NOVUM TESTAMENTUM

MRJ number
183
College classmark
G.15

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.

Manuscript extra information

 

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.