Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.10.11

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11944

Introduction: This manuscript is a Psalter in Greek, probably copied in the second half of the 14th century. The Psalms are followed by the Odes, the sequence of hymns excerpted from various Biblical books, also known as canticles, which in the Orthodox tradition constitute a separate book of the Bible. The first nine of these are the basis for the canons which are a central component of Orthodox hymnography, and this manuscript contains only this basic set. At the end of the manuscript is a series of prayers, copied by a hand of similar date to the rest of the manuscript, but markedly less elegant than the flamboyant, calligraphic script of the main text. The manuscript was evidently either produced in western Europe or brought there soon after its production, as indicated by an annotation left by Matthew Parker (1504-1575), Archbishop of Canterbury 1559-1575 (f. [ii] recto). Parker identified this manuscript, along with a number of other Greek manuscripts in his possession, as the former property of his 7th-century predecessor Theodore of Tarsus. This attribution is particularly absurd in this case, since the manuscript is written on paper. Parker's supposition suggests that it was either already in the archiepiscopal library before his appointment or was acquired by him in Canterbury. The source of his misconception has been conjectured to be the presence of the name Θεόδωρος on the title page of a manuscript of Homer ( Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 81 ), which, according to an annotation by Parker, he had acquired from a baker in Canterbury, who claimed it had previously belonged to the dissolved St Augustine's Abbey (James, 'Archbishop Parker's collection', p. 9). This may have encouraged the archbishop to suppose that any Greek manuscript found in Canterbury had been brought there from the eastern Mediterranean by his distinguished predecessor. A piece of parchment bearing a few lines of one of the Psalms in Latin has also been attached to the manuscript, with a note identifying it as the hand of Theodore, again erroneously, as its script dates it to the 13th or 14th century. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-151v

Psalms

Rubric: f. 1r Ἁρμονίης ἱερης μελϊηδέα ἄαματα Δαβίδ

Incipit: f. 1r Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, ὃς οὐκ ἐπορεύθη ἐν βουλῆ ἀσεβῶν

Explicit: f. 151v καὶ ἦρα ὄνειδος ἐξ υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ

TLG 0527.027

2. ff. 152r-165v

Odes

Contains the first nine Odes in the order 1-9

Incipit: f. 152r Ἄσωμεν τῶ Κυρίω ἐνδόξως γὰρ δεδόξασται

Explicit: f. 165v τοῦ κατευθῦναι τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν εἰς ὁδὸν εἰρήνης

TLG 0527.028

3. ff. 166r-167r

Εὐλογητάρια ἀναστάσιμα Eulogetaria (hymns)

Incipit: f. 166r Τῶν αγγέλων[sic] ὁ δήμως[sic] κατεπλάγη ὁρῶν σε

Explicit: f. 167r ὁ ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθεῖς Θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος· ἄλληλούια· ἄλληλούια· ἄλληλούια

TLG 0527.028

f. 167v is blank apart from some later notes

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. 1-16, 25, 32, 67, 70, 73-74, 79-120 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Axe ( c. 85 × 15 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Briquet 7510. This example is dated to 1387-90. ff. 17-24, 26-31, 33-66, 68-69, 71-72, 129-167 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Circles ( 80 × 19 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Briquet 3170. This example is dated to 1369. ff. 75-78 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Fruit ( c. 40 × 20 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Likhachev 127-128. These examples are dated to 1362-1367. ff. 121-128 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Anchor ( c. 40 × 40 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable but not identical to Briquet 431. This example is dated to 1430.

Extent: Codex: iv + 167 + i leaves. 202 × 138 mm.

Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-iv] + 1-167 + [v], in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 21 quires, all quaternia.

Quires 1-3⁸ ff. 1-24
Quire 4^8-1+1 ff. 25-32 The fourth folio has been cancelled and replaced by an inserted folio, at right-angles to the usual orientation.
Quires 5-20⁸ ff. 33-160
Quire 21^8-1 ff. 161-167 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.

There are original quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right, and on the last folio of each quire, verso, lower rightt. They survive on all quires (αʹ-καʹ).

Condition

ff. 59 and 60 are stuck together. There are some areas of dirt and some water staining.

Layout

A single column of 22 lines. 139 × 80 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-165v were copied by Hand A in an elegant and florid Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink, with significant variation in letter size and frequent flourishing of tails into the margin. There are deletions by expunctuation.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . The double grave accent is in use. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and abbreviations.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop. Points are often accompanied by a second point in red ink.

Headings for individual Psalms and Odes are written in the same style in red ink. Those for the beginning of the Psalms (f. 1r) and of the Odes (f. 152r) are written in epigraphic display majuscule in red ink.

ff. 166r-167r were copied by Hand B in a cruder mixed minuscule script derived from the Hodegon style, slanting to the right, in black ink, with significant variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the margin. Various corrections have been made in the red ink used for the rubric.

The modern eta and loop epsilon are present.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop. Points are sometimes accompanied by a second point in red ink.

Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text is preceded by a plaited headpiece in orange ink, with green infill (f. 1r). The beginning of the Odes is preceded by a more slender plaited headpiece in red ink (f. 152r)

Psalms and Odes begin with large, ornamented initials in red ink. Short sections, every few lines, beginning with simple minor initials in red ink.

Additions

As part of the original production of the manuscript, the numbers of Psalms and Odes have been added in the margins.

On f. [ii] recto is a note by Archbishop Matthew Parker erroneously identifying the manuscript as the former property of Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury (602-690) : ‘Liber Theodori Achiepiscopi Cantuariensis. qui obiit. anno. 690’. Another note on the same page repeats this information. The present classmark and the former classmark R.11.17 are also marked here.

On f. [iii] recto is a note of content: ‘Psalterium Graece cum aliis hymnis e Vetero et Novo Testamento’.

On f. 167v is a quotation from Psalm 36:37 added by Thomas Griffith, with an annotation identifying this as being from Psalm 38:37: ‘Φύλασσε ἀκακίαν καὶ ἴδε εὐθύτητα ὅτι ἐστιν ἐγκατάλειμμα ἀνθρώπω εἰρηνικῷ. Ps. 38.37’. Below this, Griffith has added a note in Welsh: ‘Heb dduw heb ddim. A Dduw a digon. Thomas Griffith’ ("Without God, without everything. God is enough").

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over millboards, with plain pastedowns. There is decorative blind tooling on the edges of the boards, gold tooling on the spine and the title ‘Psalterium Graece Theodori’ tooled in gold on a red label.

214 × 151 × 34 mm.

Accompanying Material

Pasted to f. [ii] recto is a strip of parchment bearing the opening lines of Psalm 39 in Latin, in a 13th or 14th-century hand. On the back of this (not now visible), a 16th-century hand has added a note attributing this to Theodore of Tarsus: ‘Manus latina Theodori Archiepiscopi’.

History

Origin: The manuscript was probably produced during the second half of the 14th century, as suggested by the combination of watermarks. This would be consistent with the style of script.

Provenance and Acquisition

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

Owned by John Whitgift (c. 1530-1604) , archbishop of Canterbury.

Bequeathed to Trinity College by Whitgift .

Additional Information

Availability

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

Bibliography

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, M.R. (Cambridge, Cambridge Antiquarian Society, 1899)

The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 1, Cambridge University Press, 1900)

Before palaeography: notes on early descriptions and datings of Greek manuscripts Studia Codicologica, Easterling, P. E. (124, 179-88, 1977)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.10.11

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