Substantial remains of a single gathering from a large manuscript of Augustine, De sermone Domini in monte secundum Matthaeum, in Latin, decorated manuscript on parchment [probably Germany, second half of tenth century, or just perhaps c. 1000]

Eight leaves (four bifolia), recovered from reuse in a later binding and reconstructed from cuttings into present bifolia with modern paper filling gaps, each reconstructed leaf with double column of 35 lines of a thin and angular late Carolingian bookhand, with et-ligature used integrally within words, a long tongued 'e', a strong st-ligature and a dotted 'y', bright red rubrics and simple initials (some of these oxidised to silver), where initials begin a line these set off in the margin, all taken from a single gathering with inner two bifolia in that gathering most complete with losses only to outer edges of outermost columns on a single leaf each, and outer two bifolia with large missing sections horizontally across middle of each bifolia, overall with scuffs, stains, traces of glue, missing sections and holes, fair condition, each complete leaf: 360 by 265mm.

The text here, a commentary on the Lord's Sermon on the Mount according to the Gospel of Matthew by Augustine of Hippo (354-430), is of crucial importance as a witness to the early form, or rather forms, of the Bible as used by its author in Early Medieval North Africa. A number of early Latin translations of various Biblical books were in simultaneous use in the region in the late fourth century, with Augustine himself venting his frustration in his epistle 71 on 'the endless diversity of the Latin translators [of the Bible]', that often forced the reader back to the original Greek. Thus, in around 400 he warmly embraced Jerome's new Vulgate text as soon as it became available. However, the commentary here was written in 393 or 394, before that watershed in his writings, and it bears witness to the cacophony of Vetus Latina readings that preceded the Vulgate and were used in the West in the very first centuries of Christianity. The text here contains about a hundred Vetus Latina readings, usually of only a word or two, which indicate a strong reliance on a variety of North African translations (as reconstructed from Cyprian's quotations), as well as less expected readings from non-African codices (such as Vercellensis of c. 400, the fifth-century Veronensis, the sixth-century Bezae Cantabrigensis and sixth-century Brixianus; see J. Mizzi, 'The Latin Text of Matt. V-VII in St. Augustine's, De Sermone Domini in monte', Augustiniana, 4, 1954, pp. 450-94). A handful of these readings survive on the leaves here, including perceperunt for Matt. VI:2 and 5 and perhaps also glorificentur for Matt. VI:2.

The hand here with its delicate letterforms and thin nib have close parallels with that of a leaf from a tenth-century liturgical manuscript from Regensburg, sold in our rooms, 9 December 2015, lot 3.