Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on the Books of Kings

Germany, Fulda, 9th century, first half.

Parchment

i, 152 leaves

295 × 230 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1v–5r) Table of contents

Rubric: Incipiunt capitula libri primi

Incipit: De elcana et duabus

Explicit: XXVIIII De nabu zardan principe exercitus regis babilonis qui terram iudeorum deuastauit ciuitates destruxit templum concremauit et domus regias incendio consumpsit et omnem predam in babilonem secum transtulit

Final rubric: Expliciunt capitula libri iiii

Note: f. 5v: blank

2 (ff. 6r–152r) Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on the Books of Kings

Rubric: Incipit liber primus hrabani mauri expositionis in libros regum

Incipit: Fuit uir unus de ramatha sophim de monte efraim et nomen eius elcana et cetera Dicamus primum de generatione prophetae secundum historiam ut postea continuatim allegoriam eius Inseramus

Explicit: qui autem nescit et non facit uapulabit paucis

Final rubric: explicit liber iiii rabani mauri expositionis in libros regum

Edition: PL, vol. 109, pp. 9–279.

2.1 (ff. 6r–39v) Book 1

2.2 (ff. 40r–69v) Book 2

2.3 (ff. 70r–121v) Book 3

2.4 (ff. 121v–152r) Book 4

3 (f. 152v) Full page drawing

Physical Description

Secundo folio

Lancea configere

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI, ff. SL1r–SL1v, RCI

Support: Western paper

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. SL1r,

Note: Framed fleur-de-lis and underneath the letters: NTF (or possibly ATF).

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1r–152v

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 295 × 230 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil.

Paragraphs indicated by Roman numerals in the margin.

Collation

Note: VisColl collation

Formula: 1(5+8+1), 2-4(8), 5(8+1), 6-7(8), 8(6), 9-15(8), 16(10), 17(8), 18(8+1)

Signatures: Quire signatures in Roman numerals in brown ink. (Not present on all quires.)

Condition

Textblock

Holes in the parchment, but no loss of text. f. 14v: text damaged by liquid spill, which also appears on other leaves. Several leaves have been damaged by cuts, e.g. on f. 20 where a horizontal cut has been made below the text, or on f. 27 where a strip of parchment has been cut from the bottom of the page. Between f. 68 and f. 69 a stub of a bifolium is visible, but there is no interruption of the text. The book block is partially cracked, e.g. between f. 69 and f. 70.

Layout

Locus: ff. 6r–152r

Columns: 1

Written lines: 33

Written area: 235 × 170 mm

Note: Pricking in the margin. Blind ruling.

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

Carolingian minuscule.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Top left corner, in black ink: ‘A. 137’; followed by note in pencil: ‘Från biblioteket i Saint-Denis (kap. Delisle);’ centre page: National Library stamp.

(f. SL1r) Top left corner, in pencil: ‘L-? Sec IX;’ top of page, in black ink: ‘Kongl Bibl. 1734 års katalog. Theol in fol. n:o 28;’ centre page, in black ink: ‘Hrabani Mauri Expositiones in Libros Regum.;’ centre page: National Library stamp; bottom left corner, in black ink: ‘Sec. IX.’

(RCI) National Library stamp.

Textblock

(f. 1r) Top of page, in dark ink: ‘B. 28.’ Spread over the upper part of page, in dark ink by a medieval hand: various exerpts, perhaps pen-trials, e.g. Matt 12:43 repeated several times, part of psalm 118:28 and others. Centre page, in dark ink by medieval hand:‘ hic est liber beati dyonisii pro in cr-s digne cruciatur diues in igne / Vlceribus plenum quia non satiauit egenum ’. Right margin in brown ink: drawing of knot-like shape. Bottom of page, in faded ink by later medieval hand: ‘vi vii:xx xvii’; below, in dark ink by later hand: ‘Rabanus Maurus in Libros regum.’

(f. 6r) Lower margin in dark ink: two symbols that look like a C and a cross. According to Lehmann (1934), p. 168, this is typical for the abbey of Saint-Denis.

(ff. 6r–152v) Scattered glosses by a contemporary hand, usually in the form of a single word. In the margins, references by a contemporary hand to authoritites/sources by use of 1-2 letters (e.g. B for Bede). References to Migne in pencil by a modern hand.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in blackish brown ink, rubrics in red.

Initials:

(f. 6r): plain chapter initial F with interior reserved shapes over 5 lines in black. (f. 40r): plain chapter initial F over 5 lines in black. (f. 70r): plain chapter initial E over 2 lines (+ extending above the line) in black. (f. 121v): penwork chapter initial P over 6 lines in black. (ff. 1v–150v): plain initials over 1-2 lines (+ extending above or below the line) in black or red. On (ff. 82v–83r) the initials are touched in red.

Images:

(f. 152r): ink drawing of two male figures. One larger (ca 10 cm) of a standing man in full figure seen from the front portrayed with fairly elaborate clothing and a crown or hat; the other small (ca 4 cm) of a bearded man in half figure profile.

Images:

(f. 152v): full-page drawing of a circular labyrinth-like shape. At the bottom some faint vegetative ornaments and small sitting man with a triangular hat (possibly later additions).

Binding

Description:

Binding of uncertain date, probably medieval or early modern. Parchment or tawed leather over wooden boards. 6 raised bands and endbands.

LCO, bottom: National Library modern ex libris.

Spine, in brown ink: ‘N:o 28, Rhabani Mauri Expositiones in Libros Regum’ (appears to have been written over earlier text); stamped in gold: ‘A 137’; brown ink on paper label: ‘e. 30.3.15’; remains of a label at the bottom.

Binding dimensions: 305 × 245 × 65 mm

Condition: Lower endband torn. RCI: Threads and spine liners visible.

History

Origin

Germany, Fulda, 9th century, first half.

Provenance

The manuscript was kept in the abbey of Saint-Denis, Paris, from an early date, but was written in Fulda according to Lehmann (1934), p. 167.

It was acquired by Queen Christina from Paul Petau’s collection (See Meyier (1947), p. 115) and brought to Sweden, where it remained after her abdication. First mentioned in Vossius’s catalogue of 1651 (U 202:1). There are 3 signa on the Spine: The older signum, ‘No 28,’ is found in the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e) and ‘e. 30.3.15’ is found in Hammarsköld’s catalogue from the 19th century (U 133). ‘A 137’ is the current signum.