Legendary

France, Paris region, 13th century, second half

Parchment

i, 357 leaves

230 × 160 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1r–1v) Table of contents

Note: List of rubrics. The last item on the list, St Eustachius, does not seem to be included in the manuscript.

2 (ff. 2ra–355vb) Legendary

Rubric: Incipit uita symonis et iude

Incipit: Simon itaque chananeus et Iudas zelotes apostoli domini nostri ihesu christi

Explicit: que conuenerant audire uerbum domini tu autem Expliuiit (!) actus apostorum (!)

Note:

This collection contains circa 100 saints' passions and vitae. It begins with Sts Simon and Jude (28 Oct.) on f. 2ra. The last saint mentioned is the legend of Mary Magdalene and St Maximinus of Aix on f. 337ra.

Notable saints:

ff. 75r–77v: St Germanus of Auxerre (31 July);

ff. 104r–118r: St Opportuna (22 Apr.) and St Godegrand/Chrodegang of Séez (3 Sep.);

ff. 122r–123r: St Landry of Paris (10 June);

ff. 123r–129v: St Catherine (25 Nov.), legend and a short office;

ff. 130r–131r: St Turiaf of Dol (13 July);

ff. 132r–134v: St Marcellus of Paris (1 Nov.);

ff. 134v–136v: St Genevieve (3 Jan.);

ff. 137r–138r: St Aurea of Paris (4 Oct.);

ff. 139r–140r: St Magloire (24 Oct.);

ff. 189r–202r: St Denis of Paris, and Rusticus and Eleutherius (9 Oct.);

ff. 239r–243r: St Bathild (30 Jan.);

ff. 247v–248v: St Clodoald (7 Sep.);

ff. 311r–318r: St Maturinus (Nov. 1), includes vita, readings, translatio;

Besides the legends, the manuscript also contains the following texts:

ff. 18v–30r: Christmas: Bible readings, sermons, homlies;

ff. 86v–91v: Assumption of Mary: homilies;

ff. 98v–104r: Exaltation of the Holy Cross: readings, sermons;

ff. 143v–152v: Dedication of the Church: Bible readings, homilies;

ff. 152v–167v: Revelation;

ff. 167v–171r: Canticles;

ff. 248v–259r: Assumption of Mary: sermons;

ff. 259r–270v: Nativity of Mary: Bible readings, sermons;

ff. 338r–355v: Acts 1:1-16:13 (after which the text ends).

Physical Description

Secundo folio

simulacrorum domini qui

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI, f. SL1, RCI

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 230 × 160 mm

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1–355

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 230 × 160 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil. ff. 1–5: foliated in both upper and bottom left corner; ff. 6–355: foliated in bottom left corner. Error in foliation: 1-182, 182bis, 183-221, 221bis, 222-355.

ff. 2r–60r: Foliation in Roman numerals in black ink in the upper right corner: ‘i^o-lix’.

Collation

Formula: 1(1+8), 2-4(8), 5(8, lacks 6), 9-41(8), 42(4+1), 43-45(8)

Note: VisColl collation.

Signatures: Quire signatures in lead-point both at the beginning and end of each quire.

Catchwords: Catchwords by a contemporary hand. Catchwords highly erratic. On some quires, e.g. quires 7, 11, 37, the catchwords repeat the last words of the current page and not the first words of the next page. On quire 26 what looks like a catchword is actually the end of the last sentence. On quire 14 the catchword does not refer to the next page. Catchwords missing on quires 1, 6, 10, 12-13, 15-20, 30, 34-35, 39-40.

Condition

Textblock

Parchment damaged in many places, often with signs of contemporary repair, e.g. on f. 72 and f. 74. In some places there are signs of water and fire damage, e.g. on ff. 88–94. Occasional ink smudges, e.g. f. 221.

Layout

Columns: 2

Ruled lines: 29–41

Written area: 170/210 × 120/150 mm

Note: Guidelines and ruling in lead. Ruling pattern varies.

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

Gothic minsuscule by several hands.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Top of page, in ink by a modern hand: ‘Legenda seu vitae sanctorum.’; bottom left corner: National Library book label with current signum.

Textblock

(f. 1v) Top of page, in ink by a modern hand: ‘299’.

(f. 2r) Upper margin, in pencil by a modern hand: ‘9. 9?’.

(ff. 2r–355r) Interlinear and marginal corrections by the scribe or a contemporary hand. Occasionally, longer additions in the margins, e.g. on f. 36r.

(f. 355v) Bottom margin, in pencil by a modern hand: ‘T.o.m. XVI:13’.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in black ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red (sometimes painted over completely).

Initials:

ff. 2ra–355r: plain initials over 3-7 lines in red;

ff. 89r–91v, ff. 105r–108r, ff. 113r–116r: rubrics, capitals and plain intials painted in blue.

Binding

Description:

Modern binding. Marbled paper over cardboard, spine covered in parchment. Spine, in ink: ‘Legenda Seu vitae Sanctorum’; in ink: ‘A 236’.

Binding dimensions: 240 × 180 × 90 mm

Contemporary: No

History

Origin

France, Paris region, 13th century, second half. The attribution to Paris is based on the prominence of saints associated with the region, notably St Opportuna and her brother St Chrodegang of Séez (f. 104r), St Landry of Paris (f. 122r), St Marcellus of Paris (f. 132r); St Genevieve (f. 134v), St Aurea of Paris (f. 137r), St Denis of Paris (f. 189r), and St Maturinus (f. 311r) (see Contents for more local saints). Of these saints particular prominence is given to Sts Opportuna and Chrodegang, St Denis, St Maturinus, as well as to St Catherine.