Modern foliation in pencil, 1-417, sometimes corrected (e.g. f. 304r). A second modern foliation appears intermittently in the bottom right corner, and sometimes in the bottom left corner of the verso (e.g. 147r), incorrect from f. 370r ff.
Possible quire signature (‘19’) on quire 16 (f. 200v).
Catchwords on quires 25 and 28.
Condition
Textblock
Numerous worm holes on the first few folios, and some on the last few, though not affecting the text. Occasional holes, stains and smudging (e.g. f. 123v). The text affected by poorly prepared ink flaking away in several places (e.g. ff. 18v–19r, ff. 43v–44r, f. 299r). f. 321 and f. 327 each have a cut in the outer margin.
(LCI)
Top left corner: National Library book label with the current signum; centre of page, book plate with the motto ‘Nec temere nec timide’ and a coat of arms; bottom right corner, in ink by a modern hand: the year of and accession number: ‘1945/34’.
(f. SR2r)
Top left corner, in ink by a modern hand over 3 lines: ‘uq.x.z Pickering 1849’.
Textblock
(f. 3v)
Bottom of page, in ink by a contemporary hand: ‘opus secundum ferialiter et requie⟨uit⟩ die viio
’.
(ff. 4v–399r)
Marginal notations in ink by a contemporary hand - possibly more than one - marking the beginning (‘lec’, ‘proph’, ‘cant’, ‘ew’) and end (‘f’) of various readings and canticles.
(ff. 20v–22r)
(Exodus) Roman numerals i-x at intervals in the margin.
(ff. 62r–400v)
Marginal corrections in different contemporary hands.
(ff. 86v–91v)
Additions/corrections of chapter numbers in ink by a contemporary hand.
(f. 200va)
Below Ps. 150, in ink in a contemporary hand: a list of incipits and biblical references to the major canticles, ‘Cantica Confitebor tibi ysaias 12 a Ego dixi in dimidio [...]benedicite omia opera danielis 3 d’.
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in black and brown ink; rubrics in red; letters of chapter numbers alternating in blue and red; letters of running titles alternating in blue and red sometimes with a small flourish in the contrasting colour.
(f. 1ra): inhabited foliate opening initial ‘F’ in reds, blues, taupes and ochres, extending the length of the text column and ending in a dragon filling the lower margin.
(f. 3va) (Genesis): historiated foliate initial ‘I’ over 47 lines in reds, blues, mauves, taupes and ochres, ending in a dragon filling the lower margin.
(f. 181va) (Ps. 1): historiated foliate initial ‘B’ over 17 lines in reds, blues, mauves, taupes and ochres. The first line in in white display script on a blue background.
(ff. 19ra–396rb): text initials are foliate and historiated over 4-11 lines with letter bodies, backgrounds, and counter spaces alternating in a main colour scheme of blues, reds, ochres, and mauves (also the occasional green or black, e.g. (f. 214va) and (f. 168va)) with patterns in white, and letter bodies often ending in a leaved stem (e.g. (f. 258rb)) or a zoomorphic shape (e.g. (f. 147vb)).
(ff. 1rb–400vb): plain chapter initials over 2-3 lines alternating in blue and red with flourishing in the contrasting colour and extending into the margins.
(ff. 181va–200va) (Psalms): capitals alternating in red and blue.
(f. 184rb) (Ps. 26), (f. 186rb) (Ps. 38), (f. 188ra) (Ps. 52), (f. 189vb) (Ps. 68), (f. 192ra) (Ps. 80), (f. 194ra) (Ps. 97), (f. 196rb) (Ps. 109): decorated foliate initials over 7-9 lines in the same colour scheme as the opening initials, with patterns in white and foliage in the counter space on a background of gold leaf outlined in colour.
(ff. 401ra–410ra): plain chapter initials over 3 lines alternating in blue and red with flourishing in the contrasting colour and extending into the margins.
(ff. 410vb–415ra): plain chapter initials over 3 lines alternating in blue and red.
For further discussion of the decoration, see Lindqvist Sandgren.
Gilt edges.
Binding
Modern binding. Brown leather over cardboard. 4 double raised bands, 2 raised bands, and endbands. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘BIBLIA SACRA’; below, stamped in gold: ‘MS CENT XIII’.
Early provenance unknown. Neither the motto on LCI (‘Nec temere nec timide’) nor the coat of arms have been identified. According to a former librarian's note, the manuscript was owned by Dr O. Schmidt before entering into the possession of the Adlercreutz family.
