The following descriptions are available for this manuscript

  • Scherrer Gustav, Verzeichniss der Handschriften der Stiftsbibliothek von St. Gallen, Halle 1875, S. 79.
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  • Janner Sara / Jurot Romain, Die handschriftliche Überlieferung der Werke des Heiligen Augustinus, Band IX/2 Schweiz, Wien 2001, S. 141-142.
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  • 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. 26.
    (Additional description, currently displayed)
St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 221
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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. 26.

Manuscript title: Homiliae Gregorii M., Hieronymi, Augustini, Fausti.
Date of origin: Saec. VIII
Support: Parchment rather thick.
Extent: Foll. 200.
Format: ca. 205 x ca. 127 mm.
Foliation: Paginated 1-249. 249b. 250-291. 291b. 292-368. 370-397 (the last fragmentary folio is unnumbered)
Collation: Gatherings normally of eight, with flesh-side outside, signed in the middle of the lower margin of the last page with Roman numerals enclosed between four triangular groups of dots and strokes; with few exceptions hair faces flesh within the quire.
Page layout: (175 x 100-105 mm) in 23 or 24 long lines. Ruling before folding, generally on the flesh-side, a quire at a time, with the direct impression on the outer bifolium. Double bounding lines in both margins. Prickings in the outer margin guided the ruling.
Writing and hands:
  • Script is early minuscule by two scribes: a is more frequent than , the suprascript form of a occurs often; b with horizontal tag occurs once; both d and are used; mi and ni with subscript i are not infrequent; the nt ligature occurs in mid-word; Ɛ is used for hard and soft ti.
    • Punctuation: the medial point does duty for most pauses, here and there a group of points marks the main pause.
    • Omissions are marked by signes de renvoi ( pp. 246, 249b, 291).
    • Abbreviations include the Insular symbols lr = autem; (with the tongue aslant) ƚƚ, ÷ = eius, enim, est; m᷎, p̚ = mihi, per; and the ordinary forms b;, q; (and ) = bus, que; = autem; = ber (and bis); bꞇ̄ = bunt; = con; ec̄ = ecce; ee, ē = esse, est; = men; miiae = misericordiae; (and m;) = mus, nus; = non; nr, ni and nri, etc. = noster, -tri, etc.; o = omnes; = per; ppꝉo = populo; p̕, , ꝓ, pp (ꝑꝑ and ppꞇ), p; = post, prae, pro, propter, pus; ꝙ, q̍, q, q = quam (and quem), qui, quod, quoniam; ꞅɫ (σƴ̲), rꞇ (and ) = rum (orum), runt; sc = secundum; sic̄ = sicut; ꞇ̄, ꞇ̓ = ter, tur; uo -u᷎ = uero, -uit; the abbreviation-stroke is mostly a vertical flourish; the hand on pp. 346 and 357 ff. uses a horizontal stroke with dot above and below; curious is the use of dots to mark abbreviation (p. 15) - a feature of several early Luxeuil manuscripts.
    • Spelling shows y for i (statym, proxymo, spey), and ci for ti.
    • Ink dark brown or black; red is often used to call attention to prophets or apostles named in the text.
  • A somewhat later Swiss hand wrote the last six lines of p. 212.
Decoration:
  • Colophons in black uncial with daubs of red.
  • Headings in red uncial mixed with capitals and minuscule.
  • Ornamentation noteworthy not for its beauty but for its original character: the entire first page is occupied by a cross set in a plaited frame against a plaited background; initials show some striking motifs, including horned snakes and wide meshed interlacing; a number of initials are strongly reminiscent of Insular decoration (pp. 160, 274); a curious with A and ω within is seen on p. 183; smaller initials in black often surrounded by red dots or in red surrounded by black dots.
Origin of the manuscript: Origin uncertain, apparently a Swiss centre under Burgundian and Insular influence, to judge by script, abbreviations, and initials. The manuscript seems copied from an Insular exemplar.