SAINT JEROME. Commentary on the Prophets Two manuscript fragments on vellum England, c. 1240

SAINT JEROME. Commentary on the Prophets Two manuscript fragments on vellum
England, c. 1240

Dimensions
Fragment I Complete half-leaf with full margins: 161 × 182 mm
Fragment II Longer portion preserving one and a half columns: 255 × 165 mm

Description
The leaves are written in a mature English Gothic textualis in two columns, with alternating red and blue pen-flourished initials and restrained rubrication. The hand is a disciplined and well-proportioned English bookhand of c.1240, retaining clarity and moderate angularity without the later compression of fully developed Gothic textura. Ascenders are firm and slightly clubbed; minims are evenly spaced; the two-compartment a and upright d are typical of English production in the second quarter of the 13th century. The regular ruling and generous margins confirm production within a scholastic or cathedral context rather than a small portable devotional volume.

Two substantial fragments from a mid-13th century English manuscript of the prophetic commentaries of Jerome (d. 420), one of the most authoritative exegetes of the Latin Church.

Text
The text belongs to Jerome’s commentaries on the Old Testament Prophets — works that formed a cornerstone of medieval biblical study. In these commentaries Jerome combines philological precision, engagement with Hebrew sources, and theological exposition. During the 13th century such texts were central to the intellectual life of English monastic and cathedral schools, underpinning preaching, lectio divina, and advanced theological instruction.

Provenance
1. The collection of Revd Dr Philip Bliss (1787-1857).
2. From the vast manuscript library assembled by Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872). Material from the Phillipps collection forms one of the most significant streams in the modern history of manuscript collecting.
3. E.H. Dring (1864-1928), acquired privately from the Robinsons who purchased the Phillipps collection after the latter’s death; thence to Quaritch.