Harley MS 1719

Contents:

ff. 1r-6v: A Calendar, including English saints such as Alban, Aldhelm of Sherborne, Ælfheah of Canterbury, Æthelthryth, Cuthbert, Cuthburga, Dunstan, Edith of Wilton, Edmund the Martyr, Edmund of Abingdon, Edward the Martyr, Hugh of Lincoln, Richard of Chichester, Thomas Becket and his Translation [neither have been crossed out by the Protestant owner who crossed out all occurences of the word 'pape'], Thomas of Hereford, and Wulfstan; the months begin with verses on the Egyptian days (e.g. 'prima dies mensis et septima truncat ut ensis'); and end with indications of the hours of daylight and darkness on the days of a particular month (e.g. 'Nox habet horas xvi. dies uero viij').

ff. 7r-108v: The Book of Psalms; beginning imperfectly in the middle of Psalm 3.

ff. 108v-116v: Canticles: Confitebor tibi, Ego dixi, Exultavit cor meum, Cantemus domino gloriose, Domine audivi, Audite celi, Te deum, Benedicite, Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis.

ff. 116v-118r: Quicumque Vult.

ff. 118r-121r: A Litany of saints, divided into seven parts for the days of the week, some intersected with prayers: the first part ('letania') includes St Botolph; the second part ('Feria secunda') St Edith and St Swithun; the third part ('Feria tercia') St Æthelthryth and St Dunstan; the fourth part ('Feria iiij') St Cuthbert; the fiftth part ('Feria quinta') St Æthelwold and St Walburga; the sixth part ('Feria vj') St Birinus, St Botolph, St Judoc, St Petroc, and St Winnoc; the seventh part ('Sabbato') St Oswald and St Sexburga.

ff. 121r-130v: Office of the Dead.

f. 130v: A rubricated scribal colophon: 'Scriptori merita mater pia redde maria / Nunc finem feci da michi quod merui'.

Decoration:

6 large decorated initials combined with three-sided borders in gold and colours with acanthus leaves (ff. 22v, 33r, 51r, 62r, 73v, 85r; initials missing after ff. 6r, 41r). Large (2-line) initials in blue with red pen-flourishing. Smaller (1-line) initials in blue with red penwork decoration or in red with brown penwork decoration (when the initial is on the first or last line, the flourishing extends into the margin). Large (2-line) blue 'KL' initials in frames of red penwork decoration in the Calendar (ff. 1r-6v). Rubrics in red or blue in the Calendar, and in red throughout the manuscript. Catchwords decorated with pen-flourishing in brown ink, with brown and yellow, featuring human faces in profile (see, e.g., ff. 37v, 44v, 52v, 60v, 67v, 100v, 126v).