Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

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

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.10.17

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11946

Contents

Introduction: This Gospel book was probably copied in the 13th century, as indicated by the style of script. This remains quite restrained through most of the manuscript, but towards the end of the main text it becomes increasingly ornate and florid, as though in celebration of the imminent completion of the work. The manuscript's ornamentation is monochrome and relatively simple, but carries the distinctive feature of integrating the headpieces preceding three of the Gospels with the decorated initial letters of the text into a single piece of ornament (Part III, ff. 3r, 93r, 151r). At the end of the manuscript, the Gospels are followed, as was common, by a summary lectionary giving references to identify the portions of the text to be read in the course of the liturgical cycle (Part II, ff. 1r-5v). However, at some later date, probably in the 14th or 15th century, another summary lectionary was added, on small paper leaves bound into the front of the manuscript, for reasons which are unclear. This presently contains only a portion of the synaxarion, the lection cycle of the movable calendar beginning from Easter, omitting the opening section of this sequence, the "weeks of John" between Easter and Pentecost. It is uncertain whether this section has been lost or if it was never included. The menologion, containing the lections of the fixed calendar, was evidently never included in this supplement. These additional folios also contain an introductory hypothesis to the Gospel of Matthew, the first to appear in the usual sequence (Part II, f. 6r). In the early modern period the manuscript was owned by the Monastery of the Pantokrator on Mount Athos, and lent by the monastery to a priest named Silvestros, as recorded by a note which stipulated the monastery's right to reclaim it at any time. It was later acquired from the Pantokrator, along with many other manuscripts, by the classicist Richard Bentley (1662-1742), Master of Trinity, and bequeathed to the college with the rest of his collection. Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: i + 1 | 6 | 317 + i leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i] + [ii] | 1-6 | 1-317 + [iii], in black ink, in Arabic and Roman numerals, recto, upper right.

Collation

Part I is a single endleaf, Part II consists of 1 quire, and Part III of 42: Single endleaf | 16 | 210, 3-128, 132, 14-168, 178-1, 18-208, 214-1, 22-328, 334, 34-398, 408-1, 418, 426-1, 438-1

Binding

18th-century full leather binding with zig-zag blind tooling on the edges and plain pastedowns. There is decorative gold tooling on the spine, with the erroneous title ‘Hymni in dies festos MSS’ tooled in gold on a red label, and the classmark on patches.

230 × 171 × 112 mm.

A leather tab from a leaf marker survives on the fore-edge of Part III, f. 151, and traces of a former tab on f. 243.

The spine is worn and the left outer joint is partially split, while the tail endband is split in three places. The headband has been lost, and the tailband is broken in two places and partially detached.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the Pantokratoros Monastery on Mount Athos.

Lent by Pantokratoros to a priest named Silvestros .

Bequeathed by Richard Bentley (1662-1742) , Master of Trinity College, to the College Library after his death.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.10.17, f. [ii]]

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment, of medium thickness and quality.
Extent: 206 × 150 mm.

Condition

There is significant insect damage to the margins.

Layout

f. [ii] recto-[ii] verso Ruled but not written, in a single column of approximately 20 lines. Ruled space approximately 130 × 90 mm. Pricking survives to the upper and lower edges. Ruled in hardpoint, type Leroy 44C1.

Additions

A crude hand in black ink has added a note on f. [ii] recto: ‘ ⟨Βί⟩βλος γεννήσε⟨ως Ἰησοῦ⟩ Χριστοῦ’. This may be by same hand that has added a similar note on Part III, f. 3r.

A note recording the collation of the manuscript has been added by F.H.A. Scrivener on f. [ii] verso: ‘Collated April 1854 F H Scrivener’.

History

Origin: This endleaf may well be original to the production of the manuscript, given its similarity in material, size and ruling to the main body (Part III). However, the insect damage present does not correspond to that of Part III, or of the inserted paper leaves (Part II).

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.10.17, ff. 1:1-1:6]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. Part II, ff. 1r-5v
Summary synaxarion

This contains only the lection references for the weeks of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Rubric: f. 1r Ἀρχὴ τῶν ἑβδομάδων τοῦ ἁγίου Ματθαίου·
Incipit: f. 1r Τῆ ἐπαύριον μετὰ τὴν Πεντεκοστήν
Explicit: f. 5v Τέλος ἐκεῖ ἄσται, καὶ ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν
2. Part II, f. 6r
Hypothesis to Matthew
Rubric: f. 6r Ὑποθεσις[sic] τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἁγίου εὐαγγελίου
Incipit: f. 6r Κατὰ Ματθαῖον εὐαγγέλιον ἐπιγέγραπται, ἐπειδὴ αυτὸς[sic] ὁ Ματθαῖος ὁ μαθιτὴς[sic] τοῦ Κυρίου συνεγράψατο
Explicit: f. 6r ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἀμήν

Ed. von Soden, p. 314 [120]

f. 6v is blank apart from an ownership note.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper, folded in quarto, with 7 chainlines per leaf. Watermark: Scissors ( c. 75 × 32 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Briquet 3657, 3661. These examples are dated to 1413-1438.
Extent: 192 × 133 mm.

Collation

This part consists of a single quire, a ternion.

Condition

There is significant insect damage to the margins, particularly at the tail end of the gutter. There is some water staining to the lower part of the folios and some drops of wax. The last two lines of text on f. 6v have been smudged and the ink has bled through to f. 6r, while red paint has also been smeared across these lines, effects possibly due to a deliberate attempt at erasure.

Layout

Part II, ff. 1r-6r A single column of 28 lines. 131 × 97 mm. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 13, type approximately equivalent to Leroy 32C1, but with upper and lower horizontal marginal lines occupying the same space as text lines rather than the full width of the page.

Hand(s)

This part was copied by Hand A, in Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size.

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. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.

Punctuation used includes the upper point, middle comma and full stop.

Headings, marginal notes and a passage of explanatory text have been copied by this hand in the same style, in red ink.

Decoration

Sections of the summary lectionary are preceded by vignettes in red ink (ff. 1r, 2r, 3r).

Lection listings begin with normal letters in red ink. The hypothesis begins with an ornamented minor initial in red ink (f. 6r).

Instead of a vignette, one lectionary section heading is accompanied by line-fillers, in the same style as the vignettes (f. 4v).

Additions

The original scribe has added marginal notes numbering each week in the lectionary sequence of each section.

An note has been added on f. 6v, recording the loan of the manuscript by the monastery of the Pantokrator to the priest Silvestros, and reserving the right to reclaim it: ‘Τετρα Τραβάγγελον: + Τὸ Τραβάγγελον· ἀφήσαμεν με τὸν Παπὰ κῦρ Σίλβεστρον ἵνα διαβάζη, καὶ παλ ⟨ιν⟩ (?) τοῦ μοναστηρίου νὰ ἔνε ὅταν θέλωμεν νὰ τὸ πάρομεν καὶ ἤτης τω ξενώση ἀπε τη μονῆ του Παντωκράτωρος ἠ απο τους ἁγίους ἀποστώλους χωρης το’ .

History

Origin: This part was probably copied in the first half of the 15th century, as is indicated by the watermark and consistent with the style of script, as a supplement to Part III, the original body of the manuscript.

Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.10.17, ff. 2:1-2:317]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

3. Part III, ff. 1r-310v
Gospel book

Gregory-Aland 477; Von Soden ε 350 (Iβa); Scrivener Evan. 508

Filiation: The manuscript was used in the preparation of the Bover-O'Callaghan, Merk, Vogels and Huck-Greeven editions.
3.1. ff. 1r-2r
List of κεφάλαια to Matthew
Rubric: f. 1r Τοῦ κατα[sic] Ματθαῖον ευαγγελίου[sic] τὰ κεφάλαια
Incipit: f. 1r αʹ Περὶ τῶν μάγων
Explicit: f. 2r ξηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου

f. 2v is blank.

3.2. ff. 3r-91v
Gospel of Matthew
Rubric: f. 3r Τὸ κατα Ματθαῖον ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον
Incipit: f. 3r Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· Υἱοῦ Δαύιδ, Υἱοῦ Ἀβραὰμ
Explicit: f. 91v πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας· ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος:· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.001

3.3. f. 92r-92v
List of κεφάλαια to Mark
Rubric: f. 92r Τοῦ κατα[sic] Μάρκον εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια
Incipit: f. 92r αʹ Περὶ τοῦ δαιμονιζομένου
Explicit: f. 92v μηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου
3.4. ff. 93r-148r
Gospel of Mark
Rubric: f. 93r Τὸ κατὰ Μάρκον ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον
Incipit: f. 93r Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ευαγγελίου[sic] Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Explicit: f. 148r καὶ τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος· διατῶν[sic] ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων:· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.002

3.5. ff. 148v-150r
List of κεφάλαια to Luke
Rubric: f. 148v Τοῦ κατὰ Λουκὰν εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια:· Σπείρα, ἄνδρές εἰσι τριακόσιοι: λεγεών: ἄνδρες εἰσὶν ἐξακόσιοι πεζοί: κουστωδία, ἄνδρες εἰσὶν ἐξήκοντα
Incipit: f. 148v αʹ Περὶ τῆς ἀπογραφῆς
Explicit: f. 150r πγʹ Περὶ Κλεόπα

f. 150v is blank.

3.6. ff. 151r-242r
Gospel of Luke
Rubric: f. 151r Τὸ κατὰ Λουκὰν ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον
Incipit: f. 151r Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν
Explicit: f. 242r καὶ ἦσαν διαπαντὸς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· αἰνοῦντες καὶ εὐλογοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν:· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.003

3.7. f. 242v
List of κεφάλαια to John
Rubric: f. 242v Τοῦ κατα[sic] Ἰωάννου εὐαγγελίου τα[sic] κεφάλαια
Incipit: f. 242v αʹ Περὶ τοῦ ἐν Κανᾶ γάμου
Explicit: f. 242v ιθʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου
3.8. ff. 243r-310v
Gospel of John
Rubric: f. 243r Τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον
Incipit: f. 243r Ἐν ἀρχὴ ἦν ὁ λογος[sic]· καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν. καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
Explicit: f. 310v οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.004

3.9. ff. 311r-315r
Summary synaxarion
Rubric: f. 311r Γνώσις τῶν εὐαγγελίων τοῦ ὅλου ἐνιαυτοῦ
Incipit: f. 311r Τῆ ἁγία καὶ μεγάλη Κυριακῇ τοῦ Πάσχα
Explicit: f. 315r Τέλος μετὰ τῆς κουστωδίας
3.10. ff. 311r-317r
Summary menologion
Incipit: f. 315v Μηνὶ Σεπτεμβρίου αʹ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ἰνδικτιῶνος
Explicit: f. 317r Τέλος βιβλία ἀμήν
Colophon: f. 317v Τοῖς δακτύλοις γράψαντα τὸν κεκτημένον: ⟨τὸ⟩ν αναγινώσκοντα μετ'εὐλαβείας: ⟨φύ⟩λαττε τοὺς τρεῖς· ἡ τριὰς τρισολβίως

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness and quite good quality.
Extent: 208 × 150 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 42 quires, of which one is a single bifolio, two are binia, one is a ternion, one is a quinon, and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 210 ff. 1-10
  • Quires 3-128 ff. 11-90
  • Quire 132 ff. 91-92
  • Quires 14-168 ff. 93-116
  • Quire 178-1 ff. 117-123 The fifth folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 18-208 ff. 124-147
  • Quire 214-1 ff. 148-150 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 22-328 ff. 151-238
  • Quire 334 ff. 239-242
  • Quires 34-398 ff. 243-290
  • Quire 408-1 ff. 291-297 The seventh folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quire 418 ff. 298-305
  • Quire 426-1 ff. 306-310 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quire 438-1 ff. 311-317 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.

There are quire signatures in brown ink, in Greek numerals, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left. They are probably original to the production of the manuscript. They appear on all quires of this part except the first, the last two, and those designated here as Quires 13 and 22, which were evidently each treated as extensions of the preceding quire: Quires 3-12 (βʹ-ιαʹ), 14-20 (ιβʹ-ιηʹ), 22-41: (ιθʹ-ληʹ).

Quires 13 and 21 and 43 have been numbered in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right, as ιαʹ*, ιηʹ* and μʹ respectively.

Condition

There are some worm-holes in the margins of the last few folios (ff. 315-317), and some small holes elsewhere. The lower outer corner of f. 312 has been torn away. Some creasing also appears in the last few folios. There is some water staining, mainly in the early part of the manuscript, and areas of dirt. The paint used to fill the marginal ruling intersections of ff. 3r and 5r has formed a black crust, bled through to the verso of these folios and smudged across onto f. 4r-4v. The ink of the note on f. 6v has smudged across onto Part III, f. 1r.

Layout

ff. 1r-2v, 92r-92v, 148v-150v Two columns of 20 lines. Written space 141 × 88 mm. Pricking survives to the head and tail edges. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 44C2. Text hangs from the lines.

ff. 3r-91v, 93r-148r, 151r-317v A single column of 20 lines. Written space 141 × 88 mm. Pricking survives to all three edges, but has been lost to cropping in places. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 44C1. Text hangs from the lines. f. 148r is ruled for two columns, as appropriate for f. 148v, but written in one. Text at the end of each Gospel is partially arranged in tapering patterns (ff. 91v, 148r, 242r, 310v).

Hand(s)

The main text was copied by Hand B, in an upright mixed minuscule script, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size, growing more dramatic towards the end of the manuscript. There are deletions by erasure.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are both angular and round, and angular smooth breathings are sometimes used as apostrophes (e.g. f. 103r, lines 6, 11). Mute iota is subscript, or in a transitional position below and to the right of the letter. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes. The double grave accent is in use.

Distinctive letter-forms include minuscule epsilon with a pronounced curve at the top of the ascender, which is occasionally separate from the lower part of the letter (e.g. f. 93r, lines 9-11); zeta and xi with an undulating tail extending to the right (e.g. f. 3r, lines 10-13, f. 3r, lines 6-9); bulbous open rho (sometimes with inclusions of letters within it, mainly towards the end of the manuscript (e.g. f. 309r)); and an occasional omega with open spiralling loops (e.g. f. 309v, line 10). There are numerous ligatures with open-backed sigma.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop. The question mark is occasionally used as a normal punctuation mark (e.g. f. 4r, lines 4-11).

Chapter lists and notes of stichoi have been copied by the same hand in Alexandrine majuscule script.

Marginal rubric has been added by Hand C, in an upright mixed minuscule script, in bright red ink, along with the minor initials and marginal quotation marks. Breathings are both angular and round.

Gospel headings have been added by Hand D, apparently the artist responsible for the ornament,in epigraphic display majuscule script.

Decoration

Each Gospel is preceded by a rectangular headpiece, with vegetative ornament, in red ink:-

  • f. 3r Matthew
  • f. 93r Mark
  • f. 151r Luke
  • f. 243r John

The text of each Gospel begins with a major initial in the same style as the headpieces, which sometimes forms part of a single connected entity with it.

Minor initials in red ink appear at the beginning of lines where an Ammonian section begins, or where it has begun in the course of the previous line.

Line-fillers in red and brown ink accompany the headings for each section of the summary synaxarion (ff. 311r-317v).

Simple vignettes in brown and red ink mark the beginning and end of each chapter list.

The square areas formed by the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines on ff. 3r and 5r have been filled with red paint, which appears to have chemically deteriorated.

Additions

Notes recording the number of stichoi have been added at the end of each Gospel.

As part of the original production of the manuscript, Hand B has added marginal κεφάλαιον (chapter) numbers and τίτλοι (titles) and Ammonian section numbers in the margins. This hand has also added ἀρχή and τέλος marks at the beginning and end of lections, although space has not been systematically left for these in the text.

There are occasional marginal corrections and annotations by other hands (e.g. f. 4r).

Running heads for the Gospel and modern chapter number have been added beneath each folio number, in black ink.

History

Origin: The characteristics of the script suggest that the manuscript was copied in the 13th century.

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

    An exact transcript of the Codex Augiensis: a Græco-Latin manuscript of S. Paul's Epistles, deposited in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose (Cambridge; London, Deighton, Bell, and Co., 1859) Novum Testamentum Graece: ad antiquissimos testes denuo recensuit apparatum criticum apposuit Constantinus Tischendorf, Gregory, Caspar René (Leipzig, 3: Prolegomena, J.C. Hinrichs, 1894) Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes, Gregory, C.R. (Leipzig, J.C. Hinrichs, 1900) The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902) Die Schriften des neuen Testaments, in ihrer ältesten erreichbaren Textgestalt hergestellt auf Grund ihrer Textgeschichte, von Soden, H.F. (Berlin, 1, Verlag von Alexander Duncker, 1902) The four Gospels of Karahissar, Colwell, Ernest Cadman (Chicago, 1, The University of Chicago Press, 1936) Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine: textum Graecum recensuit, apparatum criticum ex editionibus et codicibus manu scriptis collectum addidit, textum Latinum ex Vulgata versione Sixti V Pont. Max. iussu recognita et Clementis VIII auctoritate edita repetiit Henr. Jos. Vogels, Vogels, Heinrich Joseph (Freiburg; Barcelona, Friburgi Brisgoviae, 1955) Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine, Merk, August (Rome, Sumptibus Pontificii Instituti Biblici, 1964) Nuevo Testamento trilingüe, Maria Bover, JoséO'Callaghan, JoséMartini, Carlo M (Madrid, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1977) Synopsis of the first three Gospels, with the addition of the Johannine parallels, Huck, Albert (Tubingen, Mohr, 1981) Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose (1, Project Gutenberg, 2011)

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