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Add MS 89250

Record Id:

032-002087299

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-002087299

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100045742072.0x000001

LARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100165152827.0x000001

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Add MS 89250

Title:

The Mostyn Psalter-Hours

Scope & Content:

Contents:

ff. 1r-8v: Additions made in the late fifteenth century.

f. 1r: Instruction for making the sign of the cross with a prayer, '[rubric:] Mane cum surrexeris signum cruces orationi imprimendo dices [prayer:] [H]unc labia mea aperies [etc.]'.

ff. 1r-1v: Prayers to God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity.

ff. 1v-2v: Prayers to the Holy Spirit for the canonical hours, '[rubric:] Si quis has horas sequentes dixeri quotidie devote sciat se graciam sancti spiritus in presenti et in futoro optinere [prayers:] Pater Noster Ave Maria Sancti Spiritus spiritus assit nobis gracia que corda et corpora nostra [...] sibi faciat habitaculum [etc.]'.

ff. 2v-3r: Prayers concerning the Passion for the canonical hours with a hundred days of indulgences, attributed to Pope John XXII, 'Comemoraciones passionis dominice facte per [papam] Johannem xxii^um dicende post horas canonicas [etc.] [prayer:] Patris sapientia, veritas divina, Deus homo captus est hora matutina [etc.]’.

ff. 3r-6r: Henry Suso (b. 1295, d. 1366), Cursus de Aeterna Sapientia, 'Hic incipit servicum de eterna sapientiae'.

ff. 6r-7v: Rubrics with instructions for prayers in addition to the Cursus.

f. 7v: Invocations of the Holy Name inspired by the Holy Spirit, 'Sequitur oracio devote de invocacione nominis ihesu Christi per inspiracione spiritus sancti [prayer:] O bone ihesu . O piissime ihesu . O dulcissime ihesu [etc.]'.

ff. 7v-8r: A miracle (rubricated) at the grave of a monk who recited daily five Psalms for Virgin Mary, 'Legitur in gestis sanctorum patrum de quodam religioso viro cuius nomen sit in libro vite [etc.]'.

f. 8r: A daily prayer to the Virgin Mary, with a rubric that promises devotees special rewards, 'Quicumque quod orationem infra scriptum ad honore perpetue virginis dei genitricis marie quotidie cum pura mentis devocione dixeriet [etc.] [prayer:] Interveniat pro nobis quaesumus domine ihesu Christe apud tuam magnam devociam gloriosa virgo maria [etc.]'.

ff. 8r-v: A prayer to St John the Evangelist.

f. 8v: A rubric with instructions for reading Psalms on different occasions, 'Si te volueris intima mente exercere'; 'Si vis pro peccatis penitencia agree [etc.]' (imperfect).

ff. 9r-13v: A Calendar, including feasts for bishops of London: St Melitus, St Erkenwald (and his translation) and St Dunstan; St Botolph, patron of four London churches, and the translation of St Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey (the feast for St Thomas of Canterbury has been erased), imperfect, lacking January and February.

ff. 14r-128v: The Book of Psalms, beginning imperfectly at Psalm 2:6 ('montem sanctum eius praedicans praeceptum eius').

ff. 128v-138v: Canticles (Confitebor tibi, Ego dixi, Exultavit cor meum, Cantemus domino gloriose, Domine audivi, Audite celi, Te deum, Benedicite, Benedictus, Quicumque vuult, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis).

ff. 138v-141r: A Litany of Saints, including the English saints Alban, Oswald, Kenelm, Edmund, Edward, Ælfheah of Canterbury, Augustine of Canterbury, Oswald, Swithun, Dunstan, Wilfrid and Etheldreda.

f. 141r: A Collect, 'Deus qui proprium'.

ff. 141v-148v: The Hours of the Virgin; descriptions of the events of the Passion at the canonical hours added in the lower margin.

ff. 148v-150v: Suffrages to St Michael the Archangel, St John the Evangelist, the Trinity, St Peter, St Stephen, St Lawrence, St Nicholas of Myra, St Edmund Rich, St Katherine of Alexandria, and All Saints.

ff. 151r-159r: The Office of the Dead, with musical notation on staves.

ff. 159r-160v: Additions made by two scribes in the late fourteenth and/or early fifteenth century.

f. 159r: A prayer to Christ for protection, beginning 'Domine deus omnipotens pater et filius spiritus sanctus da michi Thome famulo victoriam contra omnes inimicos meos'.

f. 159r: A prayer to Christ for protection, beginning 'Libera me domine ihesu Chrsti filii dei vivi qui in cruce suspensus fuisti'.

f. 159v: O Intemerata.

ff. 159v-160r: Prayers to St Christopher, '[rubric:] Versus de sancto Christoforo'.

f. 160r: A prayer to the Virgin Mary, 'Sancta maria mater domini nostri ihesu Christi in manus tuas et in manus eiusdem filii tui comendo hodie [etc.]'.

ff. 160r-160v: A series of short prayers to All Saints and the Three Magi.

f. 160v: A prayer to Christ, 'Domine ihesu Christe qui formasti adam de limo terre [etc.]'.

f. 160v: A prayer attributed to St Edmund Rich with a rubric in Anglo-Norman, ‘[rubric:] Cestit orison soleyt seinte edmunde dire au sacrament de la mese [prayer:] O ihesu Christe Filii dei vivi te adoro [etc.]’.

f. 160v: A prayer for use at Mass (the Elevation of the Host) with indulgences, granted by Boniface VI for King Philip of France, '[rubric:] Omnibus dicentibus hanc orationem inter elevacionem corporis [etc.] [prayer:] [D]omine ihesu Christe qui hanc sacratissimam carnem de gloriose virginis utero assumpsisti [etc.]'.

Decoration:

20 Calendar miniatures of the Zodiac symbols and the Labours of the Months (ff. 9-13v).

8 large historiated initials in purple with gold inside the letter and a blue background surrounding the letter, in rectangular frames of gold, some with partial (quarter or one-sided) borders in blue, purple and gold, some with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures. Psalm 1 and the beginning of Psalm 2 is missing, and the beginning of Psalm 38 has been cut out (f. 42r).

The subjects of the initials are as follows:

f. 30v: The Anointing of David by Samuel in the presence of Jesse his father, at the beginning of Psalm 26.

f. 52r: Doeg as a knight in chainmail holding a lance and green shield, looking up to God appearing in a cloud, at the beginning of Psalm 51.

f. 52v: A semi-naked fool holding a mare’s tail and eating a round fruit or loaf of bread, at the beginning of Psalm 52.

f. 63r: David in the sea (among fish), calling to God appearing half-length above, at the beginning of Psalm 68.

f. 76v: David seated on a bench, his harp laid aside on a shelf, striking a row of bells suspended above him, at the beginning of Psalm 80.

f. 89r: Three priests standing by a lectern, at the beginning of Psalm 97.

f. 90v: A bishop dressed in blue with a green and white mitre, kneeling at an altar draped in cloth and surmounted by a cross, at the beginning of Psalm 101.

f. 101r: The Trinity, with God the Father standing, the Son seated on a bench facing him, and the Holy Spirit descending between them, at the beginning of Psalm 109.

2 smaller historiated intials in blue or purple in frames with blue, purple and gold. The subjects of the initials are as follows:

f. 141v: A monk, at the beginning of the Hours of the Virgin.

f. 151r: A funeral service, at the beginning of the Office of the Dead.

Elaborated initials for Psalms 34 and 85, probably added, of Christ blessing and holding an orb, a Dominican (perhaps the martyrdom of St Peter Martyr (d. 1252)), a centaur, an ape and a bird (f. 37r); and including the head of a tonsured man (f. 79v).

Numerous illuminated initials in gold in pink and blue frames with white penwork, some including figures and foliate motifs; numerous large initials with foliate decoration.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Additional Manuscripts

Hierarchy Tree:

[{ "id" : "032-002087299", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Add MS 89250: The Mostyn Psalter-Hours" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-002087299

Is part of:

not applicable

Hierarchy:

032-002087299

Container:

not applicable

Record Type (Level):

Fonds

Extent:

Parchment codex

Digitised Content:

https://iiif.bl.uk/uv/#?manifest=https://bl.digirati.io/iiif/ark:/81055/vdc_100165152827.0x000001

Thumbnail:

Languages:

Anglo-Norman
Latin

Scripts:

Latin

Start Date:

1275

End Date:

1325

Date Range:

c 1275 - c 1325

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

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Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Parchment.

Dimensions: 320 x 230 mm (text space: 200 x 140 mm).

Foliation: ff. iv + 160 (+ 1 unfoliated paper flyleaf at the beginning and 1 at the end); ff. i-iv are parchment flyleaves: ff. i-ii are at the beginning, ff. iii-iv are at the end; + 9 paper stubs between f. 8 and f. 9 and 1 paper stub between f. 13 and f. 14, all with fragments of torn parchment leaves; all quires are mounted on paper guards.

Collation: ii + i⁸, ii⁵ [lacking the first leaf], iii⁹ [lacking the first leaf], iv-x¹⁰, xi-xii⁸, xiii-xv¹⁰, xvi⁴, xvii⁸, xviii¹⁰.

Script: Gothic.

Binding: Post-1600. Red leather on wooden boards, inscribed in gold on the spine: 'SARUM HOURS c. 1300'; contains a blind stamp with the year 1975 and a monogram with the letters 'S C' for Sandy Cockerell (b. 1906, d. 1987).

Custodial History:

Origin: England, S. (London).

Provenance:

? Simon Islip (d. 1366), Archbishop of Canterbury: his arms, gules, a cross pattée argent (f. 37r).

'Thomas', owned in the early fifteenth century: his name inscribed on f. 159r ('Libera me Thomam famulum tuum' and 'me Thomam filium tuum').

John Sheregold: his name inscribed on f. 158v (‘Johannes Sheregoldus est huius libri possessor’).

‘H. Millner’, inscription, 15 March 1598 (f. 114r).

Inscribed names of 'Edmund Quin', 'Thomas McLawres', 'Shean O’Briuan', 'Styard Branagh', 'Edmund Henegan', 'Douglas O’Coinan' and 'Steven Henegan', in the 15th/16th century (f. 159v).

Sir Roger Mostyn (b. 1624, d. 1690), 1st baronet and soldier: his catalogue, Catalogus Librorum Mss Rogeri Mostyn Baroneti (1692), no. 20, described as ‘pulcherrimus’.

Sir Thomas Mostyn (b. 1704, d. 1758), 4th baronet: his book-plate (the Mostyn coat of arms and motto: 'Auxilium meum a domino'), with his name and the date 1744 inscribed underneath ('Tho. Mostyn 1744 no. 20').

Sir Edward Mostyn Lloyd-Mostyn (b. 1795, d. 1884), 2nd baron: shelfmark (note, f. [ii] recto: 'Ms No 69') before 1874; the manuscript is listed as 'MS 69' in Horwood, 'Notes of the Manuscripts of the Right Honourable Lord Mostyn' (1874), p. 349; an old label with the manuscript's title ('Psalterium & Offica Eccles. Rom. [...]') was probably pasted on the inside upper cover.

Sir Llewellyn Nevill Vaughan Lloyd-Mostyn (b. 1856, d. 1929), 3rd baron: his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 13 July 1920, lot 97; unsold.

Sir Roger Edward Lloyd Lloyd-Mostyn (b. 1920, d. 2000), 5th baron, MC: his sale, Christie’s, London, 24 October 1974, lot 1477; bought by Maggs.

Stephen Keynes (d. 2017), London; sold to Les Enluminures, Ltd. in 2016. Bought by the British Library in April 2017 with the support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation), Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement, the late Bernard Breslauer, the Friends of the British Library, and the Friends of the National Libraries.

Information About Copies:

Complete digital coverage available for this manuscript; see Digital Manuscripts, https://bl.uk/manuscripts/.

Publications:

Alfred J. Horwood, 'Notes of the Manuscripts of the right honourable Lord Mostyn at Mostyn Hall', in Fourth Report of the Royal commission on Historical Manuscripts (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1874), pp. 347-63 (p. 349).

Adelaide Bennett, ‘The Windmill Psalter: The Historiated Letter ‘E’ of Psalm One’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 43 (1980), 52-67 (p. 53, pl.12(b), p. 67).

Adelaide Bennett, ‘A Late Thirteenth-Century Psalter-Hours from London’, in England in the Thirteenth Century: Proceedings of the 1984 Harlaxton Symposium, ed. by W. M. Omrod (Woodbridge: Boydell, 1985), pp. 15-31.

Paul Binski, The Painted Chamber at Westminster (London: Society of Antiquaries of London, 1986), p. 141, n. 160.

Lucy Freeman Sandler, Gothic Manuscripts, 1285-1385, A Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 4 (London: Miller, 1986), pp. 16-17, no. 5, pls. 11, 13 and 14.

Lucy Freeman Sandler, Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England, 1200-1400, ed. by Paul Binski (London: Royal Academy of Arts in association with Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1987), pp. 355-56.

Alison Stones, 'The Decoration and Illumination of the Codex Calixtinus at Santiago de Compostella', in The Codex Calixtinus and the Shrine of St James, ed. by John Williams and Alison Stones (Tübingen: Narr, 1992), pp. 137-67 (p. 149).

M. A. Michael, 'English Illuminators, c.1190-1450: A Survey from Documentary Sources', in English Manuscript Studies, 1100-1700, ed. by Peter Beal and Jeremy Griffiths, 18 vols (London: The British Library, 1989-2013), IV, ed. by Peter Beal and Jeremy Griffiths (1993), pp. 62-113 (p. 109, n. 3).

Peter Kidd, 'The Mostyn Psalter-Hours, England c. 1280-95', in Illuminated Manuscripts: An Exhibition at the Blumka Gallery (London: Fogg, 1998), pp. 26-29.

Nigel Morgan, ‘The Decorative Ornament of the Text and Page in Thirteenth-century England: Initials, Border Extensions and Line Fillers’, in English Manuscript Studies 1100-1700, 18 vols (London: The British Library, 1989-2013), X: Decoration and Illustration in Medieval English Manuscripts, ed. by A. S. G. Edwards (2002), pp. 1-33 (p. 28).

M. A. Michael, 'Urban production of manuscript books and the role of the university towns', in The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain (Cambridge: University Press, 1999-), II: 1100-1400, ed. by Nigel Morgan and Rodney M. Thomson (2008), pp. 168-94 (p. 185).

Melanie Holcomb, Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), p. 158 [Exhibition catalogue].

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Related Archive Descriptions:

Add MS 89250/1