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ILLUMINATED BIFOLIUM FROM A GLOSSED PAULINE EPISTLES Ref 597 Pages 4 and 1
This is a bifolium from a Glossed copy of the Pauline Epistles that was very probably made in France, but could possibly have be made in Germany, c.1180.
The main text starting on page 1 is from Corinthians I, chapter 12 beginning in verse 26 through to chapter 13 and ending in verse 11 on page 2. On page 3, the main text starts at Corinthians I, chapter 16 in verse 18. It continues through to the end of that Epistle and is followed by Corinthians II, chapter 1, verse 1, ending in verse 10 on page 4.
Chapter 13 of Corinthians I begins nine lines from the bottom of the Biblical text with the famous words “If I were to speak in the language of men, or of Angels, yet not have charity, I would be like a clanging bell or a crashing cymbal” .
The main text is generally to the inside of the page with the commentary (Great Gloss by Peter Lombard) to the outside of the page. However, there is Gloss under the main text on page 1 and above and below the main text on page 3. Also in page 3, the opening of the new Epistle is surrounded by the Gloss.
There is a third element to the text that is infrequently, if ever, found elsewhere. At the end of the first Epistle, there are four lines of rubrics which look to be a single entity. But they are not. They are three separate rubrics that make it very clear what the texts actually are. The first translates to “Here ends the Great Gloss of Master Peter and the First Epistle to the Corinthians of the Blessed Paul”. The second, which is immediately above the biblical text, translates to “Here begins the Second Epistle to the Corinthians of the Blessed Paul”. The third, which is immediately above the beginning of the new Gloss translates to “Here begins the Great Gloss of Master Peter to the Second Epistle to the Corinthians of the Blessed Paul”.
The size of the complete leaf is 440mm x 335mm. The maximum size of the bifolium is 440mm x 590mm.
The leaf is ruled in plummet and the Gloss is written above the top line.
There are prickings in both the inside and outside margins and at the outside margins the ruled lines extend approx. 25mm beyond the text where there is a vertical line used to assist the placing of the “authorities”.
It is very difficult to see if the ruled lines continue across the full width of the page. If they do, the texts must have been written in a somewhat haphazard way. On the most complete page (page 4) there are 68 lines of Gloss and 47 lines of Bible text.
The “authorities” down the sides of the columns are interesting. Most are Ambrose, there are three of Augustine two of which give their origin (see page 2 near the bottom) and there is one that is “Oppositio”.
In the top margin of page 4, in red, is the heading “ad corinthios scd'a”.
PAGE LAYOUT: -
Certain Books of the Bible had "gloss" attached to them from about the second quarter of the twelfth century. Over time pages were set out in several different ways to accommodate the gloss. The page layout here is from about the time that the main text being in a narrow column with the Gloss along side of it changed to the method of writing the main text against the left hand edge of the column with the gloss surrounding it on three sides. Whilst the layout of this bifolium does not conform exactly to any of the figures in “Glossed Books of the Bible and the Origins of the Paris Book Trade” (C.R.F. de Hamel, 1984) it does probably indicate that it was produced about at the time that the chang was taking place, i.e. c.1180.
OVERALL CONDITION: -
It has to be said that this bifolium is somewhat of a wreck!. There are many folds and creases, page 2 is particularly dirty making most of the text unreadable and large parts of pages 1 and 2 are missing from the top (particularly) and bottom of the leaf. When used as a cover of a book page 2 must have been the front because of the later additions added to it. There are several holes down the centre of the bifolium where it must have been attached to the book that it covered. Pages 3 and 4 have parts of the outside edge missing and as mentioned above, most of the colour is missing from the illuminated initials.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
Not withstanding its condition, this is an interesting bifolium because it dates from the time that great changes were taking place in the layout of Glossed Books of the Bible and it has illumination of the highest order. It is a chance survival from what must have been a spectacular manuscript. I am very lucky to have found it.
PETER LOMBARD: -
Peter Lombard (ca. 1095-1160), also known as the "Master of the Sentences" or "the Lombard", was ascholastic theologian and bishop of the 12th century. Lombard was born in Lumellogno, near Novara, Italy, to a poor family. He must have begun his education in Italy, most likely at the cathedral schools of Novara and Lucca. The patronage of Otto, bishop of Lucca, and of St. Bernard allowed him to leave Italy and further his studies at Reims and Paris. In Paris, he came into contact with Peter Abelard and Hugh of St. Victor, who were among the leading theologians of the time. Around 1145, Peter became a "magister," or professor, at the cathedral school of Notre Dame in Paris. In 1159, he was named bishop of Paris.
Peter Lombard wrote commentaries on the Psalms and the Pauline epistles; however, his most famous work by far was Libri Quatuor Sententiarum, or the Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology at the medieval universities.
ILLUMINATED BIFOLIUM FROM A GLOSSED PAULINE EPISTLES Ref 597 Pages 4 and 1
This is a bifolium from a Glossed copy of the Pauline Epistles that was very probably made in France, but could possibly have be made in Germany, c.1180.
The main text starting on page 1 is from Corinthians I, chapter 12 beginning in verse 26 through to chapter 13 and ending in verse 11 on page 2. On page 3, the main text starts at Corinthians I, chapter 16 in verse 18. It continues through to the end of that Epistle and is followed by Corinthians II, chapter 1, verse 1, ending in verse 10 on page 4.
Chapter 13 of Corinthians I begins nine lines from the bottom of the Biblical text with the famous words “If I were to speak in the language of men, or of Angels, yet not have charity, I would be like a clanging bell or a crashing cymbal” .
The main text is generally to the inside of the page with the commentary (Great Gloss by Peter Lombard) to the outside of the page. However, there is Gloss under the main text on page 1 and above and below the main text on page 3. Also in page 3, the opening of the new Epistle is surrounded by the Gloss.
There is a third element to the text that is infrequently, if ever, found elsewhere. At the end of the first Epistle, there are four lines of rubrics which look to be a single entity. But they are not. They are three separate rubrics that make it very clear what the texts actually are. The first translates to “Here ends the Great Gloss of Master Peter and the First Epistle to the Corinthians of the Blessed Paul”. The second, which is immediately above the biblical text, translates to “Here begins the Second Epistle to the Corinthians of the Blessed Paul”. The third, which is immediately above the beginning of the new Gloss translates to “Here begins the Great Gloss of Master Peter to the Second Epistle to the Corinthians of the Blessed Paul”.
The size of the complete leaf is 440mm x 335mm. The maximum size of the bifolium is 440mm x 590mm.
The leaf is ruled in plummet and the Gloss is written above the top line.
There are prickings in both the inside and outside margins and at the outside margins the ruled lines extend approx. 25mm beyond the text where there is a vertical line used to assist the placing of the “authorities”.
It is very difficult to see if the ruled lines continue across the full width of the page. If they do, the texts must have been written in a somewhat haphazard way. On the most complete page (page 4) there are 68 lines of Gloss and 47 lines of Bible text.
The “authorities” down the sides of the columns are interesting. Most are Ambrose, there are three of Augustine two of which give their origin (see page 2 near the bottom) and there is one that is “Oppositio”.
In the top margin of page 4, in red, is the heading “ad corinthios scd'a”.
PAGE LAYOUT: -
Certain Books of the Bible had "gloss" attached to them from about the second quarter of the twelfth century. Over time pages were set out in several different ways to accommodate the gloss. The page layout here is from about the time that the main text being in a narrow column with the Gloss along side of it changed to the method of writing the main text against the left hand edge of the column with the gloss surrounding it on three sides. Whilst the layout of this bifolium does not conform exactly to any of the figures in “Glossed Books of the Bible and the Origins of the Paris Book Trade” (C.R.F. de Hamel, 1984) it does probably indicate that it was produced about at the time that the chang was taking place, i.e. c.1180.
OVERALL CONDITION: -
It has to be said that this bifolium is somewhat of a wreck!. There are many folds and creases, page 2 is particularly dirty making most of the text unreadable and large parts of pages 1 and 2 are missing from the top (particularly) and bottom of the leaf. When used as a cover of a book page 2 must have been the front because of the later additions added to it. There are several holes down the centre of the bifolium where it must have been attached to the book that it covered. Pages 3 and 4 have parts of the outside edge missing and as mentioned above, most of the colour is missing from the illuminated initials.
GENERAL COMMENTS: -
Not withstanding its condition, this is an interesting bifolium because it dates from the time that great changes were taking place in the layout of Glossed Books of the Bible and it has illumination of the highest order. It is a chance survival from what must have been a spectacular manuscript. I am very lucky to have found it.
PETER LOMBARD: -
Peter Lombard (ca. 1095-1160), also known as the "Master of the Sentences" or "the Lombard", was ascholastic theologian and bishop of the 12th century. Lombard was born in Lumellogno, near Novara, Italy, to a poor family. He must have begun his education in Italy, most likely at the cathedral schools of Novara and Lucca. The patronage of Otto, bishop of Lucca, and of St. Bernard allowed him to leave Italy and further his studies at Reims and Paris. In Paris, he came into contact with Peter Abelard and Hugh of St. Victor, who were among the leading theologians of the time. Around 1145, Peter became a "magister," or professor, at the cathedral school of Notre Dame in Paris. In 1159, he was named bishop of Paris.
Peter Lombard wrote commentaries on the Psalms and the Pauline epistles; however, his most famous work by far was Libri Quatuor Sententiarum, or the Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology at the medieval universities.