Volume / Number: 5 / 517

• Paris France Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 599

Written in the Palace School manifestly for royal presentation to judge by the resemblance in script and decoration to Charlemagne’s Godescalc Gospels (CLA 5.681). A twelfth-century note on fol. Av gives some details about the old binding: ‘In hoc textu lapides sunt sexies viginti, III minus’. The MS is supposed to come from St Martin des Champs in Paris. It was MS Theologie No. 160A in the library of Marc-Antoine-René de Paulmy (†1787), now a part of the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal.

Script is fine Caroline minuscule, greatly resembling the script of Godescalc (see CLA 5.68I): a formed by two contiguous cs predominates; tall, broken-backed c occurs; the lower half of g has the characteristic swing to the right; N is used even in mid-word; y is dotted and goes below the line; the nt ligature occurs even in mid-word. The smaller script of the prefatory matter is particularly delicate and graceful. N and U as capitals show a distinct Insular influence. The puzzling entry IVRICA in small Rustic capitals by the scribe occurs in the lower right-hand corner of fol. 57. Opposite Mt 27.35, on fol. 56, a contemporary scholar noted: ‘hoc nec in quibusdam evangeliis nec in commentariis hieronimi nec in greco habetur’.

☛McGurk, Gospel books no. 55.

• https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84559055

• Text: MSS containing biblical text (including Gospels)
• Text: MSS containing Gospel text
• Script: MSS with named scribes (John 1995 with additions)