Latin Bible, and Remigius, Interpretationes Nomium Hebraicorum, 13th century

Component identifier:

Item 3

Content Summary:

Description: 479, i leaves (vellum); 155 x 105 mm.

Script: Either French littera gothica textualis or Gothic textualis rotunda. Corrected by an English hand with anglicana features c1300 (eg on f.175r)

Decoration: Capitals with fine marginal flourishes in red and blue ink and similarly flourished in-fillings of some capitals; red rubrics.

Layout: Double columns; 50 lines to the page; at f.23r part of Exodus had been misbound with a gathering of Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Binding: Bound in an early English calf binding with blind-tooled frame enclosing a stamped centre ornament; includes a fragment of a 12th century biblical book; heading at top of many pages appears to have been cut off and some indication bottom pages cut off too - indication of rebinding?

Provenance: 1. A 17th-century English hand has written 'This is John [Peg? Peter?] this boke' on several folios (175r, 221r, 274r, 278v, 341v, 352r and 388v). 2. Annotated 'Sainthill' in 17th Century on f.216r. 3. Letter 'C' surmounted by a coronet signifying the Clifford family on f.1r. 4. Annotation on f.296v: 'Md that I christofor Wallys of tottones in the [next word/s erased]' 5. On inside back cover is the motto 'Cui vult deus dat' and the monogram 'AH', 16th century.

Notes: Paris study bible. 16th-17th-century English annotations eg 'Here wanteth the rest of Exodus…' on f.24v – direct reader to continuation of the text later in the book; indications of close reading and readers' observations in the 14th and 17th centuries.

Transcription of 'Memo', inside front cover: 'That in St Peters church Wednesday 30 Ap. 1673 I met Mr [first word erased] Tho. [Hithergale?] who told me that this manuscript bible was Jerome's Latine translation approved by the Counsell of Trent for the best in those times and was given by his father-in-law Mr Je[…] [Jermiah?] [Long?] Justice, unto my father, Mr Walter Sainthill, deceased now also. It was written, hee said, in Glassenbury Abbey – per me E.S. scribitur Hoc'. Written under this: 'I doubt not a good bible this yet perhaps so though approved by that Counsell of Trent, for this it was considered handsome to some friends. E.S. 14 June 1680' [Possible reference to the King James version of the Bible then being in use?]. 'Walter Sainthill' may be from Hennock or Bovey Tracey, Devon, b. 1597, d. 1645 and this, coupled with ownership by Christopher Wallys of Totnes in Devon, would indicate a west county provenance, post reformation.

Reference: Sinclair: No.5 pp. 18-23; not in Manion Vines

Immediate source of acquisition:

The collection was purchased by the National Library of Australia from the estate of the 11th Baron Clifford in November 1963. It reached Canberra in April 1964. The Chertsey Cartulary (item 65), possibly the most important medieval manuscript held in Australia due to the fact that it is one of only three extant from the 14th century and the only one held outside the UK, was received in 1975, following the granting of an export licence by the British Government.

Names:

Clifford, Hugh, Colonel Hon.

Access and use