Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

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

Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, MS McClean 1

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11855

Contents

Introduction: This richly ornamented Gospel lectionary manuscript was probably copied in the last years of the 10th century, and is written in an unusual hybrid form of majuscule script. During the 9th century Greek majuscule script was supplanted by the more compact minuscule form for most purposes, being retained largely for headings and annotations, but for centuries some manuscripts continued to be produced in majuscule. This was most common in lectionaries, perhaps partly because the larger, more distinct and initially more familiar letter-forms were easier to read at a glance for those chanting the text in church, and partly because the use of a more ancient and traditional form had connotations of greater dignity which were appropriate to the most revered of scriptural texts, and to a type of manuscript whose ceremonial purpose meant that they were often particularly ornate and costly productions. The earliest clearly defined style of Greek majuscule bookhand is known as biblical majuscule, with letters of broad and even width, originally without serifs. The second widespread style, flourishing later but in simultaneous use, is known as ogival majuscule, which features prominent serifs and narrower proportions, especially in the case of the rounded letters epsilon, theta, omicron and sigma. During the early minuscule era biblical majuscule largely dropped out of use, and such majuscule production as continued generally employed either an ogival style or a new hybrid style known as liturgical or Constantinopolitan majuscule, crystallising in the 10th century, which followed the broad forms of the round letters from the biblical style and its smooth, oval omega, while other letters accorded with the ogival type. In this manuscript a different and less consistent synthesis is found, with regular use of both the wide and narrow forms of the round letters. Forms of upsilon and chi as well as omega follow the biblical style, other letters the ogival. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Gospel lectionary (Saturdays and Sundays)

Gregory-Aland l 1571

Defective at the end, with lacunas: ends during the lection for 29 August (Mk 6:16)

Incipit: f. 1r ⟨Ἐ⟩ν ἀρχὴ ἦν ⟨ὁ λό⟩γος· καὶ ὁ ⟨λ⟩όγος ἦν πρὸς ⟨τ⟩ὸν Θεὸν. καὶ Θεὸς ⟨ἦν⟩ ὁ λόγος
Explicit: f. 199v ὡς εἷς τῶν προφητῶν+ ἀκούσας δὲ Ἡρώδης||
1.1. ff. 1r-47v
Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of John

Defective at the end

1.2. ff. 48r-68v
Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of Matthew

Defective at the beginning and end

1.3. ff. 69r-101v
Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of Luke

Defective at the beginning

1.4. ff. 101v-114r, col. a, line 8
Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of Mark (Lent)
1.5. f. 114r, col. a, line 9-f. 164v
Synaxarion: Lections of Holy Week
1.6. ff. 165r-168v
Menologion: Lections for September

Defective at the beginning and end

1.7. ff. 169r-177v
Menologion: Lections for December

Defective at the beginning

1.8. ff. 177v-185v
Menologion: Lections for January
1.9. ff. 185v-188v
Menologion: Lections for February
1.10. ff. 188v-191r
Menologion: Lections for March
1.11. f. 191r-191v
Menologion: Lections for April

Defective at the end

1.12. f. 192r
Menologion: Lections for May

Defective at the beginning

1.13. ff. 192r-197r
Menologion: Lections for June
1.14. f. 197r-197v
Menologion: Lections for July
1.15. ff. 197v-199v
Menologion: Lections for August

Defective at the end

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness and quality.
Extent: Codex: iii + 199 + iii leaves. 305 × 245 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-iii] + 1-199 + [iv-vi], in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right and recto, lower right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 28 quires, of which one is a binion, two are quinia and the rest are quaternia. Another three quires have been lost after Quire 19, as the signature on Quire 21 indicates that there were originally three more quires in the manuscript up to this point, and this is the only previous lacuna in the text long enough to accommodate them. Further quires have been lost after 23, but it is not possible to determine how many, due to the lack of complete quire signatures thereafter and the uncertain quantity of text in a menologion.

  • Quires 1-58 ff. 1-40
  • Quire 68-1 ff. 41-47 The third folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 78-4 ff. 48-51 The first, fourth-fifth and eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 88 ff. 52-59
  • Quire 910-1 ff. 60-68 The tenth folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 108-1 ff. 69-75 The first folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 11-138 ff. 76-99
  • Quire 144-1 ff. 100-102 The fourth folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 158-1 ff. 103-109 The first folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 168 ff. 110-117
  • Quire 178-3 ff. 118-122 The sixth-eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 18-218 ff. 123-154
  • Quire 2210 ff. 155-164
  • Quire 238-4 ff. 165-168 The first, fourth-fifth and eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 24-258 ff. 169-184
  • Quire 268-1 ff. 185-191 The eighth folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 278 ff. 192-199

There are quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, in pencil, recto, upper right, probably original to the production of the manuscript. They survive in whole on Quire 21 (κδʹ), in part on Quires 20 (κ), 22 and 26 (λ), and traces of them on Quires 9, 13 and 25. There are modern quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right (1-27), and in Roman numerals n the last folio of each quire, verso, lower left (I-XXVII).

Condition

There have been losses from the edges of various folios, which have been repaired with parchment patches (e.g. ff. 1-3, 191-199. Similar repairs have been made to holes within ff. 1-2. There is damage from oak-gall corrosion, which on occasion has produced holes in folios (e.g. ff. 1-2, 176). There is water staining, which has contributed to severe discoloration of ff. 1r-2r, and areas of dirt.

Layout

Two columns of 20 lines. 215 × 165 mm. Pricking survives in the lower margin, but much has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy C-K 46C2c. Text stands on the lines.

Hand(s)

The text was copied in brown ink in script combining elements of upright ogival majuscule and biblical majuscule scripts: both the narrow and wide forms of epsilon, theta, omicron and sigma are in regular use, while the forms of upsilon, chi andomega are typical of biblical majuscule, while other letters follow the ogival style. When appearing at the end of a line, omega often appears in a vertically squashed form.

The horizontal stroke for nu is in use and there are some superscript word endings at the end of lines. Breathings and accents are in use.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, middle comma, question mark and full stop. Middle and upper points are occasionally marked in red ink, and on other occasions are very often accompanied by a cross in red ink.

Headings and other rubric were written partly in the style of the main text but in smaller letters, in brown ink, and partly in a display majuscule script in red ink and gilded.

Musical Notation: The text has been provided with ekphonetic notation in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text on f. 1r is preceded by an arched headpiece in red, blue, green and white paint and gold, topped by two peacocks. The beginnings of other sections are preceded by rectangular headpieces in red, blue, green and white paint and gold (ff. 101v, 188v, 191r, 192r and 197r-197v).

Each lection begins with an ornamented major initial, outlined in gold with red, blue, green and white paint infill.

The beginning of various sections and headings are marked by minor initials in gold.

Lection headings and rubrics were written in red ink and gilded.

Additions

As part of the original production of the manuscript, lection notes have been included in the margins.

There is a note of the number of folios on the right pastedown, apparently dated 15 August 1908 and initialed H.A.C.

Binding

Full leather binding by Zaehnsdorf, 1903, as indicated by a gold-tooled note inside the left board, with parchment pastedowns. Both boards have decorative gold tooling on the inner face and blind tooling on the outer faces and edges. There is decorative blind tooling on the spine, along with the gold-tooled text ‘Evangelistarium Greek uncials seculum IX’. The edges have been painted red.

320 × 263 × 60 mm.

Accompanying Material

There are separate sewn parchment endleaves, belonging to the present binding. There is a bookplate indicating ownership by Frank McClean on the left pastedown.

History

Origin: The manuscript was probably copied in the late 10th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Provenance and Acquisition

Purchased by the astronomer and collector Frank McClean (1837-1904) from the bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819-1899) .

Bequeathed to the Fitzwilliam Museum by McClean, together with the rest of his collection, in 1904.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Availability

Visitors to the Fitzwilliam Museum who wish to consult Collection material are required to apply to the Museum in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Fitzwilliam Museum: Study Room.

Bibliography

    A descriptive catalogue of the McClean collection of manuscripts in the Fitzwilliam museum, James, M.R. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1912) Some Byzantine musical manuscripts at Cambridge Annual of the British School at Athens, Tillyard, H.J.W. (23, 194-205, 1918) La maiuscola ogivale diritta. Origini, tipologie, dislocazioni Scrittura e Civiltà, Crisci, Edoardo (9, 103-145, 1985) Genesi e articolazioni della "maiuscola liturgica" The Legacy of Bernard de Montfaucon: Three Hundred Years of Studies on Greek Handwriting. Proceedings of the Seventh International Colloquium of Greek Palaeography (Madrid - Salamanca, 15-20 September 2008) Bibliologia, Orsini, Pasquale (Turnhout, 17-35, 669-682, Brepols, 2010) Scrittura come immagine. Morfologia e storia della maiuscola liturgica bizantina, Orsini, Pasquale (Rome, Viella, 2013)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

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