NOVUM TESTAMENTUM
Vellum, 6.125 x 4.25, ff. 229 + 2, 28 lines to a page. 12th – 13th cent., exquisitely written.
Donor, T. C. S. Priced 30s.
At bottom of f. 1 : Roberti Hare : and elsewhere.
From St Alban’s Abbey. On f. 1, at top :
Hunc libellum fecit dominus Symon abbas de S. albano quem qui ei abstulerit an(athema sit).
Collation : a2, i10- x10 xi4 xii10 – xxiii10 xxiv6 (6 canc.).
Contents :
Canons of the Gospels in rectangular frames of gold and colour,
edged with green . . . . . f. 1b
Inc. Epistola b. Jeronimi ad damasum papam . . 3b
Beatissimo pape damaso
-memineris mei pape beatissime. Expl. Ep. s. Jeronimi de
canonibus euangeliorum.
Inc. capitula euangelii sec. Matheum . . . 6
Genealogia et natiuitas Christi, etc.
Capitula of the other Gospels follow, in double columns, ending 8b.
-Petro commendat oues.
Inc. prol. B. Ieronimi super quattuor euangelia. Plures fuisse . 9
Inc. argumentum b. Ieron. in euang. sec. Math. Matheus ex iudea 10
Inc. euang. sec. Matheum . . . . . 10b
Initial : a four-winged angel sits writing : gold ground.
Prol. in Marc. Marcus euangelista dei . . . 37
Text 37b. Initial the length of the page : medallion in centre with
four-winged lion : gold ground : edged with green, as are all the
initials. The first word, initium, is in gold capitals on pink
ground.
Expl. euuang. sec. Marc. habet versus mdccc.
Inc. prol. in euang. Lucae. Lucas syrus . . . 55b
Text. Initial with four-winged ox . . . . 56
Prol. in euang. sec. Ioh. Hic est Iohannes . . . 83b
Text. Initial length of page : four-winged eagle at top . . 84
Capitula of Acts, Cath. Epp., Apoc., Paul. Epp., in double columns 105
Prol. S. Jeron. super act. apost. Lucas natione syrus . . 113b
Argumentum. Actus apostolorum nudam . . . 113b
Text. Initial : four-winged ox with book . . . 113b
Expl. act. apost. habent versus iii milia dc.
Prol. b. Jeron. presb. in vii Canonicas epistolas. Non ita est ordo. 141
Arguments to James. a. Iacobus. petrus. iohannes.
b. Iacobum qui appellatur.
c. Iacobus ap. sanctum instruit . 141b
1 Pet. Proll. a. Simon petrus filius . . . . 144
b. Discipulos saluatoris . . . 144b
2 Pet. Arg. Symon petrus per fidem . . . 147b
1 Joh. Arg. a. Johannes ap. et euangelista . . 149
b. Rationem uerbi . . . . 149b
Text. Initial with face.
2 Joh. Arg. Usque adeo. . . . . . 152
3 Joh. „ Gaium pietatis causa . . . . 152b
Jude. a. Judas frater Iacobi . . . . 153
b. Iudas apostolus.
154b blank.
Prol. b. Jeron. in Apoc. Iohannes ap. et euang. . . 155
Arg. Apocalipsis Johannis tot habet
Text. Christ half-length, sword in mouth, holding stars and book 155b
Inc. Prefatio Pelagii de corpore epistolarum b. Pauli Apostoli . 167
Primum queritur quare post euangelia
-manentem substantiam. Expl. pref. Pelagii.
Inc. alia pref. Jeron. Epistole pauli ad romanos causa . . 168b
Arg. Romanos nondum uiderat.
1 Cor. Arg. a. Corinthii sunt achaici . . . 178
b. Corinthus est ciuitas.
2 Cor. Postquam beatus ap. Paulus . . . 189b
Gal. Galathe sunt Greci . . . . 196b
Eph. Ephesus ciuitas est asie . . . . 200
Phil. Philippenses sunt macedones . . . 203b
1 Thess. Thessalonicenses sunt macedones . . 206
2 Th. Ad thess. secundam . . . . 208b
Col. Colosenses et hi . . . . 209b
1 Tim. Timotheum instruit . . . . 212
2 Tim. Item timotheo . . . . . 215
Tit. Titum commonefacit . . . . 217
Philem. Philemoni familiares . . . . 218
Heb. In primis dicendum est . . . . 218b
Ends 226b.
Inc. Ep. ad laodicenses que non habetur in canone . . 226b
Ends 227a : legi colosensium uobis. Expl. Ep. ad Laod.
Ex Ep. ad Colosenses. Cum lecta fuerit apud uos . . 227
-et uos legatis.
Beatus Greg. in ultimo moralium. Paulus ap. quamuis epistolas
quindecim
-legis et euangelii secreta rimatus esset.
227b – 229a blank : on 229b, drawing of a crowned lion passant,
a bird, and a boy’s head.
L. M. Ayres, 'A Tanner Manuscript in the Bodleian Library and some notes on English painting of the late twelfth century', Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 32 (1969), 41-54.
R.W. Hunt, 'The library of the Abbey of St Albans'. In M.B. Parkes and A.G. Watson (eds.), Medieval scribes, manuscripts & libraries: essays presented to N.R. Ker (London, 1978) p.252.
C. M. Kauffmann, Romanesque Manuscripts 1066 - 1190 (London, 1975).
N. J. Morgan, Early Gothic Manuscripts (I) 1190 - 1250 (Oxford, 1982).
P.R. Robinson, Catalogue of dated and datable manuscripts c.737-1600 in Cambridge libraries (Cambridge, 1988) vol. I, p. 88, no. 306; vol. II pl. 80 (fol. 37).
R. M. Thomson, Manuscripts from St Albans Abbey 2 vols (Woodbridge, 1982) Cat. no.9, pp. 32, 53-4, 56, 60, 62, 68, plates 171, 198-204, 216-17.
