Add MS 54783

MANUAL OF PRAYERS: written in Italy, possibly Naples; early 16th cent. Latin. See G. Warner, Descriptive Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts in the Library of C. W. Dyson Perrins (1920), i, pp. 207-208, ii, pl. lxxx b. Purchased of Gruel, Paris, 1908. Dyson Perrins MS. 93 (label, f. iii; formerly labelled 19, f. vi; bookplate, f. iv). Bequeathed by Mrs Florence Winifred Midwood Perrins, 8 Feb. 1969.

Vellum; ff. vi+92. 110 x 70mm. Sec. fol.: 'meis stratum'. Gatherings (12) of 8, except iii10, vi6, viii6 (lacks 4), xii8 (lacks 7, probably blank). Pricking and ruling (single bounding lines) in hard-point for single columns of 13 lines. Written space 65 x 46mm. Vertical catchwords. Script is a humanistic book script by two hands, with added prayers (ff. 78-91) in a cancellaresca with spaces left for initials. Inscribed in gold capitals on f. 92v 'Quid benefacta iuvant'. Contemporary black morocco binding, gilt-tooled and inscribed, 'Ave Mater Dei' (upper board) and 'Miserere Mei' (lower board). Former double ties. Sewn on three split cords. Gilt edges. Illuminated pastedowns (ff. i and v) with silver inscriptions ('Tu sola sine exemplo placuisti', f. i; 'Pleni sunt celi et terra gratie et glorie tue', f. v) on purple panels within black and silver borders, with rosebuds and strawberries on the backgrounds. Vellum fly-leaf (f. ii).

Contents:

1. ff. 1-32v. Penitential Psalms and Litany, including Sts Januarius, Louis of Toulouse, Monica, Elizabeth and Ursula.

2. ff. 34-42v. Prayers to the Lord, with the hymn 'Ave manus dextra Christi' (U. Chevalier, Repertorium Hymnologicum, i (1892), no. 1869).

3. ff. 43-47v. Prayer to the Virgin, 'Ad sanctitatis tue pedes . . .'.

4. ff. 48-58v. Memorials of the archangels Michael and Raphael, and of St Sebastian.

5. ff. 59-74v. Prayer for deliverance, followed by Ps. 117, with antiphon etc.

6. ff. 74v-78. Ps. 90 and John I, 1-14 (in another hand).

7. ff. 78-91. Additions, including antiphon, collect, memorials of Sts Barbara and Apollonia, the prayer 'Obsecro te', 'Officium Sancti Spiritus'.

Decoration consists of a 6-line gilded historiated initial D (f. 1) containing a half-length figure of King David (crowned), with two groups of three pearls on its gilded ground, with a full border in blue overlaid with gilded foliate decoration and a roundel containing a blue shield charged with a skull (at the foot). The border frames panels of green and red carrying (respectively) chrysographic rubric and text. Chrysographic tailpiece on a red ground (f. 16v). 2-line minor gilded initials on blue or red grounds. Litterae notabiliores in alternating gold with purple flourishing or blue with red flourishing. There are 3 miniatures, as follows:

1. f. 33v. 'Redemptor mundi et humani generis . . .'. Unaccompanied Crucifixion in a blue and gold landscape.

2. f. 52v. 'Raphael medicinalis mecum . . .'. Tobias (in contemporary dress and carrying a fish) and the angel.

3. f. 55v. 'O quam mira refulxit gratia sebastianus . . .'. Martyrdom of St Sebastian.