Cotton MS Nero A II, f 1

This single leaf originates from a Book of Hours that was most likely produced in Flanders in the 2nd half of the 15th century. It may have belonged to the same manuscript as f. 2. This leaf was reused as a flyleaf for Cotton MS Nero A II in the library of Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (b. 1571, d. 1631). It has been supplemented with a strip of parchment in order to match its size with that of the rest of the manuscript.

The leaf contains a previously unidentified fragment of the Psalter of St Jerome: an abridgement of the Psalter that, according to the introduction that usually accompanies the text, has been composed for those who have vowed to recite daily the entire Book of Psalms but are unable to do so due to illness or other circumstances. The abridged Psalter is spuriously attributed to the Church Father St Jerome (b. 347, d. 420), who is said to have composed the work at the instruction of an angel. The Psalter of St Jerome can be found in many Books of Hours, including those that were produced in Flanders for the English market (for example, see Harley MS 2966, ff. 87v-93v).

Contents:

ff. 1r-1v: Pseudo-Jerome, Psalter of St Jerome, fragment (includes Psalm 30:17-18; 33:2-4; 34:2-3; 34: 22-23; 35:11-12; 37:22-23; 38:13-14; 39:13).

Decoration:

Small gold initials in red frames.