233. PSALTER. K. 30
Vellum,
9.25 x 6.75, ff. 134, 20 lines to a page.
12th – 13th cent., in a fine hand.
Vellum wrapper.
Donor, T.
Baker.
Collation : 16 28 (+ 1*) 38
– 178 (wants 8).
Contents:
Kalendar in black,
red, green and blue . . .
f. 1
Psalter . . . . . . . 7b
Cantica . . . . . . . 123b
Ending
imperfectly in Quicunque uult.
In the
Kalendar:
|
Feb. Mar. Ap. May June July Aug. |
1. 28. 1. 2. 17. 20. 23. 11. 24. 7. 26. 16. 17. 21. 22. 23. 2. 7. 8. 13. 28. 5. |
Brigide V. Oswaldi archiep. Albini. Ceadde Ep. C. Patrick, added
late (xv, xvi). Cuthbert, in
red. Victoriani M. Guthlaci presb. Wilfridi
Archiep., in green. Joh. archiep. de
beuerlaco, in red. Augustini angl.
Ep., in blue. Transl. S.
Ricardi, added late. Botulfi Abb., in
green. Leofridi abb. Albani M., in
red. Etheldride V. Suuithuni Ep.,
in red. Transl. S.
Thome, added late. Grimbaldi C. Mildride V. Samsonis Ep.,
added late. Oswaldi. |
Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. |
20. 31. 1. 3. 5. 13. 17. 25. 1. 2. 9. 11. 12. 15. 17. 3. 6. 20. 3. 17. |
Phileberti C. Paulini Ep. Egidii Abb., in
blue. Antonini. Bertini Abb. Maurilii Ep. Lamberti M. Firmini. Remigii Germani
Vedasti Amandi Bauonis. Leodegarii Ep. Denis, etc., in
red. Nichasii M. Wlfridi Ep. Wlfranni Ep. Edeldride V. Rumaldi Archiep. Leonard, in
green. Aedmundi R. M.,
in red. Birini Ep. C. Victorii et
Victoriani. |
This looks like the Kalendar of an English
dependency of a French abbey.
On the
fore edges are painted shields, now very faint: one has or some lions rampant gules, another apparently gules a lion rampant sable or azure.
The
ornament is of fine quality.
In the
Kalendar the initial to each month has a picture of the occupation on gold
ground: the sign is in a medallion with gold border and coloured ground
alternately blue and red.
Jan. Janus-headed
figure at table drinks out of horn and holds a bird(?) on a
spit upright.
Aquarius
running pours water out of green jar.
Feb. holds up
his boot and warms his foot at fire on R. Pisces.
Mar. digs. Aries.
Apr. Woman
holds flowering branch. Taurus, red.
May. Youth on
horse, hawk on hand, rides to L.
Gemini
in blue cloaks over red hold a green shield.
June cuts
herbs, with hook and cleft staff.
Cancer,
ridiculous: eight-legged.
July with
scythe. Leo, dark blue.
Aug. Two men,
one holds sickle and looks up, one reaps.
Virgo
holds flowering branch.
Sept. threshes. Libra held by man in blue tunic.
Oct. sows: he
has green basket with wooden bands.
Scorpius,
a winged dragon perched on a rock.
Nov. gathers
fruit into basket, with knife.
Sagittarius,
centaur, shoots back to R.
Dec. kills
black pig with back of axe.
Capricorn with fish’s tail.
The
frontispiece to the Psalter (7b) is a very fine full-page B, principally in pink, gold and blue on
dark blue ground, outside which is a band of patterned gold: beyond this are
borders of pink and blue. At the angles
medallions, each containing two birds.
The B is filled with fine interlacings of conventional foliage.
Each Psalm
has a very handsome initial in colour on gold ground, set in a square
alternately of pink and blue. Several
contain birds or animals, and a good many dragons or other monsters. The following are specially noteworthy:
f. 20b. Celi
enarrant. Monkey
eating apple.
f. 24.
Dominus
regit me. Bust
of woman, full-face, in red robe.
f. 26.
Dominus
illuminatio. Large and
fine decorative initial.
f. 35.
Noli
emulari. Bust of
demon.
f. 37.
Domine
ne in furore. Bust of
negro facing L.:
fine.
f. 38.
Dixi
custodiam. Large,
decorative.
f. 40b. Bust
of bearded man.
f. 44.
Monkey eating apple.
f. 44b. Bust of woman.
f. 48b. Quid gloriaris.
Large, decorative.
f. 49a. Dixit insipiens. „ Juggler throwing up sticks (5).
f. 49b. Bust of king.
f. 53.
Bust of woman. 54b. Demon.
55. Bust of man.
f. 56.
Two cats.
f. 57.
Mailed man holding up banner on which in white letters is GOLIE.
f. 57b. Bust of man in cap.
f. 59b. Salvum me fac. Large, decorative.
f. 63.
Bust of tonsured man. 63b
(64b). Bust of bishop.
f. 67.
Bust of young man in cap: good.
f. 72.
Bust of young bearded man.
f. 72b. Exultate. Large, decorative.
f. 73b. Squirrel.
76b. Two busts of men. 83. Bust of man.
f. 83b. Horse’s head. 84b. Cantate. Large, decorative.
f. 86.
Domine
exaudi. In four
half-circles, David with harp and 3 other musicians with fiddle, pipes, and
large viol. Man and dragon outside.
f. 90.
Bust of Christ blessing. f.91b. Bust of the Virgin nimbed.
f. 95b. Bust of man looking upward.
f. 97b. Dixit Dominus. Large, decorative. Outside, king with blank scroll.
f. 98.
Bust of bishop. On the margin
here a careful pencil sketch, xvi, of the bust of a mitred bishop, bearded:
above is written B. Juell.
f. 100b. Bust of youth. 104. Bust of monk. 104b. Cat.
106b. Man with scroll.
f. 108.
Busts of demon, and man. 110b. Bust of man. 111. Of king. 114b. Nude man, upper part. 115b. Bust of mailed warrior. 116.
Man with sword. 117b. Man with axe.
f. 120b. Busts of bishop and king. 124.
Of woman with book. 124b. Christ blessing. 126b.
Man. 134b,
135. Man, and bishop.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Negative microfilm in St John's College Library.
N. J. Morgan, Early Gothic Manuscripts 1190 – 1250 (Oxford, 1982).
J. C. Webster, The Labors of the Months in Antique and
Medieval Art (Chicago, 1938), pp.
92, 171, pl. 59. (Photographs of 12
scenes of the months on H. 1a to 6b.)
These scenes are very similar to those in the Psalter of St
Louis at Leidon University Library
MS. Supp. 318 (or 76A). See Webster, as
above, pl. 61.
OTHER IMAGES