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Burney MS 247

Record Id:

040-002237128

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-002236305

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000001311.0x000127

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Burney MS 247

Title:

Poetic compilation: Sedulius, Carmen paschale, hymns; Prudentius, Psychomachia, Cathemerinon, Peristephanon, Dittochaeon; Marbod of Rennes, Passio sanctorum martyrum Felicis et Audacti; Pseudo-Hilary of Poitiers, Epistola ad Abram filiam suam.

Scope & Content:

Contents:

ff. 1r-3v: Notes on the manuscript in French, mainly written by Barthélemy Mercier (b. 1734, d. 1799), abbot of Saint-Leger and librarian of Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, on smaller pieces of 18th-century paper inserted at the beginning of the first quire.

ff. 4r-7v: Sedulius (fl. 450), Epistula ad Macedonium (Letter to Macedonius), the header being (seemingly mistakenly) written in the same dark ink as the text, beginning: 'Domino sancto patri Machedonio presbitero Sedulius in Christo salutem Priusquam me venerabilis pater'.

ff. 7v-42v: Sedulius, Carmen paschale (Easter Song), books 1-5, with preface.

ff. 42v-45r: Sedulius, Elegia (Elegy), beginning: ‘Cantemus domino socii cantemus honorem’.

ff. 45r-46v: Sedulius, Abecedarian hymn, also called A solis ortus cardine (From the Pivot of the Sun's Rising) after its opening words.

ff. 47r-67r: Prudentius (b. 348, d. c. 405), Psychomachia (Battle of Souls).

ff. 67v-98v: Prudentius, Cathemerinon ([Book] in Accordance with the Hours), including prologue and first ten hymns, beginning: ‘Per quinquennia iam decem’.

ff. 99r-177v: Prudentius, Peristephanon (Crowns of Martyrdom), written in the following order: verse 1 (Martyrs Emeterius and Chelidonius of Calagurris), verse 5 (Passion of St Vincent the Martyr), verse 4 (Eighteen Holy Martyrs of Caesaraugusta), verse 6 (Martyrs Fructuosus, Augurius and Eulogius), verse 7 (Quirinus the Martyr and Bishop of Siscia), verse 9 (Passion of St Cassian), verse 11 (To Bishop Valerian on the Passion of the Martyr Hippolytus), verse 13 (Passion of Cyprian), verse 12 (Passion of the Apostles Peter and Paul), verse 14 (Passion of Agnes), verse 2 (Passion of Lawrence the Martyr), verse 3 (Passion of Eulalia the Martyr), verse 10 (Declaration of St Romanus the Martyr Against Pagans).

ff. 177v-180r: Prudentius, Hymnus de nativitate Christi (Hymn on the Nativity of Christ), verse 11 from Cathemerinon, beginning: ‘Quid est quod artum circulum’.

ff. 180r-184v: Prudentius, Hymnus de Epiphaniae (Hymn on the Epiphany), verse 12 from Cathemerinon, beginning: ‘Quicumque Christum queritis’.

ff. 184v-188v: Prudentius, Dittochaeon (The Double Testament), beginning with the first quatrain about Adam and Eve: ‘Eva columba fuit tunc candida’.

ff. 188v-189r: Prudentius, Epilogus (Epilogue), beginning: ‘Pius fidelis innocens pudicus’.

ff. 189r-192r: Marbod of Rennes (b. c. 1035, d. 1123), Passio sanctorum martyrum Felicis et Audacti (The Passion of the Holy Martyrs Felix and Audactus), beginning: ‘Felix fide felix actu’.

ff. 192r-193v: Pseudo-Hilary of Poitiers (fl. 6th century?), Epistola ad Apram filiam suam (Letter to his daughter Apra) (see Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina, no. 3887a). It begins: ‘Dilectissime filie Apre Hilarius in domino salutem’.

[ff. 46*r-v are blank].

Decoration:

1 large puzzle initial in red and blue (f. 7v). 3- or 4-line puzzle initials in red and blue (e.g. ff. 5r, 67v), or plain blue and red initials of similar size (e.g. f. 47r), at the beginning of new texts and individual hymns. Red headings throughout.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Burney Manuscripts

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-002236305
040-002237128

Is part of:

Burney MS : Burney Manuscripts

Burney MS 247 : Poetic compilation: Sedulius, Carmen paschale, hymns; Prudentius, Psychomachia, Cathemerinon, Peristephanon, Dittochaeon; Marbod…

Hierarchy:

032-002236305[0242]/040-002237128

Container:

View / search within Archive / Collection: Burney MS

Record Type (Level):

File

Extent:

A paper codex

Digitised Content:

Languages:

Latin

Scripts:

Latin

Start Date:

1465

End Date:

1465

Date Range:

1465

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Paper.

Dimensions: 205 x 140 mm (text space 155 x 90 mm).

Foliation: ff. ii + 196 + 46*; ff. i, 196 are modern paper flyleaves; ff. ii, 194 are modern parchment flyleaves; f. 195 is a Burney index on paper, attached to f. 196r; ff. 1-3 are smaller pieces of 18th-century paper inserted at the beginning of the first quire; Burney pagination in ink, now crossed out.

Script: Gothic cursive.

Binding: Post-1600. Pre-Burney binding of brown leather over wooden boards. Both upper and lower boards are blind-tooled with elaborate frame with gold-tooled circles in each corner, and the three outer edges of both boards are partially bevelled; the joints repaired; spine re-backed at British Museum.

Custodial History:

Origin: Marcoussis, Northern France.

Provenance:

The Celestine convent of the Holy Trinity, Marcoussis, south of Paris, founded between 1400 and 1408: written in 1465 according to the heading to Sedulius’ Carmen paschale: ‘Prologus sedulii primus incipit 1465’ (f. 7v); several ownership inscriptions added after 1465, in the late 15th-century, and 16th-century: ‘Caelistinorum De Marcossiaco.’ (f. 4r), ‘Calestinorum de marcoussiaco’ f. 184v), ‘De m(ar)coussiaco’ (f. 193v).

James Edwards (b. 1756, d. 1816), book collector and bookseller: his sale, 5 April 1815, lot 319, bought by Payne for £2. The Mr Payne most likely refers to Thomas Payne, Jr., (b. 1752, d. 1831), London bookseller and as of 1813 in partnership with Henry Foss under the bookselling business name Payne & Foss.

Charles Burney (b. 1757, d. 1817), D.D., classical scholar.

Acquired by the British Museum as part of Burney’s library from his son Charles Parr Burney in 1818.

Information About Copies:

Select digital coverage available for this manuscript: see Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts at http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm.

Publications:

Catalogue of Manuscripts in The British Museum, New Series, 1 vol. in 2 parts (London: British Museum, 1834-1840), I, part II: The Burney Manuscripts (1840), p. 64.

Léopold Delisle, Le Cabinet des Manuscrits de la Bibliothèque [Impériale] Nationale: Étude sur la formation de ce dépôt, 3 vols (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1868-1881), II (1874): p. 251, n. 2.

A. G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c.700-1600 in the Department of Manuscripts, The British Library, 2 vols (London: British Library, 1979), I: no. 508 (p. 98), II: pl. 676.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Names:

Burney, Charles, classical scholar, 1757-1817
Edwards, James, bookseller of London, 1756-1816
Marbod of Rennes, Bishop of Rennes, c 1035-1123,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000122379363,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/241082057
Mercier, Barthélemy, Abbot of Saint-Leger; Librarian of Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, 1734-1799
Prudentius, Aurelius Clemens, 348-c 405,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000121178930,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/100010336
Sedulius, fl 450,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000080979589,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/18636329

Related Material:

Catalogue of Manuscripts in The British Museum, New Series, 1 vol. in 2 parts (London: British Museum, 1834-1840), I, part II: The Burney Manuscripts (1840), p. 64:

‘Chartaceus, in 4to., pp. 880, anno 1464 scriptus ; quondam Celestinorum de Marcossiaco.

1. Cœlii Sedulii Carmen Paschale in quinque libros distinctum, cum dedicatione ad Macedonium. p. 1.

2. Ejusdem Elegia. p. 78. Tit. “Canticum Sedulii peractericum, id est, repercussum.”

3. Ejusdem hymnus, “a solis ortus cardine.” p. 83. Tit. “Hymnus Sedulii episcopi, a beato Ieronimo annumerati in cathalogo virorum illustrium, super totum evangelium, per litteras alfabeti, in metro iambico dimetro acathalectico ; floruit autem ipse eodem tempore quo et Ieronimus, imperante Theodosio.”

4. M. Aurelii Clementis Prudentii Psychomachia. p. 87.

5. Ejusdem Cathemerinon liber ; proœmium scilicet, et hymni decem priores. p. 128.

6. Ejusdem liber Peristephanon ; hymni scilicet in honorem, SS. Hemeterii et Celedonii. p. 191. S. Vincentii. O. 196.Decem et octo martyrum Cæsaraugustanorum. p. 220.S. Quirini. p. 235. S. Cassiani. p. 239.S. Hippolyti Presbyteri. p. 243.S. Cypriani, Carthaginensis Episcopi. p. 254.SS. Apostolorum Petri et Pauli. p. 258. S. Agnetis. p. 261. S. Laurentii. p. 267. S. Eulaliæ virginis. p. 291. S. Romani. p. 300.

7. Ejusdem Hymnus de Nativitate Christi; hymnus scilicet Cathemerinon undecimus. p. 348.

8. Ejusdem Hymnus de Epiphania ; hymnus scilicet Cathemerinon duodecimus. p. 353. In fine, “Ymnorum Prudencii liber 4 feliciter explicit, sequitur ejusdem dirochium veteris ac novi testamenti.”

9. Ejusdem Dittochæum, sive Collatio Veteris et Novi Testamenti. p. 362.

10. Ejusdem de opusculis suis Epilogus. p. 370.

11. Marbodi, Redonensis Episcopi, de passione SS. Martyrum Felicis et Adaucti, cum oratione ad eos. p. 371. Tit. “Passio Sanctorum Felicis et Adaucti in metro trochaico trimetro clauso dactilo, actorem ignoro.” Impress. inter opuscula Marbodi in fine opp. Hildeberti, ed. Beaugendre, Paris. 1708, col. 1543.

12. S. Hilarii, Pictaviensis Episcopi, ad Abram filiam suam Epistola. P. 377. Tit. “Epistola beati Hilarii quam misit Apre filie sue dum ipse exularet.” Impress. inter opera Hilarii, ed. Paris. 1693, col. 1209.’