"Ή Παλμήρου τού ψαλμωδία", 17th century
"Seu versus aliquot Anglo-Latini psallendi vel accinendi campanis, a praecellenti super xxx (campanum hic intelligas): relatioque paucarum mutationum aut variationum quatuor quinque et sex campanarum, peritissimis inventarum: in ordinem aggesta per Oliverum Palmer, coronatorem τής Χώμής Βηδφωρδίης, ετει άχνη i.e. MDCLVIII".
A very curious arrangement of bell-changes, marked not by numbers in figures, but by letters of the Hebrew alphabet, set to verses from the Vulgate version of the Psalms and from the English, some of the latter being in prose and some partly in the verse of the old metrical version.
There follow various series of changes for four, five and six bells, designated also by Hebrew letters.
The volume is written in a very large and clear hand and on the last folio is written, by another hand, a description of the "sixfold manner of praiseing the Lord, mentall, monumentall, chordall, cordiall, vocall, and actuall".
Several panegyrical poems are prefixed:—
- (fol. 3 (nunc 2)) i. "An epigramme to Bedford ringers, especially to Mr. Palmer, principle (sic) in that noble consort": a poem in 64 lines, by John Tabor, B.A., St. John’s College, Cambridge, aged 18, AD. 1655.
- (fol. 4b) ii. Another set of verses by John Tabor, inciting the ringers "to their pristine quotidian custome and excercise of ringing, which they have lately for some revolution of time omitted".
- (fol. 5) iii. Thirty lines by "T. W., Scoto-Britannus, aetatis circum octogesimum", 31 March, 1657.
- (fol. 6) iv. "To the Oliver Palmer, shared ’twixt earth and heaven"; 16 lines by "I. Dalt: [Dalton?] S.T.P. 1657", 20 May.
- (fol. 6b) v. "To the much admired Bedfordian company of ringers, especially to Mr. Oliver Palmer, Chiefe of that musicall society"; 36 lines by Edmund Allen, "Woottonensis, circa nonas Octobris, 1655".
- (fol. 7b) vi. "To his much esteemed Mr. Oliver Palmer in Bedford, these": 28 lines, by "Anonymus", 12 July, 1657.
- (fol. 8) vii. "In laudem vellentiumet pulsantium campanarum"; 20 Latin verses by "Sam. Luke, Aprilis 25, e turre D’Aubersley in comitat. Hunt. αχνθ. 1659.
Dates
- Creation: 17th century
Language of Materials
- English
- Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
- Hebrew
- Latin
Physical Description
Once consisting of 46 leaves. From the original foliation it is seen that five leaves are now lost, numbered 2, 9, 13, 14, and 35.
Shelfmark
MS. Rawl. D. 886
Other Finding Aids
William D. Macray, Catalogi codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Bodleianae partis quintae fasciculus primus viri munificentissimi Ricardi Rawlinson, J.C.D., codicum classes duas priores, ad rem historicam praecipue et topographicam spectantes, complectens(Oxford, 1862), no. D. 886.
Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series(7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. III, no. 13653.
Custodial History
On fol. 38b is scribbled the name of a former owner, Thomas Mollas.
Bibliography
- A description of this MS., with extracts, is given in Mr. Thomas North’s Church Bells of Bedfordshire, 4º Lond. 1883, pp. 23–27.
Physical Description
Once consisting of 46 leaves. From the original foliation it is seen that five leaves are now lost, numbered 2, 9, 13, 14, and 35.
Physical Facet
On paper, in folio
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
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