Add MS 47673

From: Catalogue of Additions to the Manuscripts in the British Library, 1951-1955 (London: British Library, 1982) no. 47673:

'HOLKHAM MSS. Vol. II (formerly MS. 17). SCHUTTERN GOSPELS, in Latin, written and decorated at the Benedictine monastery of Schuttern, Baden, by the deacon Liutharius at the order of Abbot Bertricus (see further below); circ. 816-825. For a detailed description of the contents, which includes canon tables, prefaces, summaries and capitulary see L. Dorez, 'Evangeliaire exécuté à l'Abbaye de Schuttern (viiie-ixe siècle)', Mélanges offerts à M. Émile Chatelain, 1910, pp. 293-299. See also A. G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts, c. 700-1600, in the Department of Manuscripts, The British Library, 1979, i, no. 418. Vellum; ff. ii+211. 300 mm. X215 mm. (text space 232 mm.xl55 mm.). Early IX cent. (see E. A. Lowe, Codices Latini Antiquiores, II, 2nd ed., 1972, p. xiii). Sec. fol.:'-torem ipse non vidit'. Gatherings of eight leaves (i6, xxi has 7 excised, xxvi6 [penultimate]), with Q and contemporary numbering in roman numerals embellished with horizontal lines at the foot of the last leaf in quires i-xxv. Ruled and written in two columns of twenty-five lines bounded by double vertical and single horizontal lines; prickings in the outer margins only. The rulings were made, with hard point, two bifolia at a time before folding, Old Style (see E. K. Rand, A Survey of the Manuscripts of Tours, 1929, pp. 11-18), except gatherings i, xxvi, ruled three bifolia at a time; ii ruled singly on the hair side (incorporating the canon tables); iii having the inner two bifolia ruled separately; iv and v ruled New Style (Rand, op. cit., pp. 13-18); and xxvii ruled four, Old Style. The script is a neat Carolingian minuscule with titles, explicits, etc., in uncials (ff. 19, 104b uncials mixed with rustic capitals). The texts of the canon and chapter tables and of the colophon are in the same hand, but in a smaller minuscule with more pronounced Merovingian elements, heavily abbreviated, and with greater use of the Merovingian cursive ligatures, e.g. 'ri', 'ro', and 'ct'. Two forms of 'a' are used, the open double-c type and the uncial form. Abbreviations beside the Nomina Sacra comprise mostly the common Continental signs of the late 8th and early 9th cent., and include e=est; n, c=non, con; r=rum; , p +per, pro; q;=que; au=autem; t'=tur (but also unabbreviated); frequent use is made of the suprascript bar for 'm'. Punctuation is varied but mostly employs ¨, for the final stop and the medial point or comma for the pause. Notae Tironianae occur at ff. 8-10, 69b, 71b, 107b, 165. The decoration includes arcaded canon tables and chapter tables and, at the beginning of each gospel, large initial letters of an Insular type, decorated with interlace and including beasts and birds. The main colours used are green, rust-red, indigo and yellow. The place of miniatures of the Evangelists is taken by rectangular bordered panels containing quotations from the Psalms (viz:-f. 18, St Matthew, Ps. lxvii, vv. 27, 29, Ps. xxxi, vv. 1, 2; f. 70b, St Mark, Ps. xxxiii, vv. 12-15; f. 106b, St Luke, Ps. xxxiii, vv. 9, 10. The fourth panel, which would have preceded St John's gospel, is now missing.) written in uncials in white ink, on grounds of purple and indigo. For a discussion of manuscripts with related decoration see O. Homburger, 'Ein vernichtetes Denkmal merowingischer Buchkunst aus frühkarolingischer Zeit, der "Rachio-Kodex" der Bongarsiana', Festschrift für Hans R.. Hahnloser zum 60. Geburtstag, Dezember 1959, 1961, pp. 185-206. Written by the deacon Liutharius, as recorded in the colophon (f. 202b): 'Ego Liutharius diaconus hunc biblum scripsi ob iussu bertrici abbatis, ad salutem querentibus anime vel legentibus . . .' An early 9th cent. list of the monks of Schuttern preserved at the neighbouring monastery of Reichenau (cited by Dorez, op. cit., p. 298) contains the names both of Liutharius and of Abbot Bertricus. A charter of the Abbey of Schuttern and its Abbot Hermannus, dated 1269, is noted at ff. 211-211b. For further details of the monastery of SS. Peter and Paul, Schuttern, and of Abbot Bertricus see A. Krieger, Topographisches Wörterbuch des Grossherzogtums Baden, ii, 1905, cols. 917-923 and F. Quarthal, Die Benediktinerklöster in Baden-Württemberg (Germania Benedictina, v), 1975, p. 569. Acquired by Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester (d. 1759), see C. W. James, 'Some notes upon the Manuscript Library at Holkham', The Library, 4th ser., ii, 1922, p. 226. At f. ii is the bookplate of Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham 1837. Mid-19th cent. binding of purple morocco, elaborately gold-tooled and with the gilt ostrich stamp of the Coke family.Scribes: Liutharius, deacon of Schuttern Abbey: early 9th cent.Schuttern, Baden, Germany: Gospels executed at the Abbey at: early 9th cent.Manuscripts, Dated (to A.D.1500) Latin and Modern (Western European) Languages: Manuscripts, Dated: A.D. 816-825.Liutharius, deacon of Schuttern Abbey, Baden: Wrote: early 9th cent.Bindings ENGLISH: Violet leather, with gold-tooling, and crest of the Coke family of Norfolk: 19th cent.Bible LATIN: Gospels: early 9th cent.Bertricus, Abbot of Schuttern, Baden: Gospels written for: early 9th cent.Art. Illuminations and Drawings GERMAN: The Schuttern Gospels: decorated initials and borders: early 9th cent.Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham: Bookplates: bef. 1837.Bookplates and Book-stamps: Coke (Thomas William), 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham: bef. 1837'.