English ternary breve-semibreve notation

irregular: 4-line 9.5-11.5 mm; 5-line 12.5-15.5 mm

195 r+v

Parchment

RISM Supplement: 4 fols, (fragmentary; now the front pastedown, fol. i, and fols. 194-195 [reversed]). Parchment. Now 207 x 145 mm. Written space originally at least 130 mm wide; possibly c. 220 x 140 mm. Ruling: red four- and five-line staves (11 mm; 13-16 mm) freely-ruled in systems of three for the polyphonic items; frame rules, and a ruled indentation (15 mm) for initial on fol. 195v. Collation: two bifolia (fols. 195v-r, 194; front pastedown and fol. i), not adjacent (lacks one leaf between fols. 195r and front pastedown1) but possibly from the same gathering. Script: poor gothica textualis quadrata (fols. 195v-iv); anglicana formata, s. xiv med. (fol. 194v-r). Notation: English ternary breve-semibreve. Decoration: plain initials in red; rubrics; cue only for initial 'A' to 1.

Written in England. Fol. 195v-r, the front pastedown and fol. i are part of small liturgical compilation, probably an addition to a standard liturgical book, a similar to the numerous 'quires of the service of St Anne' found in inventories of service books from 1383 onwards, when the widespread observation of the feast was established in England. Fol. 194v-r, conjoint with fol. 195, is part of a Kyriale. Used to form the flyleaves and pastedowns of MS Misc. 1, a collection of statutes and legal treatises, s. xiii/xiv; the binding of this book, probably s. xv2/2, is of red leather over bevelled oak boards. Remains of a strap attached to the front board; pin missing from back board. A number of items in the manuscript may be of topographical significance, for example the writ to the Sheriff of Worcester of 6 November 1301 (fol. 132v), the note of the enrollment of the will of Joan La Spicer enrolled in the Common Pleas (fol. 190v), and the scribbled Norfolk place-name 'Blikkelyng' (fol. 194). Owned: William Falconer of Chester, whose armorial book-plate is inside front cover; given by him in 1800.

NOTES ON CONTENTS

1. fol. 195v

1, 2 Discant settings of hymns, incorporated with plainsong items and readings in a copy of Vespers and Matins for the feast of St Anne, approximately following the Hereford Use, and closest to the text of WOc, MS Q. 86 (collated as 'W' in W. H. Frere and L. E. G. Brown, eds., The Hereford Breviary, Henry Bradshaw Society, 26, 40, 46 [London, 1904-1915]). 1 Ed. Wathey, p. 328; middle voice carries plainsong Ave mater Anna {Ob, MS Lat. liturg. b. 14, fol. 267) in the middle voice. Followed by the remainder of Vespers, and Matins to the invitatory 'Adoremus Christum regem'. 2 Beginning of upper two voices only; middle voice carries plainsong In Anne puerperio (MS Lat. liturg. b. 14, fol. 267v). Followed by the remainder of Matins, from Hec quippe (front pastedown, recto) to Cui de ventre (fol. iv). For full details of the liturgical contents of these leaves see Wathey, pp. 324-325.

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