Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 3

  • Other Form of the Shelfmark :
    • MS 003
    • Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 3
    • CCCC MS 3
    • Parker Library MS 3
  • Held at : Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
  • Languages : Latin
  • Date of Origin :
  • Script :
    • in a fine hand much resembling that of MS 2
  • Support Material : Vellum
  • Composition :
    • ff. 273
  • Dimensions :
    • 372 x 547
  • Codicological details :
    • double columns of 45 lines
    • ff. i + 1-273
    • I(4?) (wanting 1, 4) II(8)-XXXV(8) (wants 8). Old foliation and numeration of quires incorrect.

Contents

Data Source: Parker on the Web

  • Résumé : CCCC MSS 3-4 are a two-volume Bible made for Dover Priory, a dependency of Christ Church cathedral priory, Canterbury. Like the Bury Bible, CCCC MS 2, it is of very large size and typical of twelfth-century luxury monastic Bibles. This first volume contains the Old Testament from Genesis to the Minor Prophets. There is no firm evidence for dating, although a date c. 1150 is generally accepted. The script is close to the Eadwine Psalter (Cambridge, Trinity College MS R.17.1) and dated charters produced at Canterbury in the 1150s. It seems fairly certain that the mother house provided its dependency, Dover Priory, with the book, although at what date it came to Dover is not known. It appears first in the 1389 catalogue of their books. There are historiated or decorated initials at the beginning of the biblical books, illuminated by several artists working in different styles. The artists of this first volume work in a Byzantinising style, but different from that of Master Hugo in the Bury Bible, CCCC MS 2. Although it is also a version of the 'damp-fold' style, the folds are patterned in a way closer to that of Byzantine artists. This artist of the Dover Bible may have travelled to Sicily and was influenced by the style of mosaics such as those of the Cappella Palatina, Palermo.


    Contenu :


    Langue(s) des textes : latin


    1r-273v - The Dover Bible, Volume I

    Note : f. 1 gone

    incipit : (1r) Incipit ordo librorum catholicorum qui in ecclesia romana ponuntur in anni circulo ad legendum

    explicit : (1r) In octauas theophanie eosdem psalmos easdemque lectiones quas in theophania preter has festiuitates quas superius diximus

    rubric : (1r) Incipit prologus Jeronimi presbiteri in Genesim

    incipit : (1r) Desiderii mei

    Note : (2r) Capitula (84)

    Note : f. 4 (frontispiece to Genesis with word IN) gone

    Note : (3r) Genesis, beginning: principio: four lines in large coloured capitals

    rubric : (23r) Explicit liber Bresith id est Genesis. Incipiunt capitula libri Hellesmoth idest Exodus

    Note : (23r) Capitula (149)

    Note : (24r) Initial to Exodus of fine conventional foliage on blue ground. It contains a bust of Jacob in medallion in the cross-bar of the H and busts of the twelve patriarchs in four groups of three below

    Note : (41r) Capitula to Leviticus (89)

    Note : (41v) Initial to Leviticus: decorative, contains lion and dragon

    Note : (53v) Capitula to Numbers (74)

    Note : (54v) Initial to Num. (L.) containing six busts in medallions, the topmost one an angel, the others men

    Note : (72r) Capitula to Deuteronomy (154)

    Note : (73v) Initial to Deuteronomy (H). Above, on blue ground, Moses nimbed, pointing to Mons Horeb on L. and holding scroll which hangs down into the lower half of the letter, inscribed, in wonderfully fine capitals: sufficit vobis quod in hoc monte mansistis. Below, two groups of men (five in each) on yellow ground, receiving the scroll

    rubric : (89r) Explicit ad dabarim quod grece dicitur deuteronomium VIDC (= 1600)

    Note : (89r) Praefatio in Josue

    incipit : (89r) Tandem finito

    Note : (89v) Capitula (33)

    Note : (89v) Decorative initial to text

    Note : (100v) Capitula to Judges (18)

    Note : (100v) Initial. IOSVE ET CALEPH, two figures on brown ground robed, each holding sword and shield, one shield (L.) is or seven bends sinister vert, the other checky of az. and arg. a chief or fretty sable

    rubric : (112r) Explicit liber soptim id est iudicum V II DCCL

    Note : (112r) Decorative initial to Ruth, with dragon and grotesque head: bust of Ruth in medallion

    Note : (113v) Prologue to Kings

    incipit : (113v) Uiginti ed (!) duas

    Note : (114v) Capitula of 1, 2 Reg. (96)

    Note : (114v) Initial. Blue panel on green. Goliath in mail shirt, peaked helmet, kite-shaped shield, long spear. David small on L. slings at him. At the tail of the letter Goliath fallen, with broken spear, helmet fallen off showing nose-piece. David stands on him and beheads him

    Note : (131r) 2 Reg. Initial. David throned rends his clothes, a courtier at each side weeps. The Amalekite kneels on L. holding up crown and ring. At the tail of the letter, a man beheads the Amalekite

    Note : (143v) Capitula of 3, 4 Reg. (86)

    Note : (144v) 3 Reg. Decorative initial

    Note : (159v) 4 Reg. Initial. Blue ground, coloured clouds above. Christ nimbed in car drawn by two dappled horses surrounded by red flames (He holds the reins) grasps the wrist of Elijah on L. who is in a single brown garment. Below his feet the mantle. At bottom Elisha looks up and holds scroll (damaged) Pater mi Pater mi currus Israel et auriga eius

    Note : (173v) Prologue to Isaiah

    incipit : (173v) Nemo cum prophetas

    Note : (173v) Initial. Isaiah (on blue and green ground) with scroll ve genti peccatrici. He holds his hand to his face

    Note : (195r) Prologue to Jeremiah

    incipit : (195r) Ieremias propheta cui hic

    Note : (195r) Initial. Christ (Α̂ and ω̂ on the background) holds scroll, Prophetam in gentibus dedi te. Outside the letter, on brown ground, Jeremiah (beardless). Above him the words A, A, A, domine deus

    rubric : (220r) Lamentatio ieremie prophete

    incipit : (220r) Et factum est

    rubric : (222r) Finit lamentatio Jeremie prophete. Oratio Jeremie prophete (Lam. v)

    rubric : (222v) Explicit liber Jeremie prophete secundum Hebraicam translationem

    Note : (222v) Prol. to Ezekiel

    incipit : (222v) Ezechiel propheta cum loachim

    Note : (222v) Initial decorative

    Note : (245r) Prologue to Daniel

    incipit : (245r) Danihelem prophetam iuxta

    Note : (245v) Initial. Daniel pointing upward to bust of Christ. Scroll, cum venerit sanctus sanctorum cessabit unctio

    Note : (255r) Prologue to Twelve Prophets

    incipit : (255r) Non idem ordo

    Note : (255r) Hos. Initial. Hosea with scroll in both hands. Recte vie domini iusti ambulabunt in eis

    Note : (258r) Joel. Initial. Joel nimbed with scroll. Magnus enim dies domini et terribilis valde

    Note : (259v) Amos. With scroll. Ve desiderantibus die(m domi)ni

    Note : (261v) Obadiah with scroll. In monte Sion erit salvatio et vocabitur sanctus

    Note : (262r) Jonah baldheaded, with scroll in both hands. Adhuc xl dies et ninive subvertetur. Below his feet the fish, with Jonah's head protruding from its mouth

    Note : (263r) Micah, beardless with scroll. Erit mons domus domini preparatus in vertice montiunt

    Note : (264v) Nahum. Preface

    incipit : (264v) Naum consolator

    Note : (265r) Initial. Nahum with scroll. Dominus patiens est et magnus fortitudine

    Note : (265v) Habakkuk. Preface

    incipit : (265v) Abacuc luctator

    Note : (265v) Initial. Habakkuk with hand to head and scroll. Domine audivi auditionem tuam et timui

    Note : (266v) Zephaniah. Preface

    incipit : (266v) Sophonias speculator

    Note : (266v) Initial. Zephaniah nimbed with scroll. Sol convertetur in tenebras et luna in sanguinem

    Note : (267v) Haggai. Preface

    incipit : (267v) Aggeus festiuus

    Note : (267v) Initial. Bust of Haggai in medallion at top with scroll. Ecce veniet desideratus cunctis gentibus

    Note : (268v) Zechariah. Preface

    incipit : (268v) Zacharias memor

    Note : (268v) Initial like the last, scroll. Exulta satis filia syon ecce rex tuus venit

    Note : (272r) Malachi. Preface

    incipit : (272r) Malachias aperte

    Note : (272r) Initial. Malachi beardless with scroll. Quis poterit cogitare diem adventus domini

    Note : Each of the minor prophets is described in title and colophon as secundum hebraicam veritatem

    Note : (273r) Text ends

Provenance

Data Source: Parker on the Web

  • From St Martin's Priory, Dover. On the lower margin of f. 4r is the press-mark of that house: : : I : Prima pars Biblie ... es inter omnia animancia ... 273. It is entered in the old catalogue of 1389. See my Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover, pp. 413, 522

Data source