Add MS 78829

BRIAN CRON MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. I. Vulgate Bible; France; mid 13th cent. Latin. Owned by Henry Pomeroy, 2nd Viscount Harberton. Purchased by Eric George Millar at Christie’s through Quaritch, 24 March 1953 (lot 523). Bequeathed by him to Brian Cron, 11 February 1967 (f. ii recto).

Vellum; ff. iii+622. Sec. fol.: ‘nam e(t) v(er)bum /e(st)/ e(t)vo(s) [?] e(t) supputatio e(t) c(aus)a uniuscuisq(ue) rei’. 162 x 107mm. One paper pastedown (f. i), one paper flyleaf to front (f. ii) and one to back (f. iii). Gatherings (27) of 24, except 1² (wants 2 cancelled), 2³⁰, 9²⁴ (wants 23 cancelled), 23²⁴ (wants 23 cancelled), 25²⁴ (wants 17 cancelled), 26¹⁸, 27²⁴ (wants 20 cancelled). Ruled in lead-point for double columns of 46 lines with single bounding lines. Notes for running heads in lead-point. Contemporary textual corrections in lead-point, some rewritten in ink and some not (see especially f. 522v). Written space 115 x 70mm. Script is a small Gothic textualis semi-quadrata. 19th-century bibliophile binding.

Contents:

1. ff. 1-573v. Jerome Prefaces (Frater Ambrosius and In Pentateuchum Moysi ad Desiderium) and Bible.

2. ff. 574-622v. Jerome, Liber de Nominibus Hebraicis.

Each book of the Bible begins with a fully-painted and gilded historiated initial (82). The prologues begin with fully-painted and gilded inhabited or foliate initials. Minor 2-line pen-flourished initials in blue and red, with extension borders.

Subjects of the major initials are as follows:

1. f. 1. Jerome’s prefaces. Initial F, with Jerome writing at a desk.

2. f. 5. Genesis. Initial I containing series of Creation scenes in roundels, including God holding a globe, God with a river, God with two trees, God separating the light from the darkness, God holding a bird and fish, and surrounded by animals and a river, God creating Eve, God seated, and the Crucifixion.

3. f. 28. Exodus. Initial H, with God speaking to Moses (?) and a group of people, including a woman.

4. f. 47v. Leviticus. Initial V, with two Jews sacrificing a lamb.

5. f. 60v. Numbers. Initial L, with God speaking to Moses, who is horned.

6. f. 79v. Deuteronomy. Initial H, with two Jews on either side of an altar (?), one holding a scroll.

7. f. 96v. Joshua. Initial E, with God speaking to Joshua.

8. f. 108. Judges. Initial F, with God speaking to two men.

9. f. 120. Ruth. Initial I, with Elimelech (above) and Naomi with her two sons (below).

10. f. 122v. I Kings (I Samuel). Initial F, with Hannah kneeling, and Elkanah standing behind.

11. f. 138v. II Kings (II Samuel). Initial F, with David seated, and Benaiah raising a sword to slay an Amalekite.

12. f. 151v. III Kings (I Kings). Initial E, with David reclining, and courtier bringing Abishag to the king.

13. f. 166v. IV Kings (II Kings). Initial P, with Ahaziah falling from the tower.

14. f. 180v. I Paralipomenon (I Chronicles). Initial A, with three seated men.

15. f. 192v. II Paralimpomenon (II Chronicles). Initial C, God speaking to Solomon from above a tower with a door.

16. f. 208v. I Esdras (Ezra). Initial I, with a mason laying stone (above), a man carrying stones and ascending a ladder (middle), and Cyrus pointing upwards (below).

17. f. 212v. Nehemiah. Initial V, with Nehemiah holding a cup and standing before Artaxerxes.

18. f. 218v. II Esdras. Initial E, with a Jew holding a bucket and asperge, blessing an altar.

19. f. 225. Tobit. Initial T, with Tobit lying on a couch, with a swallow above.

20. f. 229v. Judith. Initial A, with Judith beheading Holofernes.

21. f. 235v. Esther. Initial I, with Ahasuerus (above), Esther crowned (middle), and Esther (?) seated (below).

22. f. 241. Job. Initial V, with Job on a dunghill, with his wife standing alongside.

23. f. 251v. Psalm I. Initial B, with David harping.

24. f. 255v. Psalm XXVI. Initial D, with David praying to God above.

25. f. 258. Psalm XXXVIII. Initial D, with David pointing to his mouth, devil seated to right.

26. f. 260v. Psalm LII. Initial D, with fool standing with club and eating cake.

27. f. 263. Psalm LXVIII. Initial S, God above, and David in the river below.

28. f. 266. Psalm LXXX. Initial E, with David seated, playing bells.

29. f. 269. Psalm XCVII. Initial C, with two priests singing at a lectern. Open book reads, ‘Ca/n/ta//te/do/m’.

30. f. 272. Psalm CIX. Initial D, with the Trinity.

31. f. 278. Parabolae (Proverbs). Initial P, with Solomon with birch instructing Rehoboam seated with a book.

32. f. 287v. Ecclesiastes. Initial V, with Solomon seated, looking up at a cloud and raising his left hand.

33. f. 291. Song of Songs. Initial O, with Virgin and Child.

34. f. 292v. Wisdom. Initial D, with Solomon seated at left with drawn sword, knight at right.

35. f. 299v. Ecclesiasticus. Initial O, with seated man raising his right hand towards a cloud.

36. f. 318. Isaiah. Initial V, with Isaiah being sawn in two by a standing man.

37. f. 340. Jeremiah. Initial V, with Jeremiah pointing to a boiling pot, with God above.

38. f. 366v. Lamentations. Initial Q, with Jeremiah seated outside the gate of Nineveh (?).

39. f. 369. Baruch. Initial E, with Baruch seated and writing.

40. f. 372v. Ezechiel. Initial E, with Ezechiel reclining (below), heads of the 4 beasts (above).

41. f. 398. Daniel. Initial A, with Daniel in the lions’ den.

42. f. 408. Hosea. Initial V, with Hosea speaking to Gomer, God above.

43. f. 411v. Joel. Initial V, with Joel seated and pointing upwards to God above.

44. f. 413v. Amos. Initial V, with Amos standing with sheep, God (above) points to him.

45. f. 416. Obadiah. Initial V, with Obadiah reclining, and God above pointing to him.

46. f. 416v. Jonah. Initial E, with Jonah cast up by the whale (below), city of Nineveh (above).

47. f. 417v. Micah. Initial V, with Micah seated with a scroll.

48. f. 419v. Nahum. Initial O, with Nahum standing by a city with falling towers.

49. f. 421. Habakkuk. Initial O, with Habakkuk kneeling with loaves in cloth, God grasps him by the hair.

50. f. 422. Zephaniah. Initial V, with Zephaniah seated with a scroll.

51. f. 423v. Haggai. Initial I, with Haggai standing with a scroll.

52. f. 424v. Zechariah. Initial I, with Zechariah standing with a scroll.

53. f. 428v. Malachi. Initial O, with Malachi seated with a scroll.

54. f. 430v. I Maccabees. Initial E, Mattathias holds a sword, and prepare to slay a kneeling Jew, who holds a pig’s head in a dish.

55. f. 445v. II Maccabees. Initial F, with messenger delivering a letter to a seated Jew.

56. f. 456. Matthew. Initial L, with Tree of Jesse: Jesse lies at the foot, and three diamond-shaped compartments above contain, in ascending order, a king, the Virgin, and Christ.

57. f. 471. Mark. Initial I, with Mark standing with a scroll.

58. f. 481. Luke. Initial F, with Zacharias censing an altar, angel on the right.

59. f. 497. John. Initial I, with John seated and writing.

60. f. 509. Romans. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

61. f. 515. I Corinthians. Initial P, with Paul with a scroll, pointing upwards.

62. f. 520v. II Corinthians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a sword, pointing upwards.

63. f. 524v. Galatians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

64. f. 526v. Ephesians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

65. f. 528. Philippians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

66. f. 529v. Colossians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a sword and pointing.

67. f. 531. I Thessalonians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a sword and pointing.

68. f. 532. II Thessalonians. Initial P, with Paul seated with a sword and pointing.

69. f. 532v. I Timothy. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

70. f. 534v. II Timothy. Initial P, with Paul seated with a sword and a scroll.

71. f. 535v. Titus. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

72. f. 536v. Philemon. Initial P, with Paul seated with a scroll.

73. f. 536v. Hebrews. Initial M, with Paul standing with a sword, conversing with a Jew.

74. f. 541v. Acts. Initial P, with the Ascension.

75. f. 558. James. Initial I, with James standing with a scroll.

76. f. 560. I Peter. Initial P, with Peter seated, holding a key.

77. f. 561v. II Peter. Initial S, with Peter standing with a scroll.

78. f. 562v. I John. Initial Q, with John seated at a desk, writing.

79. f. 564. II John. Initial S, with John standing with a scroll.

80. f. 564v. III John. Initial S, with John standing with a scroll.

81. f. 564v. Jude. Initial I, with Jude standing with a scroll.

82. f. 566. Apocalypse. Initial A, with John seated at a desk, writing. Towers of 6 churches (out of 7) in background.

Liturgies LATIN: Bible LATIN: Art. Illuminations and Drawings FRENCH: Illuminated Vulgate Bible: circa 1250: Lat.