Cambridge, Queens' College, MS 18*
Gilbert of Poitiers, Media Glossatura on the Psalms, vol. 2
Contents
Physical Description
Late 19th/early 20th-century foliation:
1-183
Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the first leaf recto of each quire, possibly by M.R. James. Full foliation added after digitisation.Collation
The manuscript comprises twenty-three quires, mostly of eight leaves.
- Quires 1-68 (ff. 1r-48v)
- Quire 710 (ff. 49r-58v)
- Quires 8-228 (ff. 59r-178v)
- Quire 236 (ff. 179r-183v: last leaf, after f. 183, used as pastedown)
The first leaf recto of each quire is signed in pencil.
Catchwords, mostly trimmed.
Layout
240 × 155 mm. Two columns, between 32 and 34 lines, ruled in leadpoint, pricked in the outer margin, written above top line.
The text is laid out as a continuous commentary in two columns, incorporating the biblical text written in red with minimal abbreviation.
Hand(s)
Gothic bookhand (textualis)
Decoration
Four historiated initials formed of gold panels with interlaced knotwork terminating in beasts' heads or acanthus:
- f. 3r, Ps 81 (D, 7 ll.): Christ standing, holding book and cross-staff
- f. 27v, Ps 92 (D, 7 ll.): Mounted knight slaying dragon
- f. 44r, Ps 101 (D, 10 ll.): Supplicant kneeling in prayer and looking up to Christ who is blessing and holding a book
- f. 80r, Ps 113 (I, 21 ll.): St Michael slaying a dragon
Sixty-four zoomorphic, figural, foliate or panelled initials (5-24 ll.) in gold, blue, green, orange-red and pink for Prologue and remaining Psalms, larger initials (10-13 ll.) for the Psalms of the three- and eight-fold divisions, smaller initials (5-9 ll., except I and L initials, e.g. f. 80r) for the remaining Psalms. Some initials formed of gold or multi-coloured panels with interlaced knotwork terminating in beasts’ heads or acanthus and filled with coiled foliage and animal, human or hybrid figures entangled within it or supporting the structure (e.g. ff. 9v, 11r, 21v, 24v, 26v, 68v, 84v); others shaped by dragons, fish, birds, human or hybrid figures (e.g. ff. 6v, 84v, 89r, 93r, 116r, 118v). Initial for Psalm 80 (E, 14 ll.) left unfinished as an inked under-drawing (f. 1r); initial for Psalm 84 (B, 6 ll.) left unfinished as a leadpoint under-drawing (f. 8r).
Zoomorphic, figural, foliate or panelled initials (7-8 ll.) for Canticles.
Gold initial (O, 3 ll.) with foliate infill on blue ground for Jerome’s letter (f. 160r).
Opening verse of Psalms 81 (3r), 82 (4r) and 84 (8r) written in red display capitals; spaces left blank for incipit texts of remaining Psalms.
Additions
Binding
Contemporary alum-tawed skin over wooden boards, with flaps extending at head and tail; sewn on three double supports; seal fur chemise with flaps extending at head and foot, strip of leather stitched around flaps at foot and on fore-edge of rear cover, remains of leather thongs in both lower flaps, thread stitched into lower flap of rear cover; ten brass protective plates along the edges of each cover comprising four rectangular corner-pieces and six tongued pieces incised with circular motifs, traces of five round metal bosses on each cover with some of the nails still in place; two slits for leather straps on the fore-edge of the chemise on upper cover, remains of one fastening pin and a hole from a second on lower cover; parchment bookmarks between ff. 7 and 8, ff. 24 and 25, and ff. 84 and 85.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
According to James, this manuscript is from the same monastic library as Queens' College MS 14.
Given to Queens' College Library in the early 1630s by Francis Tyndall with a 17th-century inscription recording the gift on f. 1r: 'Donum Francisci Tindall armigeri'.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
For further information on the availability of the manuscript, please contact Queens' Old Library and Special Collections.
Bibliography
-
A descriptive catalogue of the western manuscripts in the library of Queens' College,
Cambridge, James, M.R. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1905)
A catalogue of the library of the college of St. Margaret and St. Bernard, commonly
called Queen's College
in the University of Cambridge, Horne, Thomas Hartwell (London, Society of Queen's College, 1827)
Einfürung in die Geschichte der theologischen Litteratur der Frühscholastik, Landgraf, Artur Michael (Regensburg, Gregorius-Verlag, 1948)
Handschriftliches zu den Werken Gilberts, Bischof von Poitiers (1142-1154) Revue d'Histoire
des Textes, Häring, Nikolaus (8, 1978, 133-194, 1979)
The Psalms commentary of Gilbert of Poitiers: from lectio divina to the lecture room
The Psalms commentary of Gilbert of Poitiers Brill's studies in intellectual history, Gross-Diaz, Theresa (Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1996)
Où sont été fabriqués les livres de la glose ordinaire dans la première moitié du
XII siècle? Le XIIe siècle Le XIIe siècle: mutations et renouveau en France dans la
première moitié du XIIe siècle Cahiers du Léopard d'or, Stirnemann, Patricia (Paris, 257-301, Le Léopard d'or, 1994)
Gilbert de la Porrée et les livres glosé à Laon, à Chartres et à Paris Monde médiéval
et société chartraine: actes du colloque international organisé par la ville et le
diocèse
de Chartres à l'occasion du 8e centenaire de la Cathédrale de Chartres, 8-10 septembre
1994, Stirnemann, Patricia (Paris, 83-96, Picard, 1997)
Funding of Cataloguing
Dr Virge James in memory of the late Dr Nigel James (Queens' mat. 1960)
Digital Images
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
