Volume / Number: 11 / 1631

• San Lorenzo Spain El Escorial R.II.18 (foll. 9–24, 35–58, 60–65, 67–82)

Written doubtless in a Spanish centre, as the various Spanish symptoms indicate. Was restored in the ninth century by or for 'EULOGIUS PECCATOR' whose name is seen in the centre of a diagram on fol. 6v: 'Eulogii mementote peccatori'; he is probably to be identified with Eulogius of Cordova who died as archbishop of Toledo in 859. The manuscript reached Oviedo probably in 882 as a gift from the Arabs to King Alfonso III along with other books belonging to Eulogius. It is mentioned in the catalogue of that year entered on fol. 95v and in all probability refers to books of the cathedral library. Discovered at Oviedo by Ambrosius de Morales in the time of King Philip II.

Script is curious uncial of Visigothic type: the bow of A is an oval placed almost horizontally above the line; i-longa is frequent at beginning of words; LL run together; tall T and v-shaped suprascript U occur at or near line-end; ascenders and descenders are rather long; numerous ligatures (e.g. AR, ES, NT, ONS, OR, UR, US) seen at or near line-end; half-uncial letters are frequent at line-ends; script drops into half-uncial at the foot of fol. 23. Noteworthy is the extensive use made of Rustic; Sisebut's poem is entirely written in this script (foll. 23v f.). A list of Spanish episcopal sees in rapid Visigothic minuscule saec. VIII is found on fol. 65v; the entry below it in Visigothic cursive referring to solar eclipses of 778 and 779 furnishes a terminus ante quem for our manuscript. Other Visigothic entries saec. VIII–IX on foll. 47v f., 55. Arabic notes occur (fol. 18v, etc.).

☛Steffens, Paléographie latine, Pl. 35.