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Sequentiary


Sequentiale
French
Medieval (Gothic)
late 14th century
Place of Manufacture: Convent of St. Louis de Poissy, Europe, France

Medium/Technique Tempera, ink, pencil (modern), and gold on parchment; bindings of calfskin over pasteboards with gilding
Dimensions Overall (page dimensions): 15.6 x 11 cm (6 1/8 x 4 5/16 in.)
Credit Line Gift of John Joseph May
Accession Number80.504
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope

DescriptionA sequentiary (a book containing sequences, a class of hymns in rythmical prose), with 118 folios (ff.) and 2 leaves:

(Description of contents lists folio range, followed by the name of the Feast, and the accompanying Sequence in parentheses. )

ff. 1 - 3: Nativity (Laetabundus exultet fidelis)
ff. 3 - 5: St. John the Evangelist (Flore vernat virginali [Analecta Hymnica 55:217])
ff. 5 - 6: Easter (Victime paschali laudes [AH 54:12])
ff. 6 - 9v: Ascension (Omnes gentes plaudite [AH 54:232])
ff. 9v - 13: Pentecost (Sancti spiritus assit nobit [AH 53:119])
ff. 13 - 14v: In crastino Pent. (Veni sancta spiritus est emitte caelitus [AH 54:234])
ff. 15 - 18: Trinity Sunday (Profitentes unitatem veneremur [AH 54:249])
ff. 18 - 22v: Altar dedication (Lauda syon salvatorem lauda ducema [AH 50:584])
ff. 22v - 25: St. John the Baptist (Profitentes veritatem impendamus [AH 40:215])
ff. 25v - 27: St. John the Baptist (Letabundus baptiste decantet chorus a te)
ff. 27 - 29: Sts. Peter and Paul (Colletetur fideles concio [AH 40:271])
ff. 29 - 30v: St. Mary Magdalene (Mariae preconio celebris eximio orbis exultatio)
ff. 30v - 32v: St. Louis (Regem regum veneremur [AH 55:255])
ff. 32v - 34: St. Maurice (O beata legio cum quanto [AH 40:255])
ff. 34 - 35v: 11,000 Virgins (Excitetur omnium nostrum [AH 10:319])
ff. 35v - 37v: St. Katharine (Gaude prole grecia [AH 40:229])
ff. 38 - 41: Dedication of the Church (Rex salomon fecit templum [AH 55:35])
ff. 41 - 44: All Saints Day (Superne matris gaudia [AH 55:45])
ff. 44 - 46v: St. Peter Martyr (Adest dies celebris [AH 55: 325])
ff. 46v - 48v: St. Dominic (In caelesti ierarchia nova [AH 55:133])
ff. 48v - 50: Angelorum (Felix per quem gaudia)
ff. 50 - 53: St. Augustine (De profundis tenebrarum [AH: 55:91])
ff. 53 - 56: Easter season (Ave maria gratia plena…qui peperisti [AH 54:337])
ff. 56 - 58v: Assumption (Salve mater salvatoris vas electum [AH 54:383])
ff. 58v - 61: Nativity of the Virgin (Nativitas beatae mariae virginis [AH 54:288])
ff. 61 - 62v: Commemoration of the Virgin (Verbum bonum et suave [AH 54:343])
ff. 62v - 63: Christmas - Purification, Matins (Laetabundus…)
ff. 63 - 66: Easter season, Matins (Virgini mariae laudes concinant christiani [AH 54:31])
ff. 66 - 68v: Easter (Hodierna lux diei celebris [AH 10:41])
ff. 69 - 72: Easter (Jubilemus in haec die quam reginae caeli [AH 54:430])
ff. 72 - 74: Easter (Tibi cor cordis in altari [AH 54:422])
ff. 74 - 76v: Easter (Stella maris o Maria expers paris pares [AH 54:429])
ff. 76v - 78v: Easter (Ave virgo virginum ave lumen [AH 54:433])
ff. 78v - 80: Easter (Mater patris nati nata [AH 54:426])
ff. 80 - 82v: Easter (Salve sancta Christi parens [AH 54:427])
ff. 82v - 85: Easter (Ave virgo gratiosa virgo mater [AH 54:419])
ff. 85 - 88: Easter (Ave virgo gloriosa caeli [AH 54:417])
ff. 88 - 90: Easter (Salvatoris mater pia mundi huius [AH 54:424])
ff. 90 - 91v: Easter (Mariae praeconio serviat cum gaudio [AH 54:391])
ff. 91v - 94v: Archangel Michael (Laus erumpat ex affectu [AH 55:288])
ff. 94v - 98: St. John the Evangelist (Laetabundus huius anni Christi germano)
ff. 98 - 102: St. John the Baptist (Praecursorem summi Regis [AH 55:202])
ff. 102 - 105: Sts. Peter and Paul (Jubar mundo geminatur dies festus)
ff. 105 - 107: St. Mary Magdalene (Monti syon dat virorem ros hermon [AH:8:175])
ff. 107v - 112v: Invention of the Cross (Laudes crucis attollamus nos qui crucis [AH 54:188])
ff. 112v - 113v: Annunciation (Benedicta es caelorum regina et mundi [AH 54:396])
ff. 113v - 116v: St. Paul (Corde voce pulsa caelos [AH 55:308])
ff. 116v - 117v: [De nominibus domini] (Alma chorus domini nunc [AH 53:152])
ff. 118 - 118v: [undetermined] (Praetus [sic] rerum seriem parit deum [AH 20:73])

1 column of 6 staves per page. Text is in Latin. Written in a Gothic bookhand in brown ink. Rubrics in red Gothic bookhand. Sequences begin with one-staff-high initials alternating gold with blue filigree and blue with red filigree. Verse initials begin with 1-line initials alternating gold with blue and blue with red.

Bounding lines in brown plummet, full-length top to bottom and upper outer margin, writing lines in brown plummet, prickings in lower and upper margins, for bounding lines only. Square heightened stemmatic notation on a red four-line staff, c-clef indicated.

Most signatures trimmed, but are visible in the lower right corner of the first half of several quires, using letters "d," "f," "g," and "h" for quires 8 and 10-12, respectively. Catchwords in Gothic cursive, lower right of last verso of most quires (some trimmed). Modern arabic pencil foliation.

Written at the royal Dominican convent of St. Louis de Poissy (founded 1304), evidenced by the contents, in particular by the inclusion of the sequence "Regem regum veneremur" for the Feast of St. Louis (f. 33v).
Inscriptions18th-century cursive signature on f. i: "S[oeurs] Marie et Catherine De Tiercelin Brosses." Nineteenth-century notation: "Livre d'heures des XIV siecle [ ] at sale of library of M. Cottarcue Dec. 16/87 Paris."


Provenance18th century, in collection of Sisters Marie et Catherine De Tiercelin Brosses [see note 1]; by 1880, John Joseph May; 1880, gift of John Joseph May. (Accession date: April 14, 1880)

NOTES:
[1] See inscription on f. 1.