[New Testament Gospel Lectionary].

Forms part of the Kenneth Willis Clark Collection of Greek Manuscripts (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)

Format: Manuscript codex.

Colophon signed and dated on fol. 242v by Clement the Monk: Egra[phē] mēni ioliō k' indiktion e' etous sphz' edōrēthei para Klēmitou eute ach eis t[ēō] mo[nasterion] tēs yhp[ergias] Theotokou tou spēlaiou.

Colophon signed and dated on fol. 242v by Clement the Monk: ̕ ́Εγρα[φη] μηνι ἰολίω̨ κ' ινδικτιον ε' έ̓τους ςφζ' ἐδωρήθει παρὰ Κλημιτου̃ ἐυτε αχ εἰς τ[ήω] μο[ναστέριον] τη̃ς ὑπ[εργίας] Θεοτόκου του̃ σπηλαίου.

Title supplied by cataloger.

Layout: Written in 2 columns of 22-23 lines; ruled for 22-23 lines, with a dry point on the hair side.

Script: Only the inserted paper folia are the work of a scribe other than Clement. The paper leaves come from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century and are written in black ink. It is likely that the same ink appears in the overwriting and reinking done throughout the manuscript. However, the rest of the manuscript is the work of Clement. The hand of Clement is in an open, legible, very regular round flowing cursive, pendant, vertical with a slightly leftward slant, formed with a broad nib using a dark brown ink. The same ink is used for the initial letters which are both outline and solid, floriated and knotted; however, at the beginnings of the readings, the initial letters are delicately formed, turned, floriated, but not knotted, using a variety of colors--reds, greens, blues, with white highlights. There is a disproportionate number of minuscule forms. There are gilt and/or red semi-uncials in the titles.

Decoration: Some time during its history, many of the headpieces were cut out, as were several initial letters. Those that remain are quite unusual both in composition and the use of colors. The one headpiece that remains on fol. 158r has the appearance of an expanded floriate and foliate pattern in Frantz, Pl xiii.20 but enclosed within a border as in Pl.xiii.9, p. 60 and 72. The colors are dark and strong with a gilt background and black used for one of the running rinceau patterns. The colored initials are quite delicate and small, similar to those in Oxford, Christ Church, Ms. Wake (A. D. 1068).

Title cataloged from existing description.

Evangelion arranged in the order of the church year with lections for the weekdays after the morrow of Pentecost, until Holy Week; lacks leaves beginning and after leaves 6, 94, 100, 130, and 218; also lacking 8 leaves, which have all been replaced on paper in a fourteenth century hand.

Binding: Modern binding of reused parchment with a central stamped panel over wooden boards with tan pigskin backstrip; modern fore edge brass clasps and catches. The binding was done by Victor A. Brown, Tonbridge, at the turn of the year 1947-1948. According to correspondence with Mr. Munby, Victor Brown had received the manuscript disbound and constructed the present binding after conversation with Mr. Munby.