Add MS 78830

BRIAN CRON MANUSCRIPTS. Vol. II. Prosper of Aquitaine, etc.; N. France (Cysoing?); mid 13th cent., ascribed by Sydney Cockerell to circa 1260-1270 on art historical grounds (f. iii verso), capable of a slightly earlier dating on palaeographical grounds. Latin. Signed at the end by the scribes, Johannes dictus Campions and Arnulphus de Camphaing, and the illuminator, Gossuins de Lecaucie (colophon, f. 410). Cockerell cites another small Bible signed by Arnolphus de Camphaing mentioned in a catalogue by A. Firmin-Didot, vol. 2 (1879), no. 1. See S. Cockerell, ‘Signed Manuscripts in My Collection I’, Book Handbook, no. 6 (1948), pp. 321- 328, and A. Stones, Trésors Sacrés (exhibition), Tournai (1971), pp. 52-53. Cockerell has suggested that the manuscript was produced at the Augustinian monastery of Cysoing. Signature of Charles Ashby Holland (f. 1). Ex libris of Charles Hurt junior, of Wirksworth, Derbyshire, 25 November 1820 (f. ii verso). Bought by Charles Butler, of Warren Wood, Hatfield, at Hurt sale at Sotheby’s, 3 May 1853, lot 22 (f. ii verso). Purchased from Butler by Sir Sydney Cockerell, 15 August 1904 (f. iii recto). Bequeathed to Eric George Millar, 21 January 1957 (f. iii recto). Bequeathed to Brian Cron, 11 February 1967 (f. iii recto).

Vellum; ff. iv+410. Sec. fol.: ‘Aurelii aug(ustin)i de v(er)a i(n)nocentia lib(er) incipio [sic].i. Innocentia e(st) v(er)a q(uae) n(on) s(i) nec’. 161 x 109mm. One paper pastedown (f. i), two paper flyleaves to front (f. ii-iii) and one to back (f. iv). Gatherings (41) of 12, except 1². Catchwords at end of each quire. Pricked and ruled (lead point) for double columns of 26 lines with single bounding lines with horizontals extending across the page for the running head and for the top and bottom three text lines. Two further horizontals extending across lower margin. Written space 95 x 70mm. Text is above top line. Script is a small Gothic textualis rotunda, formally written with calligraphic descenders to bottom line. Blind tooled brown russia binding with one clasp. Original silk (?) curtain with embroidered edges covering initial (f. 34). Cron consulted Donald King of the Textile Department, of the Victoria and Albert Museum on 11 December 1968, who said that the material and stitches were silk and that they were more likely to be medieval than modern (see Add. MS 78831).

Contents:

1. ff. 1v. List of Augustine’s works, including those found in the next item.

2. ff. 3v-34. Prosper of Aquitaine, Liber Sententiarum ex Augustino excerptarum.

3. ff. 43-303v. Augustini Flores.

4. ff. 304-304v. Versus de S. Augustino.

5. ff. 305-410. Johannis Damasceni, De fide orthodoxa libri IV.

Decoration consists of 6 inhabited initials, fully painted and gilded (ff. 3v, 34, 305, 321, 349v, 384). Minor 2-line pen-flourished initials and extension borders in blue and red. Pen-flourished litterae notabiliores in blue and red.

Saint Augustine,; Bishop of Hippo: Johannes Campions, scribe: Arnulphus de Camphaing, scribe: Gossuins de Lecaucie, illuminator: Art. Illuminations and Drawings FRENCH: S. Augustini Flores, etc., written by Johannes Campions and Arnulphus de Camphaing and illuminated by Gossuins de Lecaucie: circa 1260-1280: Lat.

includes:

• ff. 3v-34 Saint Prosper,; of Aquitaine: Liber Sententiarum ex Augustino excerptarum by Prosper: circa 1260-1280: Lat.
• ff. 305-410 Saint John,; of Damascus: De fide orthodoxa: circa 1260-1280: Lat.