Free Library of Philadelphia - Lewis E.90

From the collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia, currently being digitized as part of the BiblioPhilly project, comes Lewis E 90. This manuscript was written in Rouen for the Use of Coutances, about 200 km west on the Normandy coast, at the end of the 15th C. It is not a very attractive MS, the calendar borders are rough and generic, the miniatures functional, and the scribal hand irregular.

The calendar, however, is interesting for its accuracy and specificity. Out of 192 entries on 188 dates, all saints were identifiable from other sources and only 2 were off their proper date. Both of these, St. Wandregisil (1734) and St. Justus (3332) were displaced one day by a more important saint, Mary Magdalene (1730) and Luke the Evangelist (3333), respecively.

There are many rare observences recorded on the calendar, including several specific to Rouen. Five Rouennais bishops are named, along with two translations of relics to the city: St. Romain, for the Cathedral, on June 17 (2041) and an unammed saint on December 3 (4369).

(DB Id: 313)