| Description | Double folio, parchment, probably a fragment from a noted missal. Features text in the form of chants and prayers from the Missa Pro Defunctis, or Mass for the dead. Main body text in a Gothic hand in black ink, fading to brown, with rubrics, red highlights and capitals. Musical notation in a German Gothic style on a 4-line stave with C marked.
Folio 1 recto begins part way through the chant Pro Defunctis, "[Antequam nascerer novisti me et ad imaginem] tuam domine plasmasti me modo reddo tibi creatori animam meam", followed by the response: "Conmissa(sic) mea domine pavesco et ante te erubesco dum veneris judicare noli me condemnare".
The Oremus follows: "[D]eus qui universorum es creator et conditor qui cum sis sanctorum beatitudo presta nobis petentibus ut spiritu carie nostri a corporeis nexibus absolutum in sanctorum tuorum resurrectione facias presentari"
Beneath the Oremus is another responsory, the first line of which has been rubbed away. Using multi-spectral imaging techniques it is possible to read this as "[L]ibera me domine de morte eter..." the rest of the response is visible as "...na in die illa tremenda Quando celi movendi sunt et terra"
On the verso is the chant "Inclina domine aurem tuam ad preces nostras quibus misericordiam tuam supplices deprecamur ut animam famli tui...". The next rubric gives instructions for carrying the body from the chapel and is followed by the In paradisum: "In paradisum deducant te angeli in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem".
The last section of text on f.1v is another prayer for the dead: "Obsecramus misericordiam omnipotens eterne deus qui hominem ad imaginem tuam creare dignatus es, ut spiritum et animam famuli tui quem hodie..." This ends part way through the text and does not continue to folio 2, which indicates that this bifolium was part of a gathering.
Folio 2 recto features the Litany of Saints; a list of the names of angels, saints and martyrs, written in two columns with most names followed by the instruction "OR", an abbreviation for "Ora/oretes pro nobis". This is followed by the invocations, "omnis sancti propitius esto pace nobis domine" etc.
Folio 2 verso continues the invocations from the Litany of Saints, which is followed by the beginning of the Sanctus: "Sanctus sanctus sanctus dominus deus sabaoth...", and the prayer of St Anthony: "Ecce crucem domini fugite partes adverse vicit leo de tribu iuda [Juda] radix david alleluia".
The bifolium has been used as the cover of an octavo-sized volume. The right-hand margin of f.2v, which would have covered the spine, has annotation in a later hand which is presumably bibliographical information relating to the book to which this fragment was bound. The annotation is very faded.
The fragment has been used as the outer cover of a later volume and has damage commensurate with this. The outside of the bifolium, i.e. f.1r/f.2v is very discoloured and some of the text has worn away. The inside of the bifolium is less discoloured but has accretions of paper and paste across both folios. The sides and corners have been cut although there does not appear to be any loss of text. The red pigment has generally survived better than the black text, particularly on f.1r. Legibility varies but is generally good. The later spine annotation on f.2v is very faded and the imprints of the sewing bands can be clearly seen. There are several cuts which were probably made when the fragment was used for binding but no pest damage. 225x355mm. |