Harley MS 3004

Origin:

Arnstein, Germany.

Provenance:

The Premonstratensian abbey of St Mary and St Nicholas, Arnstein, written by the canon Theodericus: inscribed, 13th century 'liber sancte marie sanctique nicolai in arinstein, quem scripsit Theodericus canonicus ibidem, quem si quis abstulerit anatema sit' (f. 1r). Perhaps written before he became abbot in 1217 (see Watson, Dated and Datable (1979): inscribed by a different and slightly later 13th-century hand 'quem scripsit abbas Theodericus' (f. 165v); the entry 'Liber confessionum sancti Augustini' was added to the library catalogue c. 1225 (see Krings, Das Prämonstratenserstift (1990), p. 254); Heinrich Schupp, abbot of this monastery (1556-1574) added chapter divisions, references to Bible passages and running headers in red in the margins and inscribed 'Hic liber, ut in calce videtur a venerabili domino Theoderico abbate huius monasterii Arnsteyn conscriptus, a me, Henrico Schupio, eiusdem loci licet abbati indigno, suis titulis, capitibus atque annotationibus sacre scripture respondentibus juxta aeditionem Erasmi Roterodami est elucidatus anno domini salvatoris nostri Jhesu Christi millesimo quingentesimo septuagesimo. Benedictus Deus' (f. 2r).

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.

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.