Book of Hours (Use of Rome), 2nd half of the 15th century
Contents
MS 305 is a richly illuminated book of hours in very good condition from the second half of the 15th century, of the Use of Rome. Books of hours were designed for the private use of individuals, and the calendar of saints' days typically contained at the beginning of these texts helps to indicate where the book was used, through its inclusion of important local saints. The calendar in MS 305 (described below) suggests that this text was made for a patron with a connection to Rheims (northeastern France) and perhaps Ghent (northwestern Belgium).
ff. 1r-12v: Calendar, not very full, in red and black ink. Notable names in red (denoting importance) include SS Amandus, Boniface, Remigius, Bavo, Donatian and Nichasius. In black is the octave of Thomas (of Canterbury), David, and the translation of St Thomas (of Canterbury). The saints in red all have a Frankish connection, and Remigius, Donatian and Nichasius were all early medieval bishops of Rheims. The inclusions of St Boniface and St Thomas of Canterbury might also suggest an English connection.
ff. 14r-v: Ad salutandum faciem ihesu xpristi, a hymn about the face of Christ. Begins with the line Salute sancta facies...
ff. 15r-19r: Hours of the Holy Cross, begins with the line Incipiunt hore sancte crucis ad... f. 19v is blank.
ff. 21r-24v: Hours of the Holy Spirit. Begins with the line Incipiunt hore de sancto spiritu. Domine labia mea...
ff. 26r-29v: Missa beate marie virginis. Begins with Missa beate marie virginis. Et introibo ad altare dei...
ff. 30r-33r: Sapientiae of the Gospels. Begins with the line Initium sancta evvangelii secundum johannem. gloria tibi domine...
ff. 35r-85v: Hours of the Virgin. Begins on f. 35r with Incipiunt hore beate marie virgintis secundum usum romanum. On f. 78v, Salve Regina comes after compline, and the special office for Advent is contained on f. 80r-85v.
ff. 86r-88v: Devota oracio ad mariam virginem. The text begins with Obsecro te domina sancta maria mater...
ff. 88v-90r: Alia oracio ad mariam virginem. The first line reads O intemerata et meternum benedicta.
ff. 91r-104r: Incipiunt septem psalmi penitenciales. Begins on f. 91r with Domine ne in surore tuo arguas me... The Litany begins on f. 98v.
ff. 106r-130v: Office of the dead. Begins on f. 106r with the line Vigilie mortuorum...
ff. 131 r-v, 135v-140v: Memoriae of twelve saints. Includes SS John Baptist, Peter, James, Sebastian, Christopher, Nicholas, Anthony the hermit, Francis, Anne, Mary Magdelene, Katherine, and Barbara.
Written in a fine set cursiva script. Titles and chapters are in red ink and initials throughout the volume have been either historiated (described below), or decorated with either blue and red ink, blue, red and gold, or gold and slate grey ink.
The volume is contains many fine illuminations, including nine full-page images and many initials decorated and historiated initials.
Illuminations
- f. 13v: full-page picture. Christ holding and orb and blessing. A coat of arms appears at the bottom of this, in the decorated margin.
- f. 20v: full-page picture. Pentecost.
- f. 25v: full-page picture. The Virgin and child and four angels playing music.
- f. 34v: full-page picture of the Annunciation.
- f. 48v: full-page illumination of the Visitation.
- f. 60v: full-page illumination of the annunciation to the shepherds.
- f. 67v: full-page picture of the presentation of Christ in the temple.
- f. 80v: full-page illumination of the Virgin's coronation.
- f. 105v: full-page of a burial service before the text of the Office of the Dead", with a cripple in the foreground receiving alms.
- f. 86r: historiated initial depicting the Virgin, St John and a haloed male holding the dead Christ.
- f. 88v: historiated initial of the Virgin and Child in glory.
- f. 135-140: historiated initials mark the start of each of the twelve saints' memoriae
- Decorated initials appear throughout the volume, with gold on red and blue grounds patterned white, or blue with red ornament, or gold with slate-grey ornament. There are also blue and gold line-fillers in the Litany (ff. 98v-102v). Capitals in the text are filled with pale yellow.
- Borders throughout the volume feature continuous floral design, with figures, animals and grotesques.
Dates
- Creation: 2nd half of the 15th century
Language of Materials
Latin
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to all. Please contact the repository in advance.
Full Extent
1 bound MS volume
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The volume came into the Edinburgh University collection as part of the James Cathcart White bequest in 1943, one of the fourteen medieval manuscripts in his collection, eleven of which were books of hours. Cathcart White was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh in 1873, and an Edinburgh advocate in the late 19th-mid 20th century.
Bibliography
Physical Facet
Material: vellum
Dimensions
20.20cm X 13.40cm
Source
Genre / Form
Topical
Uniform Title
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk