Volume / Number: 2 / 159

• Lichfield United Kingdom Cathedral library I

Written probably in a Welsh centre following Irish calligraphic tradition. Was at Llandaff already in the eighth century, to judge from the script of the oldest entry at the end of St Matthew (page 141). That it was there early in the ninth century is seen from another entry on the same page, which speaks of the sale of this Gospel-book for the price of an excellent horse. St Teilo, bishop of Llandaff (†560), is mentioned in both entries. The earliest proved connexion with Lichfield dates from the tenth century (cf. ‘winsy presul’ on p. 1).

Script is a bold, regular, and expert Insular majuscule; d occurs mostly in the minuscule form, N (with low and almost horizontal cross-stroke), R and S generally in the majuscule form; when two d's follow each other the second is uncial; when two n's occur together the second is minuscule; the two branches of y bend to the right and the stem curves to the left. In the ligature nt the cross-stroke of the subscript t is oblique. Numerous entries in Welsh minuscule saec. VIII and IX; some others in Anglo-Saxon and Caroline minuscule saec. X.

☛CLA first-edition date (VIII¹ (ca. 730)) changed to follow second edition. ☛McGurk, Gospel books no. 16.

• https://lichfield.ou.edu/st-chad-gospels

• Text: MSS containing biblical text (including Gospels)
• Text: MSS containing Gospel text
• CLA information changed