DCL MS. B.II.25Augustine, De civitate Dei and other works
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

Composite volume of Augustine's De civitate Dei and other works written in the late 13th to early 14th century. An original volume comprising f.25-328 (C) was augmented by the addition of f.19-24 (B) and f.1-18 (A). Inscriptions on f.1r, f.24v and f.328v associating the book with Thomas Lund, (monk of Durham approximately 1309-1350), indicates that these three elements had been brought together by the mid 14th century. The wear and discoloration of f.328v suggests it was the final page of the book for some time. At some point no later than about 1500, f.i-iv and 329-332 were prefixed and appended as fly- and endleaves.


Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2mbc386j33f.html


Physical description of manuscript
Extent: i+336+i f
Size: 325 mm x 218 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation of medieval leaves runs: i-iv, 1-332.


Secundo folio: ad aram priamum
Corrections and annotation

A parchment tab labelled “5” or “S” is attached to f.163; another tab was formerly attached to f.293.

Binding

Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over re-used medieval bevelled wooden boards (10 mm) (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century) 1 possibly medieval metal clasp (similar to those on DCL MS A.I.3, etc.). The outlines of the turn-ins from an earlier cover are preserved on f.ir and 332v (the former paste-downs).


Manuscript history
Provenance

Informal note of content, now rubbed and faint (“liber de ciuitate de arbitrio Unde Malum”) followed in a different by contemporary hand by “thom' de sutton pro postilla super lucam”, 13th/14th century?, f.328v, lower margin. Possibly the Thomas of Sutton who was a Dominican friar, regent master and a disputant in the faculty of theology at Oxford in the 1290s.
Inscription: “T. Lund ?fr--[erased word or words]”, early 14th century, f.1r, lower margin. “Liber sancti Cutthberti Ex procuracione fratris Thome De Lund”, early 14th century, f.24v, lower margin. The inscriptions are seemingly by the same hand, which was also responsible for many annotations and is presumably that of Lund himself. Thomas Lund, (monk of Durham approximately 1309-1350).
Pressmark: “.E.”, later 14th century, f.25r, top right. “De communi libraria monachorum Dunelm'”, start of 15th century, f.25r, top centre.
Cited in 1395 Cloister catalogue. List of contents in hand of Thomas Swalwell, f.ivv, bottom.


SECTION: (flyleaves)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Support

Parchment: relatively even-toned, f.i-iv stouter than f.329-332. The arrangement in f.i-iv is unclear; in f.329-332 it is HF, HF. f.ir and 332v have suffered damage from their period of service as pastedowns; a discoloured rectangle, 90 x 75 mm, in the lower margin of f.iv suggests that a small sheet (?a bookplate) was formerly attached here.

Extent: 8 f
Collation

Two sets of bifolia from different quires. f.i-iv were the innermost pair of their quire. f.329-332 were adjacent bifolia from a single quire which, as four bifolia originally stood between f.330 and 331, consisted of at least six sheets.

Layout

Text-block: 165-7 x 103 mm. Two columns (width, 50 mm). Lines: f.i-iv, 34 (space, 4-5 mm; height of minims, 2 mm); f.329-332, 34, 36 or 38.
Pricking: f.i-iv, awl (prickings preserved in upper margin only); f.329-332, no evidence. Ruling: ink.f.i-iv: single verticals flank both columns (two in total in the intercolumnar space); first and last horizontal extended. f.329-332: double verticals at the outer edges of both columns, single verticals at their inner edge (two in total in the intercolumnar space); the first three and the last two horizontals extended. f.i-iv and 329-332 have text-blocks of closely similar size, but differ in quality of parchment, line count, ruling pattern and scribe; both were only partially rubricated; both received early annotation. It is debatable, therefore, whether they are from the same book or from different copies of the same work. Their parity in size to the rest of the book shows that they were deployed as pastedowns plus fly- and endleaves in the medieval binding whose vestiges survive under Tucketts’ leather covering; the fact that Thomas Swalwell added a contents list for the main volume to f.ivv, indicates that they were playing this role by about 1500 at the latest. f.i and 332 were presumably raised by Tucketts in 1845.

Script

Written in Textualis semi-quadrataf.ir-ivv, a square matrix. The same hand was responsible for rubricating these pages. f.329r-332v. Textualis semi-quadrata, forward sloping. Also responsible for such rubrics as appear in these pages.

Decoration

None

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England or France, later 13th century.


Manuscript contents
(a)     f.i-iv
Original title: Codex
Author: Justinian I, Emperor of the East, 483?-565
Date: later 13th century
Incipit: dissimulauerunt uel ulterius litigantem audierint
Explicit: et dignos nos faciat esse seruitium eius adimplere
Language: Latin

Codex I.14.2 to I.16 end, continuing directly with I.18 beginning to I.27.1§10. Rubrics were supplied on f.ir to f.iiiv (the last being for I.23), but not on f.iv (none for I.24-27). Contemporary annotations, marginal and interlinear, on every page except f.ivv

(b)     f.329-332
Original title: Codex
Author: Justinian I, Emperor of the East, 483?-565
Date: later 13th century
Incipit: ciuium et communem omnium leticiam non patimur submoveri
Explicit: Nemo ex uiris clarissimis presidibus
Language: Latin

Codex I.11.4-I.14.2 then I.35.1-I.48.1. The quantity of text lacking between f.330v and f.331r is the equivalent of sixteen pages, four bifolia. Rubrics were supplied only on f.329v-230v only. Light glossing throughout, interlinear and marginal on f.329r-330v, marginal only (and largely effaced) on f.331r-332v.

Edited: Peter Lombard, Commentarium in Psalmos

SECTION: (A)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Support

Parchment: low quality with pronounced H/F contrast; H sides yellow and follicle-marked; holes and flaws; propensity to curl. The lower, outer corner of f.13, nearly detached owing to a slit, is held in place by historic sewing. Arranged FH, HF. f.1 is slightly smaller than the rest of the volume: 321 x 205 mm.

Extent: 18 f
Collation

: I12, II6

Catchwords: Original catchword on f.12v.
Layout

Text-block: 249 x 156 mm. Lines: 51 (space, 4.5-5 mm; height of minims, 2+ mm). Pricking: awl. Prickings survive in the outer and upper margins. Ruling: ink. Single verticals flank the text-block; the first two horizontals invariably extended, the last two horizontals generally extended.

Script

Written in Anglicana, slightly larger and more formal (approximately more closely to Textualis semi-quadrata) for headwords in the text and margins and for the colophon. Set out as block text, the keywords underlined in red within the text and repeated in the margin.

Decoration

None. Headwords both in the text and the margin are underlined in red; their initials and other sentence capitals are stroked in red.

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England, early 14th century.


Manuscript contents
(c)     f.1r-17r
Modern title: Tabula to topics in Augustine, De ciuitate Dei
Author: William, of Lincoln
Incipit: Abel quid interpretatur
Explicit: Explicit tabula super Librum de ciuitate dei quam fecit frater Willelmus de Lincolnia
Language: Latin

Short runs of alphabetically-ordered entries interspersed with groups of analphabetical ones, each generally with a short explicatory gloss, then a reference to book and chapter, plus often a letter (a-g) also. f.17v-18v, blank.


SECTION: (B)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Support

Parchment: modest to low quality with noticeable H/F contrast. Arranged FH, HF.

Extent: 6 f
Collation

I6, but perhaps including singletons (f.23 and 24 are sewn to each other at the gutter)

Layout

Text-block: 234 x 126 mm. Two columns (width, 57 mm.). Lines: generally 50 or 51 (space, 4.5 mm; height of minims: scribe 1, 1+ mm; scribe 2, 2 mm). Scribe 3’s contribution: 35 lines (space, 7 mm; height of minims 2+ mm). Pricking: awl (at the corners of the frame) and knife (isolated additional holes). Ruling: ink. Scribe 1: double verticals at the outer edges of both columns, single verticals at their inner edges (two in total in the intercolumnar space). A further pair of verticals in the outer margin to guide the chapter numbers. No horizontals extended; all horizontals continue over the intercolumnar space. Scribe 2: single verticals on both sides of both columns (no ruling for the chapter numbers); first and last horizontals extended. Scribe 3: frame ruled only.

Script

Scribe 1: f.19r-21v, col. 1, line 47 - Anglicana , neat, compact, rectilinear. This scribe supplied book and chapter numbers in the margins.
Scribe 2: f.21v, col. 1, line 50 - f.24v, col. 2, bottom. Anglicana, left-sloping. The book and chapter numbers for this scribe’s entries were added by a later hand which was also responsible for inserting rubrics on f.21v explaining that the second stint started with the list for Book XVII and that capitula lists for the intervening books appeared within the main text itself.
Scribe 3: f.24v (e). Anglicana, bolder than those of Scribes 1-2; citations underlined in ordinary ink.

Decoration

None. Each entry throughout item (d) is headed by a paraph, alternately blue then red.

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England, 13th/14th century.


Manuscript contents
(d)     f.19r-24r
Modern title: Capitula lists for Augustine, De ciuitate Dei, Books I-X and XVII-XXII
Incipit: De aduersariis nominis christi quibus in vastacione vrbis
Explicit: eterna felicitate ciuitatis dei sabuloque perpetuo
Language: Latin

Capitula for Books I-X were written by Scribe 1, to which Scribe 2 appended those for Books XVII-XXII. Scribe 1 numbered his entries; numbers were supplied to Scribe 2’s entries by an annotator who provided running headings (giving the Book number) throughout and other notes

(e)     f.24v
Modern title: De penitentia et sanctitate Salomonis
Date: Added 14th century
Incipit: Ieronimus de penitentia Salomonis viii libro super Ezechielem de extrema visione
Explicit: patet quod salomon fuit sanctus et saluatus cuius contrarium videtur haberi ex verbis augustini, 17 de ciuitate dei capitulis 8, 10, et 13
Language: Latin

SECTION: (C)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Support

Parchment: low quality with pronounced H/F contrast; H sides yellow, some with pronounced follicle marks; holes, flaws, edgecuts. Arranged: FH, HF. A sliver of parchment, possibly a bookmark, sits between f.36 and 37; parts of a decaying straw bookmark remain between f.306 and 307.

Extent: 306 f
Collation

I10, II-IV12, V8, VI-XXV12, XXVI10

Catchwords: Contemporary catchwords written by the main scribe survive on most quires. The catchwords on quires XXIII and XXV (f.294v, 318v) are written in a different less formal style, seemingly by a different hand; quire XXIV has both a less formally written catchword and one in the normal style.
Signatures: Leaf numbering in the first half of many quires. There is, in addition, leaf lettering in the first half of the final four quires, the sequence running a-f, g-m, t-z, then n-s for quires XXIII-XXVI respectively - this may represent an abandoned attempt to transpose the final two quires to re-order the Books of item (g), something rendered impractical by the fact that the book divisions do not coincide with whole quires.
Layout

Text-block: 208 x 125 mm. Two columns (width, 56 mm). Lines: 46. (Space, 5 mm; height of minims, 2 mm). Pricking: awl (prickings survive in upper and lower margins only). Ruling: ink. Single verticals flank both columns (two in total in the intercolumnar space). No horizontals extended; all continue across the intercolumnar space.

Script

Written in Textualis rotunda. At least two hands, possibly three (f.25r-306v; f.307r-320v; f.321r-328v (conceivably the second scribe working more hastily or after an elapse of time)).

Decoration

Item (g) is headed by a 7-line-high initial, historiated with a figure of a standing Deity with cross-nimbed halo, holding a green book in both hands, beside a tower and a wall (?the city of God). The Deity wears a blue over-mantle and a pink under-robe. The ground is burnished gold leaf. A bird stands atop the initial. The individual books within (g), the incipit of (f), and the incipits to Books II and III of (h) are headed by red and blue initials, 4+ lines high, flourished in both colours, with extensions in both colours. They are generally followed by one or more enlarged calligraphic capitals in black ink (those for (g) Book XVII, f.197v, were stroked in red). The incipit for (h) Book I, and chapters within (g) from Book X, chapter 9 (f.116r) onwards are headed with 2-line-high capitals, alternately red then blue, flourished in the other colour.

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England, Durham(?), early 14th century.


Manuscript contents
(f)     f.25r
Original title: Retractationes II.43
Author: Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430
Incipit: Interea cum roma gothorum irrepcione
Explicit: Hoc opus sic incipit, gloriosissimam ciuitate dei
Language: Latin
(g)     f.25r-292v
Original title: De ciuitate Dei
Author: Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430
Incipit: Gloriosissimam ciuitatem deo siue in hoc temporum cursu
Explicit: sed deo mecum gratias congratulantes agant. Gloria et honor patri et filio, et spiritu sancto, omnipotenti deo in excelsis, in secula seculorum. Amen
Rubric: Incipit liber primus beati augustini de ciuitate dei
Language: Latin

Contemporary running headings in red and blue give the Book numbers. Only Books II and XVII-XXII are headed by rubrics; only Books XI-XVI are preceded by capitula lists. Chapter numbers were added to the margins by the bold 14th century hand responsible for adding numbers to the prefixed capitula lists on f.21v-24r. Annotated throughout by the earlier 14th century hand that added the capitula numbers and which is probably that of Thomas Lund); the same hand was probably responsible for the many Nota lines bracing passages of text.

(h)     f.293r-328v
Original title: De libero arbitrio; Unde malum
Author: Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430
Incipit: Iam si fieri potest explica mihi quare dederit deus homini liberum uoluntatis arbitrium
Explicit: et ei meam iudicio, et uote libentissime adiungo
Rubric: De libero arbitrio augustini II
Language: Latin

Text ordered Book II, Book III, Book I (Unde malum). The additional leaf numbering in the final four quires, which reordered them XXIII, XXIV, XXVI, XXV, may represent an abandoned attempt to rearrange the books in the order I, II, III. Red Ds and Ms punctuate the text of Book I, where one would expect Es and As for Evodius and Augustinus respectively. Annotation throughout, flagging themes, adding Nota lines.


Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham Cathedral Library.

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. B.II.25 - Augustine, De civitate Dei, De libero arbitrio, etc.
Digitised June 2019 as part of the Durham Priory Library Recreated project Due to the binding, there are many images throughout the volume with marginalia and text not visible in the image because they are too far into the gutter. In some cases, the missing text can be seen on the image of the preceding verso. Paper bookmark between f.36 and f.37. Not digitised, left in place.
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2mbc386j33f.html

Bibliography

Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss.   OCLC citation, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).

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