek and Hebrew, whose writings included works on Greek grammar. The manuscript also features a diagram displaying a cipher system for writing numbers from 1-99 ( f. i verso). These would take the form of a vertical line with one stroke added to its left whose position and angle indicate the units from 1 to 9, and another to the right to indicate the tens from 10 to 90. This system was reported by the chronicler Matthew Paris to have been used by Greek scribes and brought to England by John of Basingstoke (d. 1252) , archdeacon of Leicester, who translated a Greek grammar into Latin and was associated with the scholarly circle of Robert Grosseteste. According to Matthew's account, John had studied Greek in Athens under Constantina, daughter of the city's archbishop. The cipher system of John of Basingstoke is not found in surviving Greek manuscripts, but could be of Greek origin, as a similar system using such marks to denote letters has been found on an inscription of the 4th century BCE in Athens (see: King, Ciphers, pp. 51-59). Dr Christopher Wright
1. f. i verso
Ciphers for the numbers 1-99
2. ff. ii verso-iii verso
Table of Greek prepositions and their meanings
Language(s): Latin and Greek (in Latin script)
Incipit: f. ii verso Apo· longitudinem. unde apologus dicitur
3. ff. iv recto, lines 1-5
Astronomical text
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: ff. iv recto In principio creavit Deus
Explicit: ff. iv recto Circulus autem solis ex XX octo anni
4. f. iv recto, line 6-f. vi verso, line 15
Verses
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: ff. iv recto Cultor erat gratus bene degens fiat amatus
Explicit: ff. vi verso Septem unas fieri de concentibus haec lex
5. ff. vi verso, lines 16-28
Astronomical text
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: ff. vi verso Sciendum quod dies dictur dupliciter
Explicit: ff. vi verso dies domini tercia pasca tenet
6. f. vii recto, lines 1-23
Prognostics of Esdras
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: ff. vii recto Signum quod ostendit dominus Hesdre prophete
Explicit: ff. vii recto tones case cirmabuntur· unidemia bona
7. f. vii recto, lines 24-29
Historical note
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: ff. vii rectoOlim dictum est in Gallia
Explicit: ff. vii recto Gaufridus· Ricardus· Iohannes
8. f. vii verso, lines 1-11
Verses on trees
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: ff. vi verso Fraxinus et corulus planus et salix acer ornus
Explicit: ff. vi verso Fucus et avellana glans nux castanea barra
9. f. vii verso, lines 12-27
Verses on avarice
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: f. vii verso Captivat largias longe relegatur
Explicit: f. vii verso Sic excusant munera quos accusat accio
10. ff. viii recto-x recto, line 4
Prognostics of thunder
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: f. vii verso Accidens quicumque cupis cognoscere verba
Explicit: f. vii verso Iudicium primum non feret immo sequens
11. f. x recto, lines 5-25
Proverbial verses
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: f. x recto Cui satis est quod habet satis
12. f. x verso, lines 1-2
Note
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: f. x verso Aspiciens. veterem. circum. quasi. quis. benedicta

This is the full text of the note

12. f. x verso, lines 3-24
Verse on humanity
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: f. x verso Noys sermo ad hominem
Incipit: f. x verso Sensilis hic mundus mundi melioris
Explicit: f. x verso Examplar vite possit habere sue
13. ff. 1r-6v
Calendar of Ramsey Abbey
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: f. 1r Kalends prima dies mensis
Explicit: f. 6v December. habet· dies. xxxi. lunius. xxx

ff. 7r-9v are blank

14. ff. 10r-147v, line 24
Psalter

Begins incomplete (Mt 10:42-28:20)

Language(s): Latin and Greek (in Latin script)
Incipit: (Latin) f. 10r Beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum
Incipit: (Greek) f. 10r Macharios anir os uk keporeutihi en vuli asebon
Explicit: (Latin) f. 147v et abstuli obprobrium a filiis israel
Explicit: (Greek) f. 147v ke ira onidos ex iion israil
Final rubric: (Latin) f. 147v Explicit psalmi David regis
Final rubric: (Greek) f. 147v Exelipon· i· psalmi· David· tu basileos

TLG 0527.027

15. f. 147v, line 25-f. 157v, line 28
Canticles
Language(s): Latin and Greek (in Latin script)

Contains the canticles for Lauds from Monday to Saturday (corresponding to Odes 5, 12, 3, 1, 4, 2), the Benedicite (part of Ode 8), and the Evangelical Canticles (corresponding to Odes 10, 9, 14)

Rubric: (Latin) f. 147v Incipiunt cantica
Incipit: (Latin) f. 147v Confitebor tibi domine quia iratus es michi
Incipit: (Greek) f. 147v Exomologisome sy kyrie oti orgisthi mi
Explicit: (Latin) f. 157v Lumen ad revelacionem generum et gloriam plebis tue israil
Explicit: (Greek) f. 157v Fos is apocalipsin ethnon ke doxan lan su israil
16. f. 157v, line 28-f. 158r, line 11
Lord's Prayer
Language(s): Latin and Greek (in Latin script)
Rubric: (Latin) f. 157v Oratio dominica
Incipit: (Latin) f. 157v Pater noster qui es in celis
Incipit: (Greek) f. 157v Patir imon o en tis uranus
Explicit: (Latin) f. 158r Set libera nos a malo amen
Explicit: (Greek) f. 158r Alla rise imas apo tu poniriu amin
17. f. 158r, line 11-f. 158v, line 4
Apostles' Creed
Language(s): Latin and Greek (in Latin script)
Rubric: (Latin) f. 158r Symbolum apostolorum
Incipit: (Latin) f. 158r Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem
Incipit: (Greek) f. 158r Pistevo is theon patera pantocratora
Explicit: (Latin) f. 158v Vitam eternam amen
Explicit: (Greek) f. 158v Zoin eonion amin
18. f. 158v, col. a, line 5-col. b, line 28
Litany
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: f. 158v Kyrieleyson Christeleyson
Explicit: f. 158v Sancte Gereon cum socii· or

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFFH), of medium thickness and good quality.
Extent: Codex: i + 10 + 158 + ii leaves. 155 × 112 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers a + i-x + 1-158 + b-c, in Arabic and Roman numerals and Latin letters, in pencil, recto, upper right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 15 quires, all quaternia. Three more quires have been lost at the beginning of the text, two more between the present Quires 14 and 15, and an unknown number of quires at the end.

  • Quire 110-1 ff. 1-9 The seventh folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 2-98 ff. 10-73
  • Quire 1012 ff. 74-85 The first and last folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 11-178 ff. 86-141
  • Quire 188+1 ff. 142-150 The fifth folio is an addition made after the copying of the manuscript, adhered to the sixth folio.
  • Quire 198 ff. 151-158

There are modern quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right.

Condition

There are holes through ff. i-iv, accompanied by rust stains on ff. i recto-vi verso, perhaps due to metal fittings on a former binding. This damage has been repaired with patches. There are other occasional minor losses to the edges of the first few folios. There is occasional creasing and areas of dirt.

Layout

ff. ii verso-iii verso A single column of 28-30 lines. 123-126 × 65-85 mm.

ff. iv recto-vi verso A single column of 21-28 lines, ruled with 25. 125-122 × 80 mm. Pricking does not survive. Ruled in leadpoint, with two additional vertical lines close together to the left to mark out narrow divisions. Text largely ignores the lines.

ff. vii recto-x verso A single column of 27-29 lines. 114-120 × 80 mm. Pricking sometimes survives in the outer margin, but much has been lost to cropping. Ruled in leadpoint, type roughly equivalent to Leroy 20D1. Text is written between the lines, usually not in contact with them.

ff. 1r-6v A single column of 32 lines. 103 × 70 mm. Pricking sometimes survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in leadpoint, with multiple small divisions. Text is written between the lines, usually not in contact with them.

ff. 10r-158v Two columns of 31 lines. 101 × 70 mm. Pricking survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in leadpoint, type roughly equivalent to Leroy 12D2, but with the top and bottom text-lines continued across the full width of the page. Text stands on the lines. The Latin text appears in the left-hand column, the Greek in the right-hand one. Verses begin on a new line. The blank folios ff. 7r-9v have been ruled in the same pattern.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-158v were copied by Hand A in a 13th-century Latin hand of English origin, in black ink. Headings are written in the same style in red ink. Much of the text on ff. 1r-6v is in blue or red ink.

ff. i verso-iii verso were copied by Hand B in a 13th-century Latin hand of English origin, in brown ink.

ff. iv recto-vi verso were copied by Hand C in a 13th-century Latin hand of English origin, in black ink.

ff. vii recto-x recto, line 2 were copied by Hand D in a 13th-century Latin hand of English origin, in brown ink.

f. x verso, lines 3-24 were copied by Hand E in a 16th-century Latin hand of English origin, in brown ink.

Decoration

Psalms, canticles and other texts begin with initials with penwork flourishing, in blue and red ink.

Verses and other sub-sections begin with minor initials in blue ink (in the left-hand column) or red ink (in the right-hand column). Most lines on ff. iv verso-vi verso begin with minor initials alternately in red and blue ink.

Lines on ff. iv recto and some on ff. iv verso-vi verso begin with minor initials in black ink.

Incomplete lines are often filled with a row of hollow circles in red ink

Additions

The title ‘Psalterium grecum prioris Gregorii’ has been written on f. ii recto; an effort has been made to erase the word ‘prioris’. Another Latin note on this page has also been partially erased, though perhaps not deliberately. The former classmark N.15 has later been added here.

There are occasional marginal notes in Latin by a 15th-century hand (e.g. ff. ii verso, vi recto, 90r, 150r).

Binding

Early modern binding, with parchment waste covers over couched laminate boards and plain pastedowns. Some text survives on the covering of the right board, including a signature, the name Edward Smyth.

168 × 125 × 64 mm.

The binding has been rebacked.

History

Origin: The manuscript was probably produced in the last quarter of the 13th century, as suggested by its script and ownership.

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by Gregory of Huntingdon (fl. c. 1290) , Prior of Ramsey, as indicated by the note on f. ii recto and the catalogue of the Ramsey Abbey library (James, Archbishop Parker's collection, p. 10).

Owned by Matthew Parker (1504-1575) , archbishop of Canterbury.

Bequeathed to Corpus Christi College by Matthew Parker (1504-1575) .

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description draws on M.R. James, A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (Cambridge, 1912), vol. 2, pp. 399-403.

Availability

Visitors to Corpus Christi College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Parker Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Parker Library: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

    Ecloga Oxonio-Cantabrigiensis, tributa in libros duos, James, Thomas (London, George Bishop & John Norton, 1600) Bibliotheca musico-liturgica: a descriptive handlist of the musical and Latin-liturgical MSS. of the Middle Ages preserved in the libraries of Great Britain and Ireland Bibliotheca musico-liturgica, Frere, Walter Howard (London, 2, 1894) The sources of Archbishop Parker's collection of MSS at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, with a Reprint of the Catalogue of Thomas Markaunt’s Library, James, Montague Rhodes (Cambridge, Cambridge Antiquarian Society, 1899) Note di letteratura biblica e cristiana antica, Mercati, Giovanni (Citta del Vaticano, Biblioteca apostolica vaticana, 1901) A history of classical scholarship, Sandys, John Edwin (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1906) A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, James, M.R. (Cambridge, University Press, 1912) Die Sogenannten ‘Griechischen’ Und ‘Chaldäischen’ Zahlzeichen Des Abendländischen Mittelalters Scritti Di Paleografica e Diplomatica in Honore Di Vincenzo Federici, Bischoff, Bernhard (Florence, 325-334, 1945) Medieval libraries of Great Britain: a list of surviving books Medieval libraries of Great Britain Royal Historical Society guides and handbooks, Ker, N.R. (London, Offices of the Royal Historical Society, 1964) The Historical Miniatures of the Fourteenth-Century Ramsey Psalter The Burlington Magazine, Sandler, Lucy Freeman (111, 605-611, 1969) Christian Hebraism and the Ramsey Abbey Psalter Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Sandler, Lucy Freeman (35, 123-134, 1972) The Peterborough Psalter in Brussels and Other Fenland Manuscripts, Sandler, Lucy Freeman (London, Harvey Miller, 1974) Another MS of the Alexander-Dindinius Debate: London, Lambeth Palace Library, 499 Scriptorium, Pritchard, T. (47, 48-52, 1993) “Ein Vergessenes Zahlensystem Des Mittelalterlichen Mönchtums Ad Radices. Festband Zum Fünfzigjährigen Bestehen Des Instituts Für Geschichte Der Naturwissenschaften Der Johann Wolfgang Goethe - Universität Frankfurt Am Main, King, David A. (Stuttgart, 405-420, 1994) A Forgotten Cistercian System of Numerical Notations Citeaux Commentarii Cistercienses, King, David A. (46, 183-217, 1995) Manoscritti digrafici grecolatini e latinogreci nell'alto medioevo Römische Historische Mitteilungen, Radiciotti, P. (40, 49-118, 1998) English medieval books: the Reading Abbey collections from foundation to dispersal English medieval books Oxford historical monographs, Coates, Alan (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1999) The Ciphers of the Monks. A forgotten number-notation of the Middle Ages, King, David A. (Stuttgart, F. Steiner, 2001) Dictionnaire hébreu-latin-français de la Bible hébraïque de l'Abbaye de Ramsey (XIIIe s.), (Turnhout, Brepols, 2008)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation (cataloguing).

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (digital images).

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

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