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Harley MS 2966
- Record Id:
- 040-002048797
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002048797
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000761.0x0000fe
- LARK:
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Harley MS 2966
- Title:
-
Book of Hours, Use of Sarum
- Scope & Content:
-
Contents:
ff. 2r-7v: Calendar of Saints.
ff. 9r-9v: Prayer to St Christopher, ‘De sancto Christoforo anthiphona [prayer:] O sancte Christofore martir ihesu Christi’.
ff. 10r-10v: Prayer to St Katherine of Alexandria, ‘De sancta Katherina antiphona [prayer:] Gaude virgo Katherina’.
ff. 11r-11v: Prayer to Mary Magdalene, ‘De sancta maria magdalena antiphona [prayer:] Gaude pia magdalena’.
ff. 12r-12v: Prayer to St Barbara, ‘De sancta barbara antiffona [prayer:] Gaude barbara regina’.
ff. 13r-13v: Prayer to St George, ‘De sancto georgo antiffona [prayer:] Georgij martir’.
ff. 15r-42r: The Hours of the Virgin Mary (‘Incipiunt hore beate marie virginis’); beginning: ‘Domine labia me a aperies et os meum annunciabit laudem tuam’; with an erased antiphon and verse for the feast of St Thomas of Canterbury (f. 25r).
ff. 42r-44v: Poem on the words of the hymn Salve regina, with an introductory rubric: ‘Has videas laudes qui sacra virgine gaudes et venerando piam studeas laudare mariam virginis intacte cum veneris ante figuram Pretereundo cave ut taceatur ave invenies veniam sic salutando mariam’; beginning: ‘ Salve virgo virginum stellla matutina’.
ff. 45r-45v: Prayer for the Virgin Mary, O Intemerata, ‘Oracio venerabilis [prayer:] O Intemerata et in eternum benedicta singularis et incomparabilis virgo dei genitrix maria [etc.].
ff. 46r-47r: Prayer for the Virgin Mary, Obecro te, ‘Obecro te domina sancta maria mater dei pietate plenissima [etc.]’.
ff. 47r-48v : An indulgenced daily prayer on the Seven Joys of the Virgin Mary, attributed to Pope Clement [Clement VI in the Burnet Psalter], with the introductory rubric: ‘Quicumque hec septem gaudia in honore beate marie virginis semel in die dixerit centum dies indulgenciarum obtinebit a domino papa clemente qui hec septem gaudia proprio stilo composuit [prayer:] Virgo templum trinitatis deus [etc.]’.
ff. 48v-49r: Prayer to the Virgin Mary, ‘Deprecor sanctissima Maria mater dei [etc.]’.
ff. 49r-50v: Sequence of short prayers on the Crucifixion, wood of the Cross, Christ’s wounds from the Coronation, the Five Wounds separately, the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist; ending with the prayer: ‘Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui unigenitum filium tuum dominum nostrum ihesum Christum crucem et coronam spineam et quinque vulnera subite voluisti’.
ff. 50v-51v: Bede, Prayer on the Seven Last Words.
f. 51v: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Precor te pijssime domine ihesu Christe’.
ff. 51v-52r: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Ave domine ihesu Christe verbum patris’.
f. 52r: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Ave verum corpus domini nostri ihesu Christi’.
f. 52r: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Ave caro Christi cara immolata’.
f. 52r: Anima Christi.
ff. 52r-53v: Prayer to Christ, with an introductory rubric: ‘Omnibus confessis et contritis hanc oracionem dicentibus inter elevacionem corporis Christi et tercium agnus dei dominus papa bonifacius concessit duo milia annorum indulgenciarum ad supplicacionem philippi regis francie’; beginning: ‘Domine ihesu Christe qui hanc sacratissimam carnem et preciosissimum sanguinem tuum de gloriose virginis marie utero assumpsisti’.
ff. 54r-58r: The Seven Penitential Psalms (‘incipiunt septem psalmi’); beginning: ‘Domine ne infurore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me [etc.]’.
f. 58r: The Fifteen Gradual Psalms (‘hic incipiunt quindecim psalmi’), followed by the fifteen incipits of the fifteen psalms.
ff. 58r-59r: Psalms 131-133, beginning: ‘memento Domine David et omnis mansuetudinis [etc.]’.
ff. 59r-62v: The Litany of Saints (‘letania’); beginning: ‘Kyrieleyson Christe eleyson Kyrie eleyson [etc.]’; followed by prayers to God.
ff. 64r-75v: The Office of the Dead (‘incipiunt vigilie mortuorum’).
ff. 77r-84v: The Commendation of the Souls (‘Incipiunt commendaciones anima’).
ff. 85r-87v: Psalms of the Passion (‘Psalmi de passione ihesu christi’).
ff. 87v-93v: The Psalter of Jerome, with an introductory rubric beginning: ‘Beatus vero ieronimus in hoc modo disposuit psalterium istud sicut angelus domini docuit eam per spiritum sanctum pario propter hoc abbreviatum est’.
[ff. 8v, 14r, 32v, 33r, 39r, 76r, 94v are blank].
The manuscript contains various additions:
f. 1v: Prayer to the Virgin Mary, ‘Ave domina sancta maria mater dei regina celi porta paradisi domina mundi lux sempiterna imperatrix inferni singularis et pura [etc.]’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
f. 3v: ‘Of your charyte pray for the sole of John Bryd gentylman the wych departyd the ijd dey of august in the ix yere and rayne of kyng herry the viijth’; added in the early 16th century.
f. 8r Prayer to the Virgin Mary (‘Oracio ad beatam Mariam’), begins ‘Mater digna dei venie via luxque dei [etc.]’; preceded by an English rubric in green ink: ‘Of youre charite ye shall praye for the Sowle off Elizabeth langham Gentylwoman on whos sowle Jhesu have mercy And ye shall pray for the prosperite and welfare of kateryne Bryde. Gentylwoman. whos prosperite. Jhesu preserve Amen’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
f. 8r: ‘Memorandum the xj day of december was borne Mestres Ellesabet Morton the doghter of master Robard Gentylman the yere of owr lorde good M.vC and xvij and the vij yere of the Regne of Kyng Henry the viij’; added in the early 16th century. f. 8r: ‘Memorandum that Elsabeth Adams was born on seynt hylarye day at non the xvij yere of the Reygn of kyng henry the viijth’; added in the early 16th century.
f. 39r: A pencil note on a mutilated miniature added by the British Museum: ‘Mutilation noticed [in] 1868’.
f. 84v: Prayer to Christ, beginning: ‘Confitebor tibi domine iesu Christe omnia peccata mea’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
f. 93v: English prayer to Christ for protection, [W]ho so ever say thes versys here after ffolowying iij tymes ther shall no theffe nor enmey · have power to hurte hym nor rob hym by the grace of god [prayer:] Ihesus autem tranciens per medium illorum ibat’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
f. 94r: Prayer to God, ‘Deus in adiutorium meum intende domine ad adiuvandum me festina’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
f. 95r Chant for all martyrs, ‘sancti per fidem vicerunt regna’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
f. 95r: Prayer for the Holy Helpers St Denis, St George, St Christopher, St Blaise, St Giles, Martha, St Catherine, St Margaret, St Barbara, ‘Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui sanctorum tuorum [etc.]’; added in the late 15th or early 16th century.
Decoration:
12 full-page miniatures, framed with folilate extensions into the margins, followed by large decorated initials with full foliate borders on the facing page, in colours and gold (ff. 14v, 19v, 27v, 30v, 33v, 35v, 37v, 39v [partly cut out], 53v, 63v [effaced], 76v, 84v). 5 large miniatures, in colours and gold, with large initials in gold on red and blue grounds, at the beginning of suffrages (ff. 9r, 10r, 11r, 12r, 13r). The subjects of the miniatures are:
f. 9r: St Christopher, carrying Christ.
f. 10r: St Catherine of Alexandria, with torture wheel (damaged).
f. 11r: Mary Magdalene, praying.
f. 12r: St Barbara, with tower and feather.
f. 13r: St George slaying the dragon.
f. 14v: The Annunciation.
f. 19v: The Virgin Mary helping Christ carry the Cross; adapted to represent the Arrest of Christ.
f. 27r: Christ before Pilate.
f. 30v: The Flagellation.
f. 33v: The Virgin Mary helping Christ carry the Cross.
f. 35v: Christ on the Cross with the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist below.
f. 37v: Deposition.
f. 39v: The entombment of Christ (mutilated).
f. 53v: The Last Judgment.
f. 63v: Funeral (effaced).
f. 76v: Angels lifting souls to heaven.
f. 84v: The Man of Sorrows with the Arma Christi.
1 large initial in gold on a red and blue ground with foliate extensions into the margins, at the beginning of the prayer O intemerata (f. 45r). Small initials in gold on red and blue grounds. Small initials (1 line) in gold with blue pen-flourishing or in blue with red pen-flourishing. Line fillers decorated in red and blue.
The manuscript belongs to the so-called ‘Ushaw-group’: a group of manuscripts, named after Ushaw College MS 10 (Bruges, 1408), that feature great similarities in their style of miniatures, the frames of the miniatures, and their border decoration. The group contains about ten manuscripts: almost all are Books of Hours produced in Bruges c. 1400 – 1420 for use in England: see Cardon, ‘The Illustrations and the Gold Scrolls Group’ (1985); Smeyers, Vlaamse miniature vóór Van Eyck (1993); Vertongen and Smeyers ‘Manuscrits pré-Eyckiens’ (1993); Rogers, ‘A Flemish Book of Hours for a Dominican Nun’ (1995); and Randall, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery (1997), III:I, p. 111. Another manuscript from the Ushaw group is Add MS 82946 (Bruges, c. 1410–1430).
The manuscript contains two added miniatures on small parchment pastedowns: the first one on f. 1v features a miniature the martyrdom of St Sebastian in colours and gold; a remnant of green thread indicates that it was originally sewn on the leaf. The second one on f. 75r features a miniature of the Annunciation.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Harley Collection
- Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "040-002048797", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 2966: Book of Hours, Use of Sarum" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002045828
040-002048797 - Is part of:
- Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts
Harley MS 2966 : Book of Hours, Use of Sarum - Hierarchy:
- 032-002045828[2967]/040-002048797
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
- 1 volume
- Digitised Content:
- Languages:
- English, Middle
Latin - Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1450
- End Date:
- 1474
- Date Range:
- 3rd quarter of the 15th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment.
Dimensions: 210 x 140 mm (text space: 120 x 80 mm).
Foliation: ff. 95 (+ 3 paper flyleaves at the beginning + 1 at the end); f. 95 consists of an original parchment leaf with a modern paper leaf pasted on its verso; 1 unfoliated parchment stub between f. 11 and f. 12. Pricking holes above the miniatures indicate that these were once covered with fabric curtains.
Script: Gothic.
Binding: British Museum in-house. Diced brown calf with gilt borders and edges, and the initials ‘M. B.’ (Museum Brittanicum) gold stamped on its upper cover.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin:
Bruges.
Provenance:
Female member of the Trygg family, 16th century: inscribed a finder's request on f. 1r: 'Yf any body fynd Thys boke I pray them bryng yt to Mistres Trygg for yt by hers' (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 332).
Relation of John Bryd, in or after 1517: inscribed a request for prayers for the soul of John Bird, deceased in 1517 on f. 3v (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 86).
Elizabeth Langham, Katherine Bryde, or a relation, early 16th century: inscribed in green ink by a professional 16th-century hand a request for prayers for their souls on f. 8r (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 86).
Relation of Elizabeth Morton, in or after 1517: wrote a record of her birth in 1517 on f. 8r (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 245).
Relation of Elizabeth Adams, in or after 1525/6: wrote a record of her birth in 1525/6 on f. 8r (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 47).
Nathaniel Noel (fl. 1681, d. c. 1753), bookseller, employed by Edward Harley for buying books and manuscripts chiefly on the Continent, where his agent was George Suttie; sold to Edward Harley on 20 January 1721/2 (see Diary, ed. by Wright and Wright (1966), I, p. 138 n. 7; Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 254).
The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts, inscribed as usual by their librarian, Humfrey Wanley '20 die Januarij A.D. 1721/22.' (f. 1r).
Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish, née Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d.1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.
- Publications:
-
A Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 4 vols (London: Eyre and Strahan, 1808-12), II, p. 722 (no. 2966).
Walter de Gray Birch and Henry Jenner, Early Drawings and Illuminations: An Introduction to the Study of Illustrated Manuscripts (London: Bagster, 1879), p. 18.
The Diary of Humfrey Wanley 1715-1726, ed. by Cyril Ernest Wright and Ruth C. Wright, 2 vols (London: Bibliographical Society, 1966), I: 1715-1723, p. 138 n. 7.
Cyril Ernest Wright, Fontes Harleiani: A Study of the Sources of the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1972), pp. 47, 86, 245, 254, 332.
Christopher Wordsworth and Henry Littlehales, The Old Service-Books of the English Church, 2nd edn (London: Methuen, 1910), p. 59.
Bert Cardon, ‘The Illustrations and the Gold Scrolls Group’, in Typologische taferelen uit het leven van Jezus: A Manuscript from the Gold Scrolls Group (Bruges, ca. 1440) in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, Ms. Morgan 649, ed. by Bert Cardon, Rob Lievens, and Maurits Smeyers, Corpus of Illuminated Manuscripts from the Low Counties, 1 (Louvain: Peeters, 1985).
Maurits Smeyers and others, Naer natueren ghelike: Vlaamse miniature vóór Van Eyck (ca. 1350 – ca. 1420) (Leuven: Davidsfonds, 1993).
Susie Vertongen,and Katrien Smeyers, ‘Manuscrits pré-Eyckiens: Production de masse et pratiques d’ atelier II’, in Le dessin sous-jacent dans la peinture: Colloque IX: Dessin sous-jacent et pratiques d’atelier, Louvain-la-Neuve, 12-14 sept. 1991 (Université catholique de Louvain. Institut supérieur d’Archéologie et d’Historie de l’art) (Louvain-la-Neuve: Catholic University of Louvain, 1993).
Nicholas Rogers, ‘Oxford, University College MS. 5: A Flemish Book of Hours for a Dominican Nun’, in Flanders in a European Perspective: Manuscript Illumination around 1400 in Flanders and Abroad: Proceedings of the International Colloquium Leuven, 7 – 10 September 1993, ed. by Maurits Smeyers and Bert Cardon, Corpus of Illuminated Manuscripts, 8: Low Countries Series 5 (Leuven: Peeters, 1995), pp. 219-35.
Lilian M. C. Randall and others, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery, 3 vols (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989-1997), III (1997): Belgium, 1250-1530, 2 parts, I, p. 111.
Kathryn M. Rudy, Piety in Pieces: How Medieval Readers Customized their Manuscripts (Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 2016), fig. 161.
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)
- Names:
- Bede the Venerable, Saint, c 673-735,
see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000120962352,
see also http://viaf.org/viaf/61539765 - Places:
- Bruges, Belgium