Can You Read This? Early Scripts in HMML's Collection

Along with the millions of manuscript pages photographed by the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library over the past 48 years, the library has also collected several manuscripts and manuscript fragments of its own.  Nearly all of these have come as gifts, although a few have been purchased.  In reviewing samples of early scripts in the HMML collections, I came up with the following gallery, arranged somewhat chronologically from the 10th to the 20th centuries, for consideration. I have attempted to crop the pictures below so that they will appear very large on computer screens, thus making the script easier to see.

Some of these may also find their way as paleographic examples into vHMML (http://vhmml.wordpress.com/), a set of tools being developed for manuscript studies.

All of these samples can be enlarged by clicking on them.  They also reside in a Picasa folder at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/112955289865277743856/EarlyLatinScriptsInHMMLManuscripts?authuser=0&feat=directlink

If any of my readers are skilled at paleography, I invite comment on any or all of these descriptions. Some of these examples have only come to my attention within the past few days. So, who knows what may still be lurking out there!?!

10th or early 11th century:

Ms. Frag. 1: Mass book with musical notation. Introit from the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost. Removed from a bookbinding. Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Frag. 1 (see above)
Click on image to enlarge.

12th century:

Ms. Frag. 15: Martyrology with the story of Saints Alexander, Eventius and Theodolus.
Click on image to enlarge.



Ms. Frag. 15: Martyrology with the story of Saints Alexander, Eventius and Theodolus.
Click on image to enlarge.



Ms. Frag. 24: Lectionary from Italy. Mounted between two plates of plexiglass.
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Frag. 24: Lectionary from Italy (detail)
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Frag. 2: from a Bible, book of Daniel.
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Frag. 2: from a Bible, book of Daniel.
Click on image to enlarge.

J. G. Plante Ms. 15: from a Lectionary. Removed from a bookbinding. Given to Father Oliver Kapsner, OSB, who received it as a gift from the Abbey of Nonnberg (Austria).
Click on image to enlarge.

J. G. Plante Ms. 15: from a Lectionary. Removed from a bookbinding. Given to Father Oliver Kapsner, OSB, who received it as a gift from the Abbey of Nonnberg (Austria).
Click on image to enlarge.

Early 13th century:

Ms. Frag. 3: from a copy of Cicero, Distinctiones verborum latinorum.
Dated as 12th-13th century. Removed from a bookbinding.
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Steiner 54: from a 12th or 13th-century copy of Isidore of Seville's Etymologies.
Click on image to enlarge.



Ms. Barton Williams no. 1, pastedown:  from a collection of sermons by Peter Comestor. Dated as early 13th century.
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Barton Williams no. 1, pastedown: from a collection of sermons by Peter Comestor. Dated as early 13th century.
Click on image to enlarge.

13th century:

Arca Artium fragment, aap2251: from a glossed Bible. Here, from Psalm 49.
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Frag. 19: from a glossed Bible. Here from the Gospel of Luke.
Click on image to enlarge.

Ms. Frag. 19: from a glossed Bible. Here from the Gospel of Luke.
Click on image to enlarge.

Arca Artium, aap1304: from a Bible. Here from 1 Kings 13.
Click on image to enlarge.

Arca Artium, aap1306: from a Bible. Here from Jerome's prologue to Chronicles.
Click on image to enlarge.

SJU Ms. 12: Latin New Testament. Here: the opening of the Gospel of John.
Dated as mid-13th to early 14th century.
Click on image to enlarge.

Early 20th century:

Arca Artium, aap2736: from a practice sheet by Edward Johnston (1872-1944).
Click on image to enlarge.

 I invite your comments!!