• Brittany (?)

• Corbie
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

• Exegesis

• Preface to the Psalter in dialogue form, bearing the title In Dei nomine incipit prefatio Psalterii and inc. Prophetia quid est? M. Aspiratio uidelicet diuina, Cassiodoro senatore ita testante (96r-99r).

• Notes (including a list of individuals—some of them abbots—associated with Corbie), ex-libris, drawings and probationes pennae of different dates (99v-100v).

• Possibly written in Brittany

In his Katalog (Kat. §4848), Bischoff tentatively suggested an ascription of this codicological unit to Brittany—an attribution followed, however, by a tell-tale question mark. Indeed, pending a more detailed palaeographical analysis, such a Breton origin is no more than a possibility.

Regardless, it should be noted that the unpublished text at fols 96r-99r is a most interesting dialogue on the Psalter. Several patristic authorities are invoked throughout the text, e.g. Cassiodorus, Augustine, Jerome, Isidore, Ambrose, Hilary of Poitiers and Eucherius (spelt Etherius); at fol. 97r, the magister lists a number of musical instruments which the ancient Hebrews used to performs the Psalms (organis citharis nablis timpanis cymbalis tubis; cf. also fol. 98r concerning the nablum and the organum). A comparison of this tracts with Hiberno-Latin Psalter commentaries, as well as with the texts belonging to the (originally Irish?) tradition of the Pseudo-Jerome's Epistula ad Dardanum (cf. Bisagni 2015b), may be useful.

BnF Archives et Manuscrits; Colette 2009: 86.

• https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10546772s