[Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis]

With vertical catchwords.

Decoration: 24 Calendar miniatures with illuminated borders of naturalistic flowers, birds (particularly peacocks) and insects on a yellow gold ground. 18 pages with framed borders depicting naturalistic flowers, birds (particularly peacocks), and insects on gold backgrounds, along with scenes showing hunts and a couple receiving the Holy Spirit. There is evidence that in the Hours of the Virgin these pages were originally preceded by miniatures painted on the verso of singletons, subsequently excised (personal communication from Dr Scot McKendrick). 5 historiated and 25 decorated 6- and 5-line initials in pink with leafy designs and white shading. 2- and 1-line initials in gold on dark red grounds throughout.

Written in littera gothica textualis rotunda italiana.

Principal contents: ff. 1v-13r Calendar; ff. 14r-15r Memoria of the Holy Face; ff. 16r-20v Hours of the Holy Cross; ff. 21r-25r Hours of the Holy Spirit; ff. 26r-30r Mass of the Virgin; ff. 30r-34r Gospel Sequences; ff. 35r-87r Hours of the Virgin, Use of Rome; ff. 89r-105r Penitential psalms and litany; ff. 106r-137v Office of the dead; ff. 138r-140v Obsecro te; ff. 141r-142v O intemerata; ff. 143r-144r Prayers; ff. 145r-147v Athanasian Creed; ff. 148r-156r Passion Sequence based on St John.

From the library of Lord Brotherton. He had purchased the manuscript from the London book seller Chas. J. Sawyer in the 1920s.

See for a fuller description: N. R. Ker, Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries, vol. 3 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983) pp. 41-43. See also: J. A. Symington, The Brotherton Collection: a Catalogue of Ancient Manuscripts and Early Printed Books Collected by Edward Allen Baron Brotherton of Wakefield (Leeds, 1931), p. 25.