Volume 2

Universal palaeography, or, Fac-similes of writings of all nations and periods, copied from the most celebrated and authentic manuscripts in the libraries and archives of France, Italy, Germany, and England / by M.J.B. Silvestre ; accompanied by an historical and descriptive text and introduction by Champollion-Figeac and Aimé Champollion, fils ; translated from the French and edited, with corrections and notes, by Sir Frederic Maddan ... in two volumes.

Joseph-Balthazar Silvestre

Date:: 1849-1850

Credit: Universal palaeography, or, Fac-similes of writings of all nations and periods, copied from the most celebrated and authentic manuscripts in the libraries and archives of France, Italy, Germany, and England / by M.J.B. Silvestre ; accompanied by an historical and descriptive text and introduction by Champollion-Figeac and Aimé Champollion, fils ; translated from the French and edited, with corrections and notes, by Sir Frederic Maddan ... in two volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

307/458 page 665

UNCIAL CAROLINE WRITING OF GERMANY. G65 styles himself servus servorum Dei, the servant of the servants of God, a title often assumed by the monks. After his name, Lantbertus states in precise chronological terms the date when he copied the volume; from which we learn that it was com¬ pleted in the 31st year of the reign of Charlemagne (A.D. 800). The scribe of the Munich volume is not so explicit as to the date, but speaks rather of himself than of his work; from which circumstance we obtain the curious' information, that he had only three fingers on the hand with which he wrote the manuscript, quia tribus digitis scribitur. The middle of the page is occupied by a cross, surmounted by an arch, inclosing the head and shoulders of a figure devoid of any characteristic peculiarity; above the arms of the cross are two doves, and below it are attached the A and 12 of the Gospel. The body of the cross is ornamented with stones and pearls, and in the centre we read, written in double columns, the words, Ego Valerianus scripsi. The remainder of the sub¬ scription, written on either side of the cross, is as follows: — Finit liber sci Evangelii dicta adque facta dni nri 1H1 XPI. AMEN. QUI LEGIS, INTELLIGE, QUIA DNI SUNT YERBA ISTA SCA, ET ORA PRO SCRIPTORE. SIC MEREAS CORONA A SALUATORE, ET YITAM CUM SCIS EJUS. CULTORES ET LEGENTES, MEMENTOTE ME I PECCATORI, QUIA TRIBUS DIGITIS SCRIBITUR, ET TOTUS MEMBRUS LIBORAT. LABOR QUIDEM MODICUM, GRATIA AUTEM MAGNA A CREATORI. PAX LEGENTIBUS, PAX AUDIENTIBUS, PAX ET CARITAS ET GAUDIUM SPIRITUI SCO YI[y]eNTIBUS IN XPO. AMEN. This is written in a bad uncial Caroline hand, with full strokes, half truncated and massive; the words not divided; the letters rather crooked, sometimes pointed at the lower ex- Curious, indeed, if true! but tliis phrase may be found in other manuscripts, and is not to be understood literally. See Cooper s Appendix A to Report on Records, p. 147.—Ed.

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