Add MS 57534

FRANCIS WORMALD MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. VII. Processional of Sarum Use, adapted for Norwich use, with diagrams indicating the position of participants in processions; England, late 14th-early 15th cent. Latin. Intended for an urban church with suburban satellites serving as 'stations', dedicated to St Mary, possibly Salisbury Cathedral (saints' altars include one dedicated to St Edmund the Archbishop, who served as treasurer there). Carrying of St Swithun's relics in procession might alternatively indicate a Winchester connection (although it is not dedicated to St Mary). Sarum use is indicated by a deviation for the procession in honour of St Edward the King, which is to be performed 'non sar. sed synod. Norwici', indicating adaptation for diocese of Norwich use (Wormald favoured the Hospital of St Giles, Norwich). On at least one occasion the presence of the king, queen, archbishop, bishop and cardinal legate is envisaged. The final quire is blank, except for half a page in the original hand (f. 135v) and additions of similar liturgical form in a 16th-century hand, ff. 127-131. Illustrations in such volumes are rare; a woodcut of a procession using the same symbols is reproduced in C. Wordsworth and H. Littlehales, The Old Service Books of the English Church (1904), p. 165. See F. Wormald, 'A Medieval Processional and its diagrams' in Kunsthistorische Forschungen, Otto Pächt zu seinem 70. Geburtstag (1972), pp. 129-134; K. D. Hartzell, 'Diagrams for liturgical ceremonies' in Local Maps and Plans from Medieval England, ed. R. Skelton and P. Harvey (1986), pp. 339-341. Ownership inscription and arms of Richard Holdyche [Holdiche family of E. Anglia], 1552 (ff. 136v-137). Note of gift from Edward Willowby to Henry Bury, in the presence of Thomas Drury, 15 Oct. 1602 (f. 136v). Ownership inscription of W. W. Hull, presumably the hymnologist William Winstanley Hull, 1813 (f. ii). Accompanied by notes on the MS., presumably by Wormald. Purchased by Wormald at Christie's, 16 Dec. 1970, lot 25.

Vellum; ff. iii+137 (accompanied by notes ff. xxi). Sec. fol.: '-ra tua misteriis . . .'. 212 x 140mm. Paper pastedowns and single paper flyleaves to front and back. Collation uncertain, owing to rebinding; lacunae between ff. 31-32, 67-68, 86-87, 88-89, 106-107, 108-109, 112-113, 113-114, 114-115; ff. 122-124 misbound (correct order ff. 113, 122, 123, 124). Pricked and ruled (single bounding lines) in metal-point for single columns of 33 lines (although most fols carry 4-line staves in red). Catchword f. 19v. Written space 155 x 110mm. Script is a Gothic textualis semi-quadrata. Binding of white leather over card, with traces of four red and black wax seals inside upper board (f. i).

Decoration consists of miniatures depicting the order and participants of processions, by means of coloured drawings of symbols grouped before an altar or other church furnishing. The text opens (f. 4) with a 7-line foliate initial on a gilded ground with full rectilinear foliate borders with foliate flourishing in gold and colours. Similar 4/6-line major initials with partial foliate borders mark the Sabbath of the Vigil of Easter (f. 53v), the Penitential Psalms (f. 79v), the Re-entry to the Cross ('Viri factus homo', f. 87v), the Exaltation of the Cross ('Benedicat nos deus', f. 94), the Dedication of the Church (f. 96v), the Vigil of the feast of St Andrew (f. 98). 2-line minor initials, gilded on blue grounds with gold foliate extensions or on bipartite blue and pink grounds, or of blue with red flourishing. 2-line litterae notabiliores with foliate flourishing and human faces and animals in ink. Some bas-de-page scenes of grotesques and droleries (e.g. f. 35v).

Miniatures are as follows;–

1. f. 3v. Palm Sunday. Red altar with Christ rising from the tomb; crucifer, two taperers, thurifer, two acolytes, priest in red cope, boy with holy water.

2. f. 32. Palm Sunday. A different altar, also red and with the Crucifixion; 7 palms to S. of altar; the Book on step below altar; red-coped priest on next step between two acolytes, crucifer, taperers, thurifer, holy water, sacristan to rear.

3. f. 54v. Holy Saturday. Blessing of paschal fire outside church; taperer, Book, priest in green, two acolytes to his left, thurifer to his right and beyond him the fire, another taperer and the dragon banner (?) to rear.

4. f. 57. Ligthing of paschal candle, standing on entrance step; taperers to either side, two acolytes to the left, the Book between them, thurifer to the right, dragon next to column on the left.

5-7. ff. 62v, 63v, 71. Ceremonies before three different fonts.

8, 9. ff. 72, 90. Stations before the Cross; liturgical colours green in the first and red and green in the second.

Liturgies LATIN: Diocese of Norwich: Art. Illuminations and Drawings ENGLISH: Processional of Sarum Use, adapted for the diocese of Norwich: late 14th - early 15th cent.: Lat.