Lucas Glosatus

The Vulgate text of St Luke's Gospel preceded by the usual prologue (F. Stegmuller, Repertorium Biblicum Medii Aevi, Madrid, 1950-61, no. 620) (ff. 1-121 verso). Lucas, syrus natione, et antyochenus, arte medicus ... (f. 2) quam fastidientibus prodesse. Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ... et benedicentes deum. The prologue has interlinear glosses by the scribe of the text, some of them giving variant readings. The text has marginal and interlinear glosses by the scribes of the text. These are the Glossa Ordinaria with a good number of additional marginal glosses (comparison with the Glossa Ordinaria in PL 114) all, so far as has been ascertained, deriving from Ambrose and Bede. There are further glosses on the text and on the Gloss in several contemporary smaller glossing hands, probably including both the main scribes, interlined and in the outer margin. Text flanked by gloss, varying number of columns. 35-38 lines (hands A and B), 44 lines (hand C, except when he has to match A or B), the text on alternate lines. Written above the top line. Ruling in plummet includes three sets of three lines at top, middle and bottom of the written space drawn across the full width of the page.
Written in good textura by three hands: A, ff. 1-17, 37-41 , 43 recto-verso; B, f. 17 verso; C ff. 18-32 verso, 42 recto , 44-121 verso. C writes a textura prescissa except when matching A or B. The Gloss is written in a smaller textura by each of the scribes, additional glosses in small glossing hands. Omissions by A have been made good by C. Ink is black-dark brown. Syntax letters and marks appear a few times (e.g. ff. 1 recto-verso, 11 verso).

Access to the original manuscript by authorised permission only. Readers are directed to use surrogate copies.

Formerly Mostyn MS 71.

Collation: 1-7[8], 8[10], 9-15[8]. Quires 1-3, 5 and 8 are numbered in the middle of the foot of the last verso; other signatures probably cut away.

Three illuminated initials, up to 7-line, at beginning of prologue, preface and Gospel (ff. 1, 2, 2 verso): blue, vermilion, pink, white, green, with burnished gold ground, all incorporating monsters. (1) Winged, two-legged monster biting fish, (2) historiated, ox of St Luke, (3) historiated, Herod on throne; in the latter two the opening words are painted, two letters to a line, in white on coloured ground in a narrow panel adjoining the historiated space. Alternate red and blue initials in text with contrasting penwork and alternate red and blue paragraphs for the Gloss; initials and paragraphs near the foot of the page often with red and blue flourishes descending far into the lower margin.

Sec. fol. Quoniam quidem.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 21241E [RESTRICTED ACCESS].

Available on microfilm at the Library.

Written in France or England (?Canterbury) around 1200. St Augustine's Canterbury, had a glossed Gospel of St Luke 'cum B' (the B presumably on the cover) with the same second folio as our manuscript: 'in textu prohemii quoniam' (M. R. James, The Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover, 1903, p. 207). Running chapter numbers at the head of the page were added first in plummet and later in ink. On f. 122 verso an English hand of the 15th cent. has written recipes against dropsy and against aches, the latter in English. On f. ii verso the armorial bookplate of Thomas Mostyn, 4th bart, bearing his signature, date 1744 and 'no. 17'. The same catalogue number appears on f. 1. Inside the upper cover is the Gloddaeth Library ticket, 19th cent. Appears as MS 64 in the 1842 Gloddaeth catalogue (NLW MS 21243), as MS 71 in HMC Cat. and inside upper cover, as lot 22 in the Mostyn sale at Sotheby's 13 July 1920 when it was presumably bought in. It was lot 1475 in the Mostyn sale at Christie's 24 October 1974 when it was bought in and subsequently bought for NLW.

Published