Early Manuscripts at Iowa: France

Pre-1600 (and a few post-1600) manuscripts located in Special Collections at the University of Iowa

Manuscripts from France

These manuscripts were written in France. They are arranged in chronological order.

Bible Leaf. Kings III 20 (partial), 21, 22 (until the beginning of verse 29).
Call Number: xfBS389.075 1943 (1150 leaf)

Publication Date: AD [1150] - This is Otto Ege's date. Given the physical extent, this may be closer to 1180 (see De Hamel, The Book: A History of the Bible, p. 118.)

Place of origin: France
Language(s): Latin
Vulgate Bible Leaf. Gospel of Mark (Chapters: end of 14, 15, 16) Gospel of Luke: Prologue. Monarchian prologue (4th or 5th century) common in the Vulgate Bible.
Call Number: xfBS389.075 1943 (1240 leaf)

Publication Date: AD [1240] - There are no concordance letters in margins, but this may be due to the fact that we only have one leaf and it would depend on this being either Dominican or Franciscan. The flourished L corresponds more to the 1230s. See Patricia Stirneman (bibliographical reference below), 67.

Place of origin: Paris, France
Language(s): Latin
Additional content note: This leaf is likely either Dominican or Franciscan since it is lightly decorated and includes a folio number.
Antiphonal. Antiphons to be sung between Advent and Easter at the magnificat. For Saint Lucia (Dec 13), Saint Thomas (Jul 3), and Saint Agnes, the Virgin (sung at Vespers Jan 21).
Call Number: xMMs.An2

Publication Date: [15th Century, possibly 14th Century]- Based on four-line staves, square neumes with variable distance between them, script and decorated capitals. Script indicates 15th Century.

Place of origin: [France, possibly Italy]
Language(s): Latin
Bible leaf
Call Number: xMMs.Bi2

Publication Date: [1230]

Contents: Ecclesiasticus 17-22
Place of origin: England or France
Language: Latin
Bible leaf
Call Number: xMMs.Bi4

Publication Date: [1240]

Contents: II Esdras 11-13
Place of origin: France
Language: Latin
Bible leaf
Call Number: xMMs.Bi5

Publication Date: [1230-1250]

Contents: IIII Kings 9-15
Place of origin: France
Language: Latin
Bible leaf
Call Number: xMMs.Bi6

Publication Date: [1230/1250]

Contents: II Maccabees 5-12
Place of origin: France
Language: Latin
Leaf from a Book of Hours
Call Number: xMMs.Bo1

Publication Date: 1485

Contents: Contains text from the Office for the Dead at Lauds. This leaf shows Isaiah 38: the end of verse 14 through the beginning of verse 20.
Place of Origin: France [Paris?]
Language: Latin
Leaf from a Book of Hours
Call Number: xMMs.Bo2

Publication Date: 15th Century

Contents: The Hours of the Virgin, Lauds, The Canticle of the Three Children (Daniel 3)
Place of Origin: France?
Language: Latin
Leaf from a Book of Hours
Call Number: xMMs.Bo3

Publication Date: ca.1400

Contents: The end of the Seven Penitential Psalms and the beginning of the Litanies
Place of origin: France
Language: Latin
Book of Hours
Call Number: xMMs.Bo5

Publication Date: 1480

Contents: Calendar, the Pericopes (Gospel Readings), the "Obsecro te" and "O intemerata te" the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Cross, the Hours of the Holy Spirit, the Penitential Psalms and Litanies, and the Suffrages.
Place of Origin: Paris
Language: French, Latin
[Single leaf from a manuscript Book of hours]
Call Number: xMMs.Bo8

Publication Date: 1350-1450?

Contents: Psalm 142:12, followed by a litany beginning with "Kyrie eleison" and ending on verso with "Sancte iohannes"
Place of origin: France?
Language: Latin
[Single leaf from a Book of Hours. Selections.]
Call Number: xMMs.Bo9

Publication Date: 1350-1450?

Contents: Initial phrase part of the Penitential Psalms: 101:22, continuing on verso, followed by a "Gloria patri", followed by the opening lines of Psalm 129
Origin: France
Language: Latin
Leaf from a Breviary
Call Number: xMMs.Br1

Publication Date: 14th Century

Contents: Four chants: "Nunc sancte nobis spiritus.." "Rector potens verax deus..." "Rerum deus tenax vigor..." (without musical notation), and "Lucis creator optime lucem..."
Place of Origin: France [possibly Italy]
Language: Latin
Leaf of sermons on the Psalms by Philip, Chancellor of Paris
Call Number: xfMMs.Pr1

Publication Date: 1190

Contents: Sermon CCIIII on Psalm 96: “De luce et laetitia,” and Sermon CCV on Psalm 97: “Quomodo anima sit ordinate secundum oridnationem cithara, et de tribus partibus cithara.”
Place of origin: France
Language: Latin