Egerton MS 3511

BENEVENTAN MISSAL

MISSAL (formerly Benevento, Bibl. Cap., Cod. VI. 29), executed for the Benedictine nunnery of St Peter, Benevento; 12th cent. Mentioned in E. A. Loew, The Beneventan Script, 1914, p. 336; R. J. Hesbert, Paléographie Musicale, xiv, 1931, pp. 136, 303, note 3, 319, 383, 384, 419, note 1, and xv, 1937, pp. 52, 91. Contents:-

(1) Additional material, 12th-14th centt., including masses of the Octave Sunday of Pentecost (f. 4, 12th cent.) and of Antony of Padua (f. 4 b, after 1232). ff. 1-4.

(2) Calendar, in red and black, two months to a page. Some entries have a note 'in Sancta Sophia'. This refers to the basilica, and Benedictine monastery, of that name at Benevento and similar notes are found, after the same entries, in Add. MS. 23776, a 12th cent. martyrology from St Sophia, and also after other entries not so marked in the present calendar. A number of entries in this reflect the Byzantine connections of Benevento, e.g. (27 Mar.) John Damascene, (9 July) Ephrem of Syria, (26 Nov.) Peter of Alexandria, in red. The entries in red include:- (8 Jan.) Severinus C., (15 Jan.) Maurus Abb., (17 Jan.) Antony Hermit, (9 Feb.) Savinus Bp. of Canosa, (10 Feb.) Scholastica V., (12 Feb.) Modestus Deacon and M., (15 Feb.) Faustinus and Jovita MM., (19 Feb.) Barbatus Bp. and C., (21 Mar.) Benedict Abb., with Vigil and Octave, (19 Apr.) Leo IX P., (2 May) Juvenalis M., in St Sophia, (8 May) the Invention of Michael the Archangel, (1 June) Erasmus M., (14 June) Marcian Bp. and C., (17 June) the Translation of Bartholomew from India to Lipari, (22 June) Paulinus Bp.and C., (10 July) Felicity and her Sons, (23 July) Apollinaris Bp. and M., (6 Aug.) the Transfiguration, (8 Aug.) Cyriacus Deacon and M., in St Sophia, (26 Aug.) the Translation of Mercurius M., in St Sophia, (1 Sept.) the Twelve Brethren, in St Sophia, (19 Sept.) Januarius Bp. and his Companions, (8 Oct.) Denys Bp. and his Companions, (15 Oct.) Tammarus Bp. and C., (21 Oct.) Hilarion Monk, (25 Oct.) the Translation of Bartholomew to Benevento, (30 Oct.) Germanus Bp. and C., (17 Nov.) Gregory the Wonder Worker and Thecla, (24 Nov.) the Dedication of St Peter's, in Benevento, (25 Nov.) Mercurius M., (6 Dec.) Nicolas Bp. Entries in black include:- (10 Jan.) Gregory Nazianzen, in St Sophia, (11 Jan.) Leucius Bp. and C., in St Sophia, (29 Jan.) Felicissimus and Cassianus, in St Sophia, (30 Jan.) Paschasius Abb., (6 Feb.) Pantaleon M., (11 Feb.) Castrensis Bp. and C., (17 Feb.) Benevento, the Dedication of St Sophia's, (6 May) Secundinus Bp. and C., and the Translation of Matthew to Salerno, (14 May) Boniface M., and Constancius Bp. and C., (17 May) Rosius Bp. and C., (5 June) Eleutherius and Antia, his Mother, in St Sophia, (6 June) Vincent Bp., (7 July) Januarius and Lawrence, in St Sophia, (16 July) Vitalian Bp. and C., (22 July) Jerome Bp. and C., in St Sophia, (12 Aug.) Euplus Deacon and his Companions, (18 Aug.) the Dedication of St. Mercurius', in St Sophia, (21 Aug.) Valentius and Leontius, in St Sophia, (27 Aug.) Arontius, Honoratus, Fortunatus, and Sabinianus, (13 Sept.) Felicissimus Bp., in St Sophia, (15 Sept.) Constancius Bp., in St Sophia, (23 Sept.) Sossius Deacon, (26 Sept.) Januarius Priest of Antioch, (5 Oct.) Renatus Bp. and C., (7 Oct.) Reparata V., (13 Oct.) Athanasius Bp. and C., (15 Oct.) Lupulus, (17 Oct.) Pardus Bp., (20 Oct.) Zosimus Bp. and C., (22 Oct.) Cassius Bp., in St Sophia, (30 Oct.) Maximus, (5 Nov.) Pardus M., in St Sophia, (16 Nov.) Augustine Bp. and Felicity his Mother, in St Sophia, (26 Nov.) Nicander M., in St Sophia, (14 Dec.) Agnellus C., (18 Dec.) the Dedication of St Mary's in Benevento, (23 Dec.) Gregory M., of Spoleto. The following obits are entered by the original hand:- (13 Jan.) Stephen, Priest, (18 Apr.) John Piscis, (18 May) Grisa, (29 Sept.) Mary, (18 Oct.) Mary. ff. 5-7 b.

(3) Additional material, probably slightly later than the main MS., including masses of Modestus (f. 8) and the Translation of Matthew to Salerno (f . 8b), and a breuiarium missae (ff. 10-11 b). ff . 8-11 b.

(4) Temporale and Sanctorale combined, Advent to Holy Saturday. Lacunae of three leaves between ff. 67 and 68 (middle of Monday to middle of Wednesday in I Week of Lent) and two leaves between ff. 144 and 145 (last part of Good Friday to first part of Holy Saturday). The Paschal Prophecy includes a petition for 'abbatissa nostra. illa. cum omni congregatione sanctissimi petri' after ones for the pope and the bishop. The local and special feasts provided for are those of Severinus (ff. 43-45b), Maurus (ff. 43b-44), Scholastica (ff. 50-50b), Faustinus and Jovita (ff. 51-51b), Barbatus (f. 51b), Benedict, with Vigil, (ff. 54-55). ff. 12-163b.

(5) Ordinary and Canon of the Mass, together with prayers of preparation and thanksgiving. Lacuna of one leaf between ff. 174 and 175 (majority of common preface, with music in sollemnitatibus, to first part of Te igitur). The commemoration of the pope and the bishop in the Canon is followed by one of 'abbatissa nostra. illa. cum omni congregatione sancti petri'(f. 175) and on the same page in the Memento of the living the name John, Priest, appears in red, followed by an erasure over which 'Stephania famula' (now obliterated) was added, 13th cent. ff. 163b-180.

(6) Temporale and Sanctorale combined, Easter Sunday to St Andrew. Lacuna of one leaf between ff. 180 and 181 (latter part of blessing of paschal lamb to middle of Easter Monday) and two leaves between ff. 188 and 189 (latter part of Octave Sunday of Easter to last part of II Sunday after Easter). The local and special feasts provided for are those of the Invention of Michael the Archangel (ff. 244-245b), the Translation of Bartholomew from India to Lipari (f. 248), the Seven Brethren (ff. 256b-257), Apollinaris (ff. 257b-258), the Twelve Brethren (ff. 270b-271), Januarius and his Companions (ff. 273b-274), the Translation of Bartholomew to Benevento (ff. 276b-277), Germanus (f. 277b), Mercurius (ff. 281b-282). ff. 180-284.

(7) Commune Sanctorum (incomplete at end). ff. 284-290.

Vellum and paper; ff. xxii + 290. 320 mm. × 220 mm. XII cent. Executed for the Benedictine nunnery of St Peter, Benevento. Gatherings of 8 leaves, except for i¹⁰, ii⁴, xxxvii¹⁰, xxxviii¹⁰ (i lacks 1-3, x lacks 1-3, xx lacks 1 and 2, xxiv lacks 1 and 8, xxvi lacks 1 and 2, 2 and 8 of xxxvii cancelled, 3 and 9 of xxxviii cancelled). Gatherings i-vi, xiii, xx, xxi-xxiii were strengthened with manuscript fragments (ff. ix-xii), several of which bear portions of 12th cent. Beneventan liturgical texts with music. Rules for 26 lines to a page, except in calendar and item 3 where there are 35. Written, in double columns, in Beneventan script of the period of maturity (see Loew, op. cit., pp. 124-125). Sec. fol. (of missal): 'fieri incipientibus'. Certain portions of text are accompanied by music in Beneventan notation, in particular on Holy Saturday, viz. Jonah's Prayer (f. 153), Azarias' Prayer (ff. 156b-157b), the Lumen Christi (f. 159, see Hesbert, op. cit. xiv, p. 419, note 1), the Paschal Prophecy (ff. 159b-162b), and the Alleluia (f. 163), and in the Ordinary and Canon of the Mass (item 5). Numerous decorated initials in South Italian style, employing zoomorphic motifs, interlace, and foliage. On f. 9b, is a note, 12th cent., by one Peter de (?) Ancosiis, chaplain of St Peter's, Benevento, in which he states that he had the MS. bound at a cost of 'mediam quartam uncie auri'. Subsequently the MS. was bound in white vellum, possibly at the same time as a late 17th cent. hand inserted a title-page and a list of contents, on paper, at the front (ff. i-viiib), and foliated the MS. (incorrectly, repeating the number 94 twice). At the foot of f. 5 is an inscription 'IX Missale', circ. 1700. Belonged in 1946 to Captain D. G. Ash. Sotheby's sale-cat., 24 June 1947, lot 361.