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“Een seer schoon ende deuoet boexken inhoudende vele schoon ghebekens vvaer mede een Christen mensche hem sal oeffenen om die eeuvvighe salicheyt te vervverue ... Anno 1575.”

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.5.2.12

Scope and Contents

A prayer book from the Low Countries written in 1575. The work contains various prayers in Dutch, as well as the seven penitential psalms and the litany.

The work is written in cursive hands in black ink with rubrics and some initials in red. There appear to be four different hands present in the volume.

The main body of the work is written in the same cursive hand, while two decorative elements are accompanied by a different bookhand. Folios 154v-158v are written in a different cursive hand, and another cursive hand is present in the bottom margin of folio 157r.

Folio 1r is a title page introducing the work, and includes the year of writing, and is entitled: 'Een seer schoon ende deuoet boexken inhoudende vele schoon ghebekens vvaer mede een Christen mensche hem sal oeffenen om die eeuvvighe salicheyt te vervverue... Anno 1575'.

The contents of the volume are as follows:

Assorted prayers, including morning and evening prayers, prayers against pestilence, prayers to the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Prayers for the Virgin, St. John the Baptist, the Patriarchs and Prophets, Apostles, Holy Innocents, and Martyrs. Prayers for Saints Sebastian, Anthony, and Roche, as well as the Confessors, and Saints Anna, Mary Magdalene, Catherine, and Apollonia. Prayers for the sacraments and for use during the mass. Folios 2r-72v.

Prayers for the sick, those in danger of death, and for the souls of the dead. Folios 73r-110v.

Seven penetential psalms. Folios 110v-121r.

Litany and prayers of the ‘seven sorrows’ of the five wounds of Christ. Folios 121v-140r.

Prayers of St. Gregory, Bede, St. Ambrose, St. John, and the Virgin Mary. Folios 140r-153r.

Folio 153v is blank.

Prayers for the sick, in a different hand. Folios 154r-158v. Another hand in darker ink is also present in the lower margin of folio 157r.

There are two decorative elements in the work. The first of these is present on folio 65v and depicts a heart pierced with an arrow with a scroll containing a contemplative motto. The second is found on folio 69r and depicts a skull with a scroll which reads 'om die Ende om die'. Beneath the skull there is a coffin upon a bier with the inscription 'u leeste huys'. To the left is a pansy and to the right there is an hourglass. This image is accompanied by a short poem on both the recto and verso sides of the leaf. These decorative elements and the poems are on paper which has been later pasted into the volume.

The volume is also decorated with red penwork initials at the start of different sections. Rubrics, underlining, and larger initials are in red, and smaller initials are stroked with red.

Each leaf, recto and verso has been lined.

Dates

  • Creation: 1575.

Extent

1 Volumes ; 14.3 cm x 10.4 cm x 2.8 cm

Language of Materials

Dutch; Flemish

Arrangement

i + 158 folios, with a fragment of a paper flyleaf to the rear.

Collation as recorded by Catherine Borland: a-t⁸, u⁶ (wants 7 irregular)

Custodial History

There is an inscription on the pastedown of the inner of the front board which probably reads: 'achette le 22 fevrier 1813 Sept. Sols Court'.

Also on the pastedown is a pencil inscription of the shelfmark given to the item by the Advocates Library, '5.2.12'. Beneath this is a rubbed-out pencil date which reads '1814'. In the bottom right hand corner of the pastedown is a set of initials which possibly read: 'J.W'.

The manuscript was probably present in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates by 1819 and is certainly listed in a the catalogue of manuscripts of circa 1830. There is an ownership inscription of the Library on folio 2r.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.125.

Bibliography

Borland, C. R. 'Catalogue of the Mediaeval Manuscripts in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh', 4 volumes (Unpublished manuscript, 1906-8), Volume I, folios 174-177. NLS Reference: F.R.196a/1.

Briquet, C. M. 'Les Filigranes. Dictionnaire historique des marques de papier des leur apparition vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600', 4 Volumes (Leipzig, 1923).

'Catalogue of Manuscripts' (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh, 1830?). NLS reference: FR.216

'Folio Catalogue of Manuscripts: Miscellaneous Manuscripts' (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh [after 1837]), folio 26. NLS Reference: FR.195.

'Summary Catalogue of the Advocates' Manuscripts' (Edinburgh, 1971), page 94, number 1184.

Physical Description

Paper.

The binding is of the 17th century and is plain vellum. On the tail end of the spine is a library sticker which reads: '5 2 12'.

The paper of the volume is watermarked with the letter 'B', with a scroll beneath. This watermark is similar to Briquet numbers 8077-8081.

Title
National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
Author
National Library of Scotland
Date
11 12 2013
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Local Descriptive Rules
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository

Contact:
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700