Geoffroy Babion, Commentary on Matthew

France (northern), 12th century, last quarter

Parchment

i, 184, i' leaves

270–275 × 175–180 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1r–184v) Geoffroy Babion, Commentary on Matthew

Note: For a discussion of the text see Eriksson (1935), pp. 183–185

1.1 (ff. 1r–3v) Prologue

Incipit: DOMINVS ac redemptor noster ad conmendationem et confirmationem euangelice fidei uoluit euuangelium non solum hominibus predicari sed etiam contra hereticam prauitatem scripto retineri

Explicit: tum per sacerdotium tum per regnum tum per eius diuinitatem

1.2 (ff. 3v–184v) Commentary

Rubric: Genealogia christi Secundum quod homo

Incipit: IN IPSE EXORDIO satis ostendit quod de humanitate christi sit acturus

Explicit: Lucas enim et iohannes satis aperte dicunt ipsa die resurrectionis domini uisum esse in iherusalem [mut.]

Note: Last quire missing, based on the owner's signature on f. 184v this quire was already missing in the later Middle Ages.

Edition: PL, vol. 162, cols. 1227–1500 (In PL the commentary is attributed to Anselm of Laon.).

Physical Description

Secundo folio

quorum tamen euuangelia

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI, RCI

Support: Parchment

Locus: f. SL1, SR1

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 270 × 175 mm

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. SL1, SR1,

Motif: Beehive

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1–184

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 275 × 180 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil.

Collation

Formula: 1-23(8)

Note: VisColl collation.

Signatures: Quire signatures in the form of Roman numerals on the verso of the last leaf in a quire (first signature written in letters, ‘primus’). The signatures are of varying size and sometimes decorated, e.g. f. 48v. Occasionally the signatures are also found in the upper left corner on the first leaf of a new quire, e.g. f. 137r.

Catchwords: Catchwords in brown ink. On f. 48v in red ink. On some quires, e.g. f. 56v, the catchwords have been lost due to trimming.

Condition

Binding/Endleaves

LCI consist of a fragment from a manuscript over which blank parchment has been pasted. This parchment has been partially torn off and now covers half the text of the underlying fragment. On the upper part of the RCI there is an offprint from a removed parchment leaf (now MS A 137a), under this is a stained but otherwise intact parchment leaf.

Textblock

The parchment is fairly rough, the leaves are uneven, some with holes (no loss of text), and some with contemporary repairs, e.g. f. 41. Leaves are dirty and stained in places, in some places damaged by spills with resulting smudging of the ink, e.g. f. 3r. Cuts and cut out portions of parchment, e.g. ff. 8–23 (where a small square hole has been cut out in the margin). f. 20, f. 137, f. 154, and f. 168 strips of parchment cut out and tied into a knot. Words and lines of text erased here and there, eg. f. 61v. ff. 167–168, circular knife or drypoint marks in the outer margin.

Layout

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 36

Written area: 215 × 125 mm

Note: Ruling and guidelines in lead. Pricking (sometimes slashing) in the outer and inner margins. On some leaves, e.g. f. 45, the prickings have been encircled in brown ink. On some leaves, e.g. f. 177 the vertical pricking line is slanting.

Script

Textblock

Description:

The text has been written by several pregothic hands. The hands change at apparently random intervals and some hands are only responsible for short passages. The hands have been analysed in Eriksson (1935), pp. 180–182.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Bottom left corner on the torn upper layer of parchment pastedown, in brown ink: ‘8 229’.

(f. SL1r) Upper part of the page, in black ink by a modern hand: ‘Kongl. Bibl.^t 1734 års Kat. Theol. in 4^o no 4’; centre page: ‘Commentarius super Matthaeum Latine’; below: ‘Mscr de fine sec. xii vel principio sec. xiii’.

Textblock

(f. 1r) Upper part of page, in brown ink by an early modern hand: ‘Comentarius Super Matthaeum’.

(ff. 2r–184v) Marginal and interlinear additions throughout by several medieval hands. The additions consist mainly of corrections and additions of omitted text, e.g. on (f. 25r). There are also nota marks and simple drawings/doodles in ink the margins, e.g. (f. 40r). In addition, there are simple drawings in lead point in the margins througout the manuscript, e.g. on (f. 57v) and extensively on (f. 96r).

(ff. 134v–135r) A small paper fragment is placed between these leaves. The fragment contains text on both sides, but seems to have been used as a bookmark.

(f. 184v) Bottom of page, in black ink by a medieval hand (15th century): ‘Liber iste est de conuentu celestinorum sancti trinitatis de marcossiaco’.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in brown and black ink, capitals touched in red. The ascenders on the top line and the descenders on the bottom line are often elongated, and sometimes decorated or decorated with flourishing, e.g. (f. 13r) and (f. 15v).

Initials:

(f. 1r): Opening penwork initial ‘D’ over 5 lines (extending above the line) in red;

(f. 3v): penwork initial ‘I’ over 8 lines (extending below the line) in red;

(f. 163v): penwork initial ‘S’ over 8 lines (and extending into the margin) in red.

In general, the decoration of the manuscript gives an impression of improvisation or randomness. Besides the three larger initials there are several other types of initials used, but no discernable pattern to their use. Some chapters are introduced by penwork initials in red, e.g. (f. 17r), others by plain initials in black with red flourishing, e.g. (f. 142v). There are also a type of initial in black and red, e.g. on (f. 15r), which are close to in style to the smaller capitals. On (ff. 40v–45v) such intitials are used frequently.

Binding

Description:

Medieval binding. Brown leather over thick wooden boards. 3 double raised bands. Spine, in brown ink on paper label: ‘Commentarius super Matthaeum N^o 4’; stamped in gold: ‘A 147’; in ink on paper label (pasted over an older label): ‘e.30.9.21.’; remains of a label with illegible text.

LCI and RCI are fragments from a Carolingian text, the Passio S. Dionysii. Two fragments of the same text were previously removed from the manuscript. These fragments are stored separately under the signum National Library, MS A 137a.

Binding dimensions: 285 × 195 × 85 mm

Condition: Leather extremely worn with repairs on upper part of Spine. LCO, remains after clasp (holes and two nails). The cover may be of later date than the boards.

Contemporary: Unknown

History

Origin

France (northern), 12th century, last quarter

Provenance

Early provenance unknown. In the later Middle Ages the manuscript belonged to the Celestines of Marcoussis (founded in the early 15th century), as indicated by the addition on f. 184v. Their monastic library was sacked in the wars of the 16th century. After this the manuscript belonged to Paul Pétau.

Acquisition

Purchased from Paul Pétau by Queen Christina. The manuscript has been at the Royal Library since the 17th century. The signa found on the manuscript correspond to the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e), where it is listed as: ‘Theol in 4o no 4’; and to Hammarsköld’s catalogue from the 19th century (U 133), where it is listed as: ‘e.30.9.21’.