Harley MS 2869

Contents:

ff. 4r-9v: Calendar (with English saints); featuring an Middle English note for determining the date of Ash Wednesday in February with the lunar calendar on f. 4v: ‘This is to weting þat þe furste wendisday in þe newe mone of feverȝer is ever more axwendisday’.

ff. 10r-47v: The Hours of the Virgin.

ff. 48r-59r: The Seven Penitential Psalms.

ff. 59r-65r: Litany of Saints, followed by various prayers to God.

ff. 65r-65v: Prayer for peace (‘Oracio pro pace’), beginning: ‘Deus a quo sancta desideria recta consilia et iusta sunt opera’.

f. 65v: Prayer to Christ (‘Alia oracio’), beginning: ‘Ineffabilem misericordiam tuam quesumus nobis domine clementer offende’.

f. 65v: Prayer to God (‘Oracio’), beginning: ‘Deus qui nos patrem et matrem honorare precepisti’.

ff. 65v-66v: Prayer to God (‘Alia oracio’), beginning: ‘Fidelium deus omnium conditor et redemptor animabus omnium fidelium defunctorum’.

ff. 66v-67r: Prayers to the Father (‘Oracio ad patrem sic’), beginning: ‘Pater de celis deus. Miserere nobis’.

f. 67v: Prayers to the Son (‘Oracio ad filium’), beginning: Fili redemptor mundi deus. Miserere nobis’.

ff. 68r-68v: Prayers to the Holy Spirit (‘Oracio ad spiritum sanctum’), beginning: ‘Spiritus sancte deus. Miserere nobis’.

ff. 68v-69r: Prayer to God (‘Bona oracio’), beginning: ‘Pater clementissime qui contines machinam mundi’.

ff. 69r-70v: Prayer to Christ (‘Valde bona oracio’), beginning: ‘Iuste iudex ihesu Christe rex regum et domine’.

ff. 70v-72r: Prayer to God (‘Oracio bona’), beginning: ‘Pater a nullo est factus. nec creatus nec genitus’.

ff. 72r-72v: Suffrage to St John the Baptist.

ff. 72v-73r: Suffrage to St Peter.

ff. 73r-73v: Prayer to Christ (‘Oracio bona’), beginning: ‘Salvator mundi clemencie iter obprobria que pertulisti’.

ff. 73v-74v: Prayer to the Archangels and the Nine Quires of Angels (‘Valde devota oracio de Angelis’), beginning: ‘Sancte michael archangele’.

ff. 74v-75r: Prayer to the Guardian Angel (‘Oracio ad proprium angelum’), beginning: ‘Queso domine et obsequenter rogo te sancte angele dei’.

ff. 75r-75v: Prayer to the Trintiy (‘Oracio de trinitate’), beginning: ‘Sancta trinitas que individue unitas’.

ff. 75v-80v: Prayer-sequence to the virgin Mary (‘Oracio de sancta maria’), beginning: ‘Ave maria gracia plena’); followed by blessings (e.g. ‘Benedicta sit misericordia que nobis genuit misericordiam Amen’) and prayers on the Joys of the Virgin Mary (e.g. ‘Per illud gaudium quod habuisti quando gabriel archangelus tibi nunciant quod spiritus sanctus in te descenderet’.

ff. 80v-81v: Prayer to the Virgin Mary (‘Alia oracio de sancta maria’), beginning: ‘Salve mater salvatoris que deorum deum paris’.

ff. 81v-85r: Litany of the Virgin Mary, with a rubric: ‘Qui dixerit letaniam istam semel in die cum devocione in honore beate marie virginis ante tercium diem sue mortis eam presentem’.

ff. 85r-86r: Prayer to the Virgin Mary (‘Oracio de sancta maria sic’), beginning: ‘Gaude flore virginali’.

ff. 86r-86v: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe fili dei vivi qui sacratissimam genitricem ac felicissimam virginem matrem tuam perpetuis felicibus gaudiis in celo letificasti’.

ff. 87r-88v: Bede, Prayer on the Last Seven Words of Christ on the Cross (‘Oracio de septem verborum Christi’), beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe qui septem verba in ultimo in te tue in cruce pendens dixisti’.

ff. 88v-89r: Prayer to Christ, with a rubric: ‘Omnibus vere penitentibus confessis et contritis hanc sequentem oracionem devote dicentibus inter elevacionem corpus [sic] Christi et tercium Angus dei per papem bonefacium sextum duo milia annorum indulgencie ad supplicacionem domini philippi regis francie’, beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe qui hanc sacratissima in carnem et hunc preciosum sanguinem de gloriose virginis utero [? veraciter] assumpsisti’.

ff. 89r-91r: O Intemerata (‘Oracio sancta maria’), beginning: ‘O intemerata et in eternum benedicta’.

ff. 91v-95v: Prayer to the Virgin Mary, beginning: ‘Ave virgo graciosa stella sole clarior’.

ff. 95v-100r: Prayer of St Paul, with a long rubric in Middle English verse: ‘He þat devoutely this orisowne. Eche day seþ wyth good devocyowne remissiowne of synne hym grantyd is / And for sodeyne deth to be save wiþ outyn mys / And ȝif any Jorney he haþ to spede / To sey þis orysowne take he good hede / And he his nedis goodly schal bespede [etc.] Seynt poule þe apostel þis orysoune wrowȝth / Be enspyracione os þe holy gost hym tawȝth / And þe holy man Innocent / To eche man þat it seiþ witþ gud entent / He graunt þre hundrid daies to pardon / And þer to he ȝevyt hem alle his benysoun / No man knowiþ þis orisoun wiþ outiþ misse / Save god only what virtu þer in is’, beginning: ‘Psalmus; Deus in adiutorium meum intende’.

ff. 100r-100v: Prayer to Christ (‘Oracio bona’), beginning: ‘Libera me domine ihesu Christe fili dei vivi qui in cruce suspensus fuisti’.

ff. 101r-102r: Prayer to God, beginning: ‘Agyos Agyos Agyos invisibilis deus per tuum sanctum nomen quod est non obsecro te adiuva me’.

ff. 102r-103r: Prayer to God, beginning: ‘Domine deus omnipotens on .lothe. adonay te deprecor ut liberes me de angustia quam nunc habeo’.

ff. 103r-103v: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe per tuas sanctas lacrimas quas plorasti quando lazarum resuscitasti’.

ff. 103v-104r: Prayer to the Virgin Mary, beginning: ‘Precor te sancta maria pia’.

ff. 104r-105r: Prayer to the Five Wounds, beginning: ‘Ave dextra manus Christi’.

ff. 105r-105v: Prayer to Christ (‘Oracio’), beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe fili dei vivi in honore et memoria trium sanctarum oracionum’.

ff. 105v-109r: Prayer to the Virgin Mary (‘Oracio bona de sancta Maria’), beginning: ‘Obsecro te domina sancta maria mater dei’.

ff. 109r-109v: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe adoro te in cruce ascendentem deprecor te ut ispa crux liberet me angelo percuciente’.

ff. 109v-110r: Prayer to God (‘Oracio’), beginning: ‘Deus qui pro humano genere crucem sanctam ascendisti spinam coronam in capite portasti’.

ff. 110v-111r: Suffrage to St Anne.

ff. 112r-146v: The Office of the Dead.

ff. 146v-167r: The Commendation of Souls.

ff. 167v-174r: Prayer of St Augustine, with a rubric: ‘Incipit inquisicio sancti Augustini de ista ista oracione in quacumque die aliquis oracionem dixerit non nocebit cum diabolus neque nullus homo impedimentum facere potest et quod iustum pecierit a deo dabitur ei et si de hac vita ipsa die migrave [sic] ut infernus eius animam non possi debitor’, beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe qui in hunc mundum propter nos peccatores de sinu patris advenisti’.

ff. 174r-174v: Anima Christi, with a rubric: ‘Johannes papa xxij consessit omnibus dicentibus subsequentem oracionem inter elevacionem et tercium Agnus dei tria milia dierum indulgencie’, beginning: ‘Anima Christi sanctifica me’.

ff. 174v-176r: Prayer for Confession, with a rubric: ‘Quicumque dixit hanc oracionem semel in die sine confessione non morietur’, beginning: ‘Confiteor deo celi et terre et omnibus sanctis eius’.

ff. 176r-177v: Prayer to God, with a rubric: ‘Oracio de agnicione dei et de indulgencia delictorum et pro ereptione diversarum tribulacionum valde devota oracio’, beginning: ‘Miserere domine miserere Christi tu misericordia mea miserere mei’.

f. 177v: Suffrage to St Margaret.

ff. 177v-178r: Suffrage to St Gabriel the Archangel.

ff. 178r-179r: Suffrage to St Katherine.

ff. 179r-179v: The Five Joys of St Katherine (‘Quinque gaudia de sancta Katherina’), beginning: ‘Gaude virgo katerine qua doctores lex divina traxit ab erronibus’.

ff. 179v-180r: Prayer to St Katherine (‘Oracio bona’), beginning: ‘Sancta et gloriosa virgo martyr katerina michi miserimo [sic] peccatori sicut promisisti omnibus inno cantibus nomen tuum in angustia et tribulacione esto propicia sancta katerina libera me de tormento gehenna ignis’.

ff. 180r-186r: Gospel lessons, beginning with a rubric: ‘Istud evangelium compositum fuit dominum Johannem [papam] secundum apud auvunem [Avignon] tertio die ante decessum suum pro quo concessit omnibus illud dicentibus et audientibus vere confessis et contritis trecentos dies indulgencie’; beginning with the heading: ‘Passio domini nostri ihesu Christi secundum Johannes’.

ff. 186r-201r: Jerome’s Psalter, with a rubric: ‘Beatus Jeronimus hoc modo disposuit psalterium ut angelus docuit eum pro hiis qui solicitum domine infirmitate debilitate ieiunio seu propter festivas solennitates vel aliter racionabiliter impedimentur quod totium psalterium pasallere non possuit ut noverunt qui omnes excusantur dicendo hoc psalterium’, beginning: ‘Verba mea auribus percipe’.

ff. 201r-202r: The Mass of St Gregory, with a long rubric: ‘Beato gregorio missam celebrante dominus noster ihesus Christus apparuit ei in talie effigie imde [sic: ‘inde’] concessit omnibus qui talem figuram devote aspexerit ubicumque fuerit et genu flectando cum devocione dixeruit quinquies Pater noster et tociens Ave Maria quatuordecim milia annorum indulgencie [etc.]’; begining: ‘Illo nempe die pietatis munere domine’.

ff. 202r-203r: A liturgical chant, beginning: ‘Salve redemptor plasma tuum nobile’; followed by psalms and the hymn Gloria Patri.

ff. 203r-203v: Prayer to Christ (‘Oracio’), beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe fili dei vivi qui omnia conspicis et universa tua voluntate disponis’.

ff. 203v-204r: Hymn to the Virgin Mary, with a Middle English rubric: ‘Hyt is þer founde in holy wryt. That þe dede seyde to þe quik. Ther nis noon so foul a holur. Ne noon so gret a lechour. Ȝif he ofte sey þis orisun. Of his synnis he schal have pardon. Oracio bona’, beginning: ‘Omnis virtus te decorat’.

ff. 204r-217r: The Fifteen Oes [Quindecim Oraciones], introduced by a long rubric in English: ‘A womman solytaruy and recluse covetyng to knowe þe nombyr of þe wondys of ihesu Christe. and ofte preyd to god of hys special grace. þat he wolde schewe hem to hyr and ath þe last to hyr spake oure lorde and seyde. sey every day be day an hol ȝere .xv. Pater noster And xv Ave Maria [etc.]; followed by an account of how a holy man taught the instruction to an abbess, how it was used by her community of nuns, and a conversation between the holy man and a demon who tells him that ‘a holy wyf’ uses the prayers to save many souls from Purgatory [as printed in The Commonplace Book of Robert Reynes, ed. by Louis (1980), pp. 263-68, 463-65]; beginning: ‘O domine ihesu Christe eterna dulcedo te amancium iubilus excedens omne gaudium et omne desiderium’.

ff. 217v-218v: Psalms directed to Christ’s wounds (The Five Wounds and the wounds of the Crown of Thorns), with Middle English rubrics, beginning: ‘Here begynneþ a good preyer [...] un to þe passione of ihesu Christe. Fyrste hold þe perfect and sye psalm [?Versiculus]: Adoramus te. Omnia per sanctam’.

ff. 218v-220v: Prayer on the Holy Name, with a Middle English rubric: ‘With al fyve psalms he begynneþ þe meditacyon of [? ‘seynt’ or ‘sey it’] [‘a rich rie’ or ‘anchrie’]’, beginning: ‘[?Vernus] Christi sum ideo ostendo me servilem personam. O bone ihesu O pussime ihesu’.

ff. 220v-221r: Prayer on the Passion, with a Middle English rubric: ‘This orysoune undyr wyrt [sic] schal be seyd after þe psalmes of þe passyon’; beginning: ‘Deus qui manus duas et pedes duos et totum corpus tuum in ligno posuisti’.

The manuscript contains a few later additions:

f. 1v: Prayer to the Virgin Mary, beginning: ‘Ave virgo gracios stella sole clarior’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.

f. 1v: Short invocations, beginning: ‘O altissima Crux humana et innocens sanguis’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.

f. 2r: A Latin note on prayer, ending with ‘M.M.M’; added in the (?) 16th century.

f. 2v: Ecclesiastes 6:7: ‘Omnis Labor hominis in ore eius’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.

f. 3r: A prayer to St Anastasia of Sirmium in Latin: ‘Da quesumus omnipotens ut beate an[a]stasie martiris tue [...]’; added in the early 16th century.

f. 111v: A prayer to St Cyricus and Julitta, beginning: 'Salve decus parvulorum miles regis [sic] angelorum. Martir Cerice cum beata genitrice matre tua Julita'; added in the 16th century.

Decoration:

2 historiated initial in gold and colours with acanthus leaves, with full border with acanthus and penwork with ivy, of the Last Judgement and a funeral service (ff. 48r, 112r). 9 large initials in gold and colours with acanthus leaves, combined with full border with acanthus and penwork with ivy (f. 10r), or with partial border in the same style (ff. 17r, 29v, 33v, 36r, 38r, 40r, 42v, 146v). Initials in colours and gold with penwork and ivy sprigs. Numerous gold initials with black or brown penwork decoration and blue initials with red penwork decoration. Cadels. Some capitals marked with red. Line-fillers in gold and blue ink.