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Description
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, ii modern paper flyleaves + 452 fols. + iii modern paper flyleaves, 228 x 170 mm (178 x 118 mm), two columns, 50 lines, ruled in plummet, written below top line, running headers, occasional quire and leaf signatures (e.g. fols. 34r-43v), leaves lost between fols. 2-3, 19-20, 33-34, 127-128
BINDING: eighteenth century, brown Russia leather over pasteboards, with crest of Chauncey family (a demi griffin out of a ducal coronet or) on spine, modern strap and clasp
SECUNDO FOLIO: ei Ihesum qui clausus latebat in littera
SCRIPT: Gothic bookhand (textualis)
CONTENTS
fols. 1r-452r Old and New Testaments with Prologues
DECORATION
Seventy-nine historiated initials in red, pink and blue on pink, blue, red and gold grounds, some with foliate extensions, a few incorporating dragons, for General Prologue, books and psalms of the eightfold division: fol. 1r General Prologue, [F, 8 ll.] St Jerome writing; fol. 34r Lev, [V, 8 ll.] Two Israelites offering lamb at altar; fol. 45r Num, [L, 8 ll.] Moses addressing two Israelites; fol. 59v Deut, [H, 8 ll.] Moses addressing two Israelites; fol. 73r Jos, [E, 8 ll.] God speaking to Joshua, a king asleep in bed below; fol. 82r Judges, [P, 8 ll.] God speaking to Judah in chain mail with sword; fol. 91r Ruth, [I, 25 ll.] Elimelech, Naomi and their sons, Mahlon and Chilion, travelling to Moab; fol. 93r I Kings, [F, 8 ll.] Elkanah and Hannah praying at an altar, addressed by God; fol. 106r II Kings, [F, 8 ll.] Benaiah beheading the Amalekite; fol. 116v III Kings, [E, 8 ll.] Abishag brought to David in bed; fol. 139r I Par, [A, 8 ll.] Genealogy of Adam, three seated men conversing; fol. 149v II Par, [C, 8 ll.] Solomon kneeling at altar; fol. 162v I Esd, [I, 25 ll.] King Cyrus pointing to Ezra; fol. 166r Neh, [V, 4 ll.] Artaxerxes seated, holding book; fol. 171r II Esd, [E, 8 ll.] Josiah asperging altar; fol. 176v Tob, [T, 8 ll.] Tobit in bed, blinded by the swallow; fol. 180r Judith, [A, 8 ll.] Judith beheading Holofernes; fol. 185r Esth, [I, 30 ll.] Esther petitioning Ahasuerus, Haman hanged below; fol. 190v Job, [V, 8 ll.] Job on the dungheap conversing with wife (partly defaced); fol. 200r Ps 1, [B, 8 ll.] David harping; fol. 203v Ps 26, [D, 8 ll.] David pointing to eyes; fol. 205v Ps 38, [D, 8 ll.] David pointing upwards; fol. 207v Ps 52, [D, 8 ll.] Fool with club and disc; fol. 209v Ps 68, [S, 8 ll.] David in water praying to God above; fol. 212v Ps 80, [E, 8 ll.] David playing bells; fol. 214v Ps 97, [C, 6 ll.] Two clerics chanting; fol. 217r Ps 109, [D, 8 ll.] Trinity (Father and Son seated with dove between); fol. 222v Prov, [P, 8 ll.] Solomon instructing Rehoboam; fol. 230r Eccles, [V, 8 ll.] Solomon enthroned, holding fleur de lys and sceptre; fol. 232v Cant, [O, 8 ll.] Virgin and Child; fol. 234r Wisd, [D, 8 ll.] Solomon seated with sword; fol. 240r Ecclus, [O, 8 ll.] Virgin and Child; fol. 255r Isai, [V, 8 ll.] Martyrdom of Isaiah; fol. 273r Jer, [V, 8 ll.] Stoning of Jeremiah, fol. 293r Lam, [Q, 5 ll.] Jeremiah lamenting before Jerusalem; fol. 295r Bar, [E, 8 ll.] Baruch writing; fol. 297v Ezek, [E, 5 ll.] Ezekiel's vision of the four beasts; fol. 317r Dan, [A, 8 ll.] Daniel in the lions' den; fol. 325r Osea, [V, 8 ll.] Hosea seated with Gomer; fol. 327v Joel, [V, 8 ll.] Joel seated; fol. 329r Amos, [V, 6 ll.] Amos as shepherd called by God; fol. 331r Abd, [V, 8 ll.] God speaking to Obadiah; fol. 331v Jonah, [E, 7 ll.] Jonah coming out of the whale; fol. 332v Mich, [V, 8 ll.] God speaking to Micah; fol. 334r Nah, [O, 8 ll.] Nahum prophesying before Nineveh; fol. 335v Hab, [O, 8 ll.] God speaking to Habakkuk; fol. 336v Soph, [V, 8 ll.] God speaking to Zephaniah; fol. 337v Agg, [I, 19 ll.] Haggai standing; fol. 338r Zach, [I, 5 ll.] Zechariah standing; fol. 341v Mal, [O, 8 ll.] God speaking to Malachi; fol. 343r I Macc, [E, 8 ll.] Beheading of idolatrous Jew; fol. 354v II Macc, [F, 12 ll.] King enthroned; fol. 363r Matt, [L, 8 ll.] Jesse reclining; fol. 374v Mark, [I, 20 ll.] St Mark vested as deacon holding book, fish below, illustrating Mark 1:17, venite post me et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum; fol. 381v Luke, [F, 7 ll.] Zacharias censing altar; fol. 394r John, [I, 25 ll.] St John standing; fol. 403r Rom, [P, 30 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 407v I Cor, [P, 33 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 412r II Cor, [P, 19 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 415v Gal, [P, 28 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 417r Eph, [P, 36 ll.] St Paul standing holding book; fol. 418v Phil, [P, 21 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 419v Col, [P, 36 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 420v I Thess, [P, 19 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 421v II Thess, [P, 20 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 422r I Tim, [P, 11 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 423v II Tim, [I, 6 ll.] St Paul standing; fol. 424v Titus, [P, 28 ll.] St Paul standing, holding sword; fol. 425r Philemon, [P, 28 ll.] St Paul standing and Heb, [M, 8 ll.] St Paul preaching to men; fol. 429r Acts, [P, 28 ll.] Ascension of Christ; fol. 441r James, [I, 25 ll.] St James standing; fol. 442r I Pet, [P, 5 ll.] St Peter with key; fol. 443r II Pet, [S, 8 ll.] St Peter standing; fol. 444r I John, [Q, 8 ll.] St John standing with book; fol. 445r II John, [S, 8 ll.] St John standing; fol. 445v III John, [S, 7 ll.] St John standing and Jude, [I, 6 ll.] St Jude seated; fol. 446v Apoc, [A, 8 ll.] St John writing on Patmos, towers of seven churches behind.
ORNAMENTATION
Pink and blue initials [5-50 ll.] on pink, blue and red grounds with gold, foliate and dragon motifs, for some prologues and Prayer of Manasses (e.g. fols. 72v, 139r, 180r); alternate red and blue initials [2-14 ll.] with red and blue pen flourishing respectively for chapters, most psalms and some prologues; red and blue penwork ‘baguettes’ forming partial borders to left of columns of text throughout; alternate red and blue capitals [2 ll.] for running headers; one-line alternate red and blue initials for psalm verses; alternate red and blue Roman numerals for chapters; capitals highlighted in red.
Notes
History note: Charles Chauncey (1706-1777), admitted at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1727, M.B. (1734), M.D. (1739), physician and antiquary (Venn 1922-1927, I, 318; Moore 2004), crest of Chauncey family on spine (a demi griffin out of a ducal coronet or); Richard, seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion (1745–1816), acquired in 1812, his no. 137 (fol. 1r); his bequest, 1816.
