Egerton MS 2867

BIBLE, in Latin: Vulgate version. The order of books (shown below) and the prefaces (references to Berger's Mém. prés. à l'Acad. des Inscr., 1 sér., tom. xi, partie ii.) are of a usual type, though the preface appended to Job is less common. There are no summaries, nor indication of divisions other than Langton's. The calendar (f. 423) is evidently of St. Martin's Priory, Dover (dedication, 19 Oct), a cell of Christ Church, Canterbury, and contains the usual Christ Church saints (cf. Arund. MS. 155). Contents:-

(1) Octateuch, prefaces 1, 2 and (to Joshua) 22. The first leaf of the text of Genesis is wanting. f. 3;-(2) Kings, pref. 30. f. 118; -(3) Chronicles, pref. 36. Followed (f. 206 b) by the prayer of Manasses. f. 177;-(4) Esdras (Ezra), pref. 42. Followed (f. 211 b) by Neemias, wanting last leaf. f. 207;-(5) Tobias, pref. 45. f. 21 7;-(6) Judith, pref. 51. f. 221;-(7) Job, pref. 55, 58 and, at the end, 57. f. 232 b;-(8) Psalter (Gallican). Illuminated initials to Ps. 1, 26, 38, 51, 52, 68, 80, 97, 109. f. 244 b;-

(9) Sapiential books, pref. 129 and (to Wisdom) 142. f. 271;-

(10) Prophets, viz. Isaiah (pref. 150), Jeremiah (pref. 155), Lamentations, Jeremiah's Prayer, Baruch, pref. "Liber iste qui Baruch," Ezechiel (pref. 162), Daniel (pref. 166, 169) and Minor Prophets (pref. 170, 171, 179, 185, etc.). f. 307;-(11) 1 and 2 Maccabees, pref. 189. f. 400;-(12) Calendar. f. 423;-(13) Collection of texts for sermons. Beg. "De uitando consortio colloquio consilio et exemplo Ps. i. Beatus uir." f. 425;-(14) Gospels, pref. 199, 225, 230, 236. f. 430;-(15) Pauline Epistles in the usual order. f. 477b;-(16) Acts, pref. 241. f. 507;-

(17) Catholic Epistles, pref. 290. f. 521;-(18) Apocalypse. f. 527b;-(19) Table of Epistles and Gospels. f. 534. On f. 1 is a 14th cent. note beg. "Sacra scriptura in duo diuiditur," and on ff. 1 b, 2 a table of books in an early 15th cent. hand. Vellum; ff. ii. + 535. 8¼ in. x 5¾ in. xiii. cent. Written at Dover or Canterbury, in a good small hand, probably before the bull of canonization of St. Edmund, Jan. 1247 (Potthast, no. 12392), as he is not in the calendar. Illuminated initial with small miniature to each book (and Psalms, see above); initials of prefaces usually in colours, others in red and blue. Many of the initials are prolonged and the first forms a quasi border; the initial of Genesis is lost. See. fol., "destinatus est." Belonged to Christ Church, Canterbury; see note (f. 1) "Biblius (sic) ecclesie Christi Cantuarie v[endicat]us (?) eidem ecclesie per Johannem L..........", and one of the peculiar book-marks of the monastery. But there is no library pressmark, and the MS. was apparently assigned succssively to individual monks, whose names (frater Robertus, dumpnus Johannes de Hatffelde ?, Roger Beilett, all on f. ii. b, cf. f. 535 b) are quoted, but are usually erased. Not in the library-catalogue printed by Dr. M. R. James (Anc. Libr. of Catit. and Dover, 1903). Later owners' names (16th cent. ?) are "Thome Dormani liber." (f. 2) and John Bechyng (f. 534b). On f. 3 are the initials W. A. S. M. D. Black leather tooled binding (17th cent.).