St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1394

Lowe Elias Avery, Codices Latini Antiquiores. A palaeographical guide to latin manuscripts prior to the ninth century. Part VII: Switzerland, Oxford 1956 (Osnabrück 1982), p. 39-41.

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Codicological unit: 977. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 7-49)·

Manuscript title: Vergilius, Eclogae, Georgica, Aeneis (fragm.).

Date of origin: Saec. V.

Support: Parchment fair.

Extent: Twelve folios survive, some only in part, paginated 7-49 (including paper interleaves), besides a number of smaller fragments, bound in a miscellany of ca. 200 pages (an offset in the binding of St. Gall MS. 275 is seemingly from a lost fragment of Aen. VI, mentioned by C. G. Müller, Analecta Bernensia III, p. 6).

Format: Present maximum size 325 x 350 mm.

Page layout: (223 x ca. 275 mm) in 19 long lines, with unusually generous margins. Ruling on the flesh-side, presumably before folding; written between two ruled lines, as in manuscripts de luxe. Single bounding lines. Prickings to guide the ruling run within the written area near the outer bounding lines.

Writing and hands:

Running titles on each opening, in smaller Square capitals between groups of ornamental strokes and dots. The surviving colophon to the Bucolics and heading to the first book of the Georgics are in large Square capitals, with both overlined (p. 35).
No separation of words and no punctuation by the original hand; an early corrector marked sense pauses by means of one or two high commas.
The only abbreviation found on the fragment is Q' = que.
Ink olive-brown, with a tendency to scale off on the flesh-side. Script is a majestic, lapidary Square capital, apparently by more than one hand. Small interlinear corrections by the scribe, some in grey ink by others.

Decoration: Ornamentation: a rope-like line is seen below the last verse of the Georgics. Lib. IV (p. 48).

Contents:

Partly palimpsest, primary script (pp. 35/36, 39/40, 43/44. 47/48 had once been folded in two and used for writing Psalms, Canticles, and Prayers, saec. XII ex. and XIII).
The contents are as follows: Ecl., Colophon, and Georg., Titulus (p. 35, with p. 36 blank); Georg. IV. 345-363, 365-381 (pp. 39/40), 383-400, 402-419 (pp. 43/44). 535-566 (pp. 47/48); Aen. I. 381-418 (pp. 7/8), 685-702. 704-721 (pp. 11/12); Ill. 191-207, 210-226 (pp. 16/15), 457-474,476-493 (pp. 20/19), 495-511, 514-530 (pp. 23/24); IV. 1-18, 20-37 (pp. 27/28); VI. 656-659, 675-678 (pasted to p. 49), 688-724 (pp. 31/32).

Origin of the manuscript: Written presumably in Italy. Was used at St. Gall, apparently in 1461, for binding and repairing manuscripts (e.g. MSS. 22, 248, 275, and others).

Codicological unit: 978a. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 51-88) + 172 (fragment at p. 258) + Stadtbibl. S.N. + Chur, Rhätisches Museum.

Manuscript title: Evangelia Versionis Antehieronymianae (fragm.) (n, a²).

Date of origin: Saec. V

Support: Parchment white and very fine.

Extent: Twenty folios survive, some only in part: 16 in MS. 1394 (paginated 51-88, counting some paper interleaves; a strip from pp. 85/86 is pasted at p. 258 in MS. 172, a tenth-century manuscript of Augustinus contra Faustum) + 2 in the Stadtbibliothek + 2 at Chur (for the restoration of the last leaf of the original manuscript, now pp. 91/92 of MS. 1394, see next item)

Format: ca. 310 x ca. 225 mm.

Collation: Gatherings were quaternions, with flesh-side outside, signed with small Roman numerals in the lower right-hand corner of the last page (XXVII is seen on p. 86 of MS. 1394).

Page layout: (220 x 185 mm) in 2 columns of 24 lines. Ruling before folding, on the flesh-side. Single bounding lines. Prickings run through the written space - a sign of antiquity.

Writing and hands:

Punctuation: a blank space the width of two or three letters marks the main pause; a later hand added some commas in grey ink.
An omission is marked by ·hꝺ· in the text answered by ·hs· after the insertion in the lower margin (Chur fol. I). Abbreviations confined to ·IS· (mostly between points) for iesus and the older forms ꝹS, Ꝺ for dominus, domine. M and N, omitted only at line-end, are both marked after the vowel by a simple stroke or by a stroke with dot below. Some sections begin with a larger letter set out in the margin.
Ink now greyish-olive and brown; it has eaten through the parchment here and there. Script is a beautiful, expert, ancient uncial. Greek letters used as numerals occur after running titles and in the margin to mark chapters.

Decoration: Running titles normally on each opening, in smaller uncial. The colophon to Matthew in somewhat larger uncial occupies a whole column and is decorated with a simple horizontal rope pattern and a series of data and flourishes (p. 72).

Additions: An interlinear insertion in fine contemporary uncial is seen on p. 82; the same page has a probatio pennae in late eighth-century Alemannic minuscule; the running title in cursive minuscule saec. VII seen on p. 87 continues on the restoration p. 91 (see next item). The fragment in the St. Gall Stadtbibliothek contains interlinear Old High German glosses saec. VIII-IX.

Origin of the manuscript: Written no doubt in Italy. Was certainly in Rome in the eighth century (see next item) and reached St. Gall apparently at latest towards the end of that century, as shown by probationes pennae and old German glosses. Was later dismembered and used for bookbinding. The fragment now in the St. Gall Stadtbibliothek was taken from the binding of MS. 70, which contains Lives of Saints saec. XV and belonged to the monastery until the Reformation. Some of the smaller fragments were recently recovered in MSS. 14 and 205 of the Stiftsbibliothek.

Codicological unit: 978b. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 91/92).

Manuscript title: Evangelium Marci (XVI. 14-fin.) Versionis Antehieronymianae (o).

Date of origin: Saec. VII

Support: Parchment rather coarse.

Extent: One folio, slightly cut off on the inner side, being a restoration of the last page of the fifth-century uncial manuscript of the Gospels described in the preceding item.

Format: 308 x ca. 220 mm.

Page layout: (220 x 170 mm) in 2 columns of 24 lines. Ruling on the flesh-side. Single bounding lines. Prickings to guide ruling run through the space between the columns.

Writing and hands:

Running title in greyish ink added by a contemporary hand in cursive minuscule. Colophon in bold large uncial followed by a group of dots and strokes (see plate).
Abbreviations are confined to Nomina Sacra, with a dot following the symbol. M and N, both omitted at line-end, are marked after the vowel by a horizontal flourish with dot below. A large  projects into the margin at the beginning of a section.
Ink olivebrown. Script is a bold and rather clumsy uncial: the bow of  is small and hangs well above the line; LL run together; the second upright of N is spike-shaped.

Additions: Interlinear corrections by a contemporary cursive hand. A number of interesting entries of various ages stand on the verso, originally left blank: probationes pennae in uncial and in Merovingian and Caroline minuscule (the latter containing some Teutonic words), a notary's chrismon, and 2 lines in syllabic tachygraphy upside down in the lower margin; there is also a long entry in the script of the Roman curia, probably of the time of Gregory III (731-741), which, as Dr. Bischoff has shown, refers to the monastery “S. Dei genetricis quae a Camellaria et beatorum Iohannis Ev. atque Bapt.”, i.e. Ara Caeli in Rome.

Origin of the manuscript: Written presumably in Italy. Was certainly in Rome in the middle of the eighth century, as is evidenced by the entry in curial script mentioning S. Maria in Ara Caeli. It reached St. Gall towards the end of the eighth century, to judge by another addition. Later used to reinforce a binding.

Codicological unit: 979. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 95-98).

Manuscript title: Missale (fragm.).

Date of origin: Saec. VIII-IX.

Support: Vellum is greasy and dark, disfigured by stains.

Extent: Two folios forming a bifolium, paginated 95-98 in a miscellany of fragments.

Format: Present size ca. 230 x 220-230 mm.

Page layout: (width ca. 180 mm.) in long lines of which 22 survive. Ruling after folding. Single bounding lines. Prickings in both margins guided by the ruling.

Writing and hands: Irish majuscule and minuscule

Punctuation: the main pause is marked by :‧ or by two consecutive points. Run-overs carried to the line below are set off by three parallel oblique strokes. Accents occur over monosyllables and over long i in final syllables.
Abbreviations found include the Insular symbols , ↄ, ỻ, p~ = bene, con, enim, per; and the common forms b:, q: = bus, que; n̅ = nostrum: ꝓ = pro; ꞇ̅ = ter.
Spelling shows the usual Insular peculiarities: long i for ii (misteri), and confusion of s and ss (missericordiae).
Ink black. Script is Irish, in part stately majuscule, in part expert minuscule: in the majuscule the half-uncial d is almost the rule; N is more frequent than n: R is regular: s is more frequent than Ꞅ: uncial . occurs (p. 98); m at line-end is once turned sideways: in the minuscule r could be mistaken for n.

Decoration: Initials in bold black, with white circles as finials and occasionally embedded in the black outline.

Origin of the manuscript: Written doubtless in Ireland. Was used at St. Gall for book-binding.

Codicological unit: 980. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 101-104).

Manuscript title: Evangelia (Luc. I. 12-32; II. 43-III. 9).

Date of origin: Saec. VIII

Support: Vellum is poor and thick.

Extent: Two folios forming a bifolium, probably the third from the centre of a quire, now paginated 101-104 in a miscellany of fragments.

Format: 270 x 210 mm

Page layout: (218 x 160 mm.) in 20 long lines. Ruling after folding. Apparently single bounding lines. Prickings in both margins guided the ruling.

Writing and hands:

Accents over monosyllables and some long syllables (eís dicéns). Abbreviations include the Insular symbols (they are not separated from the preceding word): lr, ℈, ƚƚ, ÷ = autem, eius, enim, est: and also the common forms b: = bus: q = quoniam.
Spelling shows Insular peculiarities: gabrehel, ingresus, possita, offici but hiís: also cęrebatis (quaerebatis).
Ink black. Script is a roundish Irish majuscule, by a not very expert scribe: d, n, R and S are regular; the S is top-heavy: 'ı occurs here and there suprascript and cup-shaped.

Decoration: Ornamentation: Capitals and the ligature T, daubed with red and yellow and occurring at the beginning of sentences, are all that survive: some are decorated with little horns and spirals.

Origin of the manuscript: Written doubtless in Ireland. Used as early as the fifteenth century as a jacket for a manuscript of Boethius; the entry Boethius 15. I. de sc̅a trinitate (saec. xv) is seen in the margin of p. 104.

Codicological unit: 981. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 105/106).

Manuscript title: Responsa Theologica (fragm.)

Date of origin: Saec. VIII-IX

Extent: One folio.

Format: 270 x ca. 195 mm.

Page layout: (220-225 x ca. 170 mm.) in 27-28 long lines. Ruling before folding, on the flesh-side. Single bounding lines. Prickings in the outer margin guided the ruling.

Writing and hands:

Punctuation: the medial point marks various pauses. An omission on p. 105 is indicated by ð in the text answered by  before the insertion in the lower margin. Abbreviations include b;, q; = bus, que; auꞇ̅ = autem; e̅e̅, e̅ (also ÷) = esse, est; , m ̓ = men, mus; n̅ = non; nr̅m = nostrum; ꝑ, ꝓ = per, pro; qd̅ and ꝙ, q̅ = quod, quoniam; scd̅m = secundum;  = uel.
Spelling shows frequent confusion of ci for ti; also u for b.
Ink grey. Script is an early Caroline minuscule with both  and a; the shafts of f, r, and ꞅ lean sharply to the right; the ct ligature is frequent and et occurs in mid-word.

Origin of the manuscript: Origin uncertain, apparently France.

Codicological unit: 982. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 121/122, 125-128) + Zofingen Stadtbibliothek P. 32 (fly-leaf).

Manuscript title: Aldhelmus de metris (fragm.)

Date of origin: Saec. VIII ex.

Support: Vellum of Insular type.

Extent: Four folios survive: 3 at St. Gall (paginated 121-122, 125-128 in an miscellany of fragments) + 1 at Zofingen (used as front fly-leaf to a manuscript of Isidore's Etymologiae originating at St. Gall saec. IX)

Format: the most complete folio measures 282 x 220 mm.

Collation: Gatherings were signed in the middle of the lower margin of the last page with Roman numerals enclosed by four dots (quire-mark III on p. 128).

Page layout: (235-245 x 190-200 mm.) in 2 columns of 20 lines. Ruling after folding. Prickings are seen in both inner and outer margins. Double bounding lines at the outer margin of each column, single at the inner.

Writing and hands:

Punctuation: a rare medial point. Run-overs are set off by an oblique stroke when carried to the line above and supported by a curved stroke when carried to the line below.
Abbreviations include the Insular forms ƚƚ, ÷ = enim, est; p~ = per; q.-., ꝙ = quae, quod; ꞇt(with the cross-stroke a vertical flourish) = tur; and also the common forms b:, q: = bus, que; bꞇ̅ = bunt; m: = mus; n̅ = non; n̅c̅ = nunc; ꝑ, , ꝓ (with a straight oblique to the left of the stem instead of the usual curve) = per, prae, pro; qd̅ = quod; r̅ꞇ̅ , s̅ꞇ̅ = runt, sunt; ꞇ̅ = ter; various suspensions are used for recurrent grammatical terms. Spelling normal except for forms like octabo, abstullit.
Ink black. Script is an elegant, slim Anglo-Saxon minuscule recalling the type used in South England: a has the normal minuscule form or is open (the abbreviation-stroke often joins this open form so closely that they form a single character); ᵹ is flattopped and pointed in the middle; subscript i occurs; characteristic are r and ꞅ going far below the line.

Decoration: Headings in red in the script of the text.

Additions: The content of the riddles is indicated interlinearly in small characters. Contemporary corrections in Anglo-Saxon minuscule. Some glosses traced with a stylus, now hardly legible (p. 127, col. z, lines 2-4).

Origin of the manuscript: Written most likely in a German centre with Anglo-Saxon traditions. Was finally used at St. Gall for strengthening bindings.

Codicological unit: 983. St. Gall, Stiftsbibl. 1394 (pp. 123/124).

Manuscript title: Isidorus, Etymologiae (Lib. I xxxvii. 5-10).

Date of origin: Saec. VIII-IX

Support: Vellum of Insular type.

Extent: One folio, now paginated 123-124 in a miscellany of fragments, bound in wrongly so that the original verso (p. 123) comes first;

Format: present size 208 x ca. 160 mm.

Page layout: (calculated length ca. 215 x ca. 150 mm.) in 2 columns of 20 lines, of which 18 survive. Ruling impossible to determine.

Writing and hands:

Punctuation: an occasional medial point.
Abbreviations: bꝫ, qꝫ = bus, que; p~ = per; ꞇt = tur.
Spelling shows the typical Insular confusion of s and ss (catacrissis for catachresis); also confusion of e and i and wrong aspiration. Simple red capitals daubed with yellow and projecting into the margin occur at the beginning of sections; they are preceded by a slanting T-shaped paragraph mark (p. 124).
Ink dark brown. Script is an Anglo-Saxon minuscule of a distinct type: a has both open and closed forms; ꝺ always has the uncial form; e is theta-shaped; ᵹ, r, and ꞅ go far below the line; the long bow of ᵹ is noteworthy; subscript i occurs (mi); x is made in three strokes.

Origin of the manuscript: Written most likely in a German centre with Anglo-Saxon traditions. Later history unknown.