Kings MS 9, ff 1-255

Contents:

ff. 2v-14r: Calendar, including Franco-Flemish as well as English saints (e.g. St Gertrude, March 17, St Eligius, December 1, and St Hubert, November 3); there are additional entries for January and February in a 17th-century hand.

ff. 16r-24v: The Fifteen Oes, with rubric 'Incipiunt quindecim orationes ad dominum Ihesum Xpristum';

ff. 25r-65v: Memoria to the Holy Trinity (f. 25r), St John the Baptist (f. 28r), St John the Evangelist (f. 31r), St Peter (f. 33r), St Paul (f. 35r), St Andrew (f. 37r), St Thomas of Canterbury (f. 39r), St George (f. 42), St Christopher (f. 44r), St Anthony (f. 46r), St Blaise (f. 48r), St Martin (f. 50r), St Hugh (f. 52r), St Anne (f. 54r), St Mary Magdalene (f. 56r), St Katherine (f. 59r), St Barbara (f. 61r), St Margaret (f. 63r), and St Etheldreda (f. 65r);

ff. 67r-121v: Hours of the Virgin, use of Sarum, with Commemorations of Saints, including St Thomas of Canterbury (f. 88r);

ff. 121v-122v: 'Quicunque gaudia beate marie virginis', beginning 'Gaude virgo mater Christi';

ff. 122v-123v: Prayer on the Seven Joys of the Virgin Mary, with rubric 'Septem gaudia beate marie virginis', beginning 'Gaude flore virginali', and ending incompletely owing to a leaf lost after f. 123;

ff. 124r-137v: Hymns and prayers to the Virgin, the first is a hymn based on the 'Salve regina', with rubric 'Has videas laudes : qui sacra virgine gaudes. [etc.]', and beginning 'Salue virgo virginum: stella matutina'; 'O intemerata' and 'Obsecro te' also with rubrics (ff. 130r, 132r); 'Ave mundi spes Maria' (f. 135v);

ff. 137v-141r: 'Septem gaudia in honore beate marie virginis', with indulgence attached in the name of Pope Clement, beginning 'Virgo templum trinitatis';

ff. 141v-146v: Salutations to the Crucifix, Cross, Head and Five Wounds of Christ, the Virgin, and St John Evangelist, in 10 stanzas of 12 lines, beginning 'Omnibus consideratis';

ff. 146v-150v: 'Oratio venerabilis Bede presbyteri de septem verbis Christi in cruce pendentis';

ff. 150v-153r: Salutations to Christ, the incipits of which are: 'Ave domine Ihesu Christe' (f. 150v), 'Ave principium nostre creationis' (f. 151r), 'Ave verum corpus natum' (f. 151v), 'Ave caro Christi cara' (f. 152r), and 'Anima Christi sanctifica me' (f. 152r); and a prayer for use 'inter elevationem corporis Christi et tercium agnus dei' with indulgence granted by Pope Boniface [VIII] 'ad supplicationem Philippi [IV] regis Francie' (f. 152v).

ff. 154r-156r: 'Stabat mater', with rubric 'Oratio ad Mariam';

ff. 159r-168r: Penitential Psalms, with rubric 'Incipiunt septem psalmi penitentiales';

ff. 168r-170v: Fifteen Gradual Psalms, with rubric ‘Incipiunt quindecim psalmi';

ff. 170v-181r: Litany of the Saints, with rubric 'Incipit letania sanctorum';

ff. 183r-211r: Office for the Dead, with rubric 'Incipiunt vigilie mortuorum'.

ff. 213r-230v: Commendation of Souls, with rubric 'Incipiunt commendationes animarum';

ff. 232r-238r: Psalms of the Passion, with rubric 'Incipiunt psalmi de passione domini';

ff. 238r-255v: Psalter of St Jerome, preceded by rubric and prayer, beginning 'Suscipere digneris'; the Psalter begins on f. 241r.

Leaves have been lost after ff. 78 and 123.

An inscription (in Anne Boleyn's hand) is at the foot of f. 66v: 'Be daly prove you shalle me fynde to be to you bothe lovynge and kynde', with a strip cut off below, probably containing the writer's signature. Below the miniature on f. 231v is an inscription in the hand of Henry VIII: 'Si silon mon affection la sufvenance sera en voz prieres ne seray gers oblie car vostre suis Henry R. a jammays' ('If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore you, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours. Henry R. forever').

Cf. Add MS 17012, the contents of which are all but identical with ff. 2-255, and it contains similar inscriptions by Henry VII, Henry VIII, and others.

Decoration:

24 scatter borders in the calendar, historiated with the occupations of the months and zodiac signs in the lower part, in colours and gold (ff. 2v-14r). 33 full-page miniatures surrounded by scatter borders, accompanied on the opposite side by large initials and full scatter borders, in colours and gold, for major text divisions (ff. 15v, 27v, 30v, 32v, 34v, 36v, 38v, 41v, 43v, 45v, 47v, 49v, 51v, 53v, 55v, 58v, 60v, 62v, 64v, 66v, 76v, 93v, 99v, 103v, 107v, 111v, 115v, 153v, 158v, 182v, 212v, 231v, 240v); 2 miniatures missing before ff. 25 and 124. 18 small miniatures with three-sided scatter borders, in colours and gold, for minor text divisions (ff. 83v, 84v, 85, 86, 86v, 87, 87v, 88v, 90v, 138, 141v, 142, 142v, 143, 143v, 144, 144v, 145). Small initials and line-fillers in gold on red grounds.

The subjects of the calendar-illustrations are:

ff. 2v-3r: January: a serving-woman lays the table for a man who sits warming his hands, while snow falls outside; a man sits on a river-bank fishing with a rod and line (Aquarius).

ff. 3v-4r: February: men pruning trees, a woman binding bundles of sticks (Pisces).

ff. 4v-5r: March: men digging, a woman spinning (Aries).

ff. 5v-6r: April: men and a boy holding branches, a lady at a window; two lovers walking, another couple stag-hunting (Taurus).

ff. 6v-7r: May: stag-hunting; two lovers sitting in a deer-park (Gemini).

ff. 7v-8r: June: hay harvest; shooting with a cross-bow (Cancer.).

ff. 8v-9r: July: corn harvest; a landscape (Leo).

ff. 9v-10r: August: threshing and winnowing; a landscape with a barge on a river (Virgo).

ff. 10v-11r: September: sowing; a landscape (Libra).

ff. 11v-12r: October: gathering grapes and treading a wine-vat; a landscape,with a woman carrying a bundle of sticks (Scorpio).

ff. 12v-13r: November: men beating trees, pigs feeding below; a landscape with a boat and river (Sagittarius).

ff. 13v-14r: December: a man and a woman singeing a pig, a man carrying a bundle of sticks; a woman carrying a dish and a man holding out his arm (Capricorn).

The subjects of the 33 full-page miniatures are:

f. 15v: The Crucifixion: two angels catch the blood in chalices.

f. 27v: St John Baptist, with Agnus Dei on a book.

f. 30v: St John Evangelist, with a cup and serpent.

f. 32v: St Peter, with a book and key.

f. 34v: St Paul, with a sword and bag.

f. 36v: St Andrew, with a book and saltire cross.

f. 38v: St Thomas of Canterbury murdered as he kneels at the altar.

f. 41v: St George, with a sword, lance, and dragon.

f. 43v: St Christopher carrying the Child.

f. 45v: St Antony, with a bell, book, pig, and staff.

f. 47v: St Blaise, in a chasuble and mitre, with a book and wool-comb.

f. 49v: St Martin and the beggar.

f. 51v: St Hugh, in a chasuble and mitre, with book and processional cross.

f. 53v: St Anne with an open book in her hand, with the Virgin (crowned) and Infant Christ.

f. 55v: St Mary Magdalene, with a jewelled head-dress, sits reading, with an ointment-pot and lid on table.

f. 58v: St Katherine crowned, with a book, sword, and wheel.

f. 60v: St Barbara, in a blue dress with hair flowing from her ornate headwear, sits reading, holding a palm in her right hand, with a tower in background.

f. 62v: St Margaret, with a cross in her left hand, stands reading under a canopy, with a dragon behind her.

f. 64v: St Etheldreda, in a nun's habit, with a book and crozier.

f. 66v: The Annunciation.

f. 76v: The Visitation.

f. 93v: The Nativity.

f. 99v: An Angel and shepherds.

f. 103v: The Adoration of the Magi.

f. 107v: The Presentation in the Temple.

f. 111v: The Massacre of the Innocents.

f. 115v: The Flight into Egypt.

f. 153v: Mary at the foot of the Cross, supporting the dead Christ.

f. 158v: David playing the harp.

f. 182v: The Raising of Lazarus.

f. 212v: St Michael and the Devil (with a scroll of sins) fight for a soul (shown as a nude child within a mandorla); above, God the Father; below, a corpse.

f. 231v: The dead Christ, blood streaming from His wounds, kneels by an open tomb, with the emblems of the Passion behind him.

f. 240v: St Jerome writing at a desk; with a lion in the courtyard outside.

The subjects of the 18 small miniatures are:

f. 83v: The Holy Spirit as a dove.

f. 84v: The Adoration of the Cross (a tau cross between two candles on an altar).

f. 85r: St Michael vanquishing the Devil.

f. 86r: St Peter (with a book and key) and St Paul (with a sword).

f. 86v: The Martyrdom of St Andrew.

f. 87r: St Stephen, carrying three stones.

f. 87v: St Laurence, with a book and gridiron.

f. 88v: St Nicholas blessing three naked and tonsured children in a tub.

f. 90v: All Saints: Christ with an orb, blessing, stands in the foreground of a group of saints.

f. 138v: The Presentation of the Virgin.

f. 141v: The Fall, in which the serpent has a human head.

f. 142r: A man praying before the Cross.

f. 142v: The Crown of thorns.

f. 143r: Christ's pierced hand.

f. 143v: Christ's pierced hand.

f. 144r: Angel holding a sheet with an image of the bleeding wound of Christ.

f. 144v: Christ's pierced foot.

f. 145r: Christ's pierced foot.