Cotton MS Vespasian D VI, ff 2–77

These folios contain various Biblical texts, notes, and hymns in Latin and Old English. Apart from the additions on ff. 76v–77v, most of this text may have been copied between the middle of the 10th century to 2nd half of the 10th century. These folios include:

ff. 2r–37v: Book of Proverbs (Parabole Salomonis), with Old English glosses;

ff. 38v-66v: Alcuin, De virtutibus et vitiis, with Old English glosses;

ff. 67r-68v: note on Abbot Macarius;

ff. 68v–69v: the ‘Kentish hymn’ in Old English;

ff. 69v-70r: note of the age of the world in Old English;

ff. 70r–73v: the 'Kentish Psalm' (an Old English paraphrase of Psalm 50, with Latin text copied in red throughout);

ff. 73v–76v: Disticha Catonis (incomplete);

76v–77v: hymns for St Augustine of Canterbury and others, added in the 2nd half of the 11th century or 1st quarter of the 12th century.

77v: Dialogue between the Chorus and Cantor, beginning with the words ‘Venite, filii eue, uenite ad filium Marie.’ With neumes. The Chorus is represented as demanding why the Saviour hangs on a malefactor's cross. Having heard the Cantor's explanation of the reason, they break out into a song of praise ‘Aue, rex noster,’ etc. [Hughes-Hughes, Catalogue of Manuscript Music, Vol. 1, p. 239.]

Decoration: large initial (f. 2r); letters highlighted in blue, yellow, and red or orange (throughout ff. 2v-37v); large initial in red and black (f. 38v); smaller initials in red and black (throughout ff. 38v-60r); letters highlighted in red (ff. 38v-60r); rubrics in red (ff. 38v-60r, 71r-73r); initials in black with penwork (ff. 42v, 44r, 67r, 68v, 69v, 70r, 73v, 74r, 75r-v); musical notation (ff. 76v-77v).