The Parker Library

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Special collections library at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge https://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/parker-library Parker Library On the Web - our medieval and early modern MSS digitised https://parker.stanford.edu/parker

View of the top-right corner of the landing page to Parker Library On the Web. Selection of further actions and options in two different font types. Top row has Feedback option for reporting issues with the digital portal
A miniature portrait from c. 1435 of seated King Offa (d. 796) in scarlet cloak over blue, crowned. He holds a sword and a model of church with central tower and leaded spire. Background is purple with a floral pattern, framed in orangy-red frame with white highlights. The seat is protruding out of the frame. Chronicle and Register of Benefactors of the Monastery of St Albans Once at St Alban's monastery, now in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 7, f. 103r
Inhabited miniature inside letter D coloured in red, blue and gold. The scene includes Christ with cruciform halo on top, hanging an unrolled scroll with text in Latin "Diligite iustitiuam qui iudicatis terram". Scene below has two groups of men on either side of one bound and blindfolded man in the middle. Background is green. A work written in red ink 'sapientie' is placed above the letter D and identifies the quotation as from book of Wisdom - one of deuterocanonical / apocryphal books of the Bible. The text to the right and below of the initial D reads (D)iligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram, all written in stylised capital letters.
Opening of a medieval manuscript depicting the Annunciation scene on the left and the Nativity on the right. Background of both scenes is luxurious gold. On the left: An angel with red halo in red and blue garments greets Virgin Mary under a colourful arch. Mary has blue halo and is dressed in red with white scraf on her head and light-blue shawl; she is holding a book. The greeting 'Ave Maria Gr[atia plena]" (Hail, Mary, full of grace) is written in an unravelled scroll between the two figures. On the right: Mary reclines on a bed with white and red bedclothing. She holds a baby in her hands, and gazes in the eyes of a baby who looks back at her. Joseph is sitting to the right, resting his head on one hand with eyes closed. Two animals, a donkey and an ox/cow, witness the scene over a green partition.
Two hairy monkeys sit facing each other, seemingly deep in conversation CCCC MS 22, f. 163 (Bestiary, 12th century)
Letter O on square background filled in purple with white highlights and framed in thin light purple, red and green frame. Inside multicoloured O there is a portrait of Christ with cruciform halo, holding an empty scroll in his both hands. He is dressed in blueish-purple and white, has a dark brown beard and long hair. His eyes are looking up to the right. Background is filled in with red. Gold highlights the halo and both the right and left curve of the letter O. Image is a detail from Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 380, f. 27r
Medieval Worlds Residential 9-10 April 2026 Nominations by teachers of Year 12 (Y13/S5) students; includes free accommodation and food. Deadline for nominations 2 March 2026 (midday)
Gothic letter U with penwork decoration depicting a face on the right, sticking out a red tongue and two rabbits on red background inside the bow of the U The Parker Library, CCCC MS 079, f. 134v (c. 1400-1425)
Screenshot with a banner text 'The hermit's best-seller' in pink and 'The only surviving original version of one of late medieval England's most popular works of literature reveals its secrets' in white on black background and a medieval painting of two men. Below the banner is an image of Dr Glover on the right and text 'Parker Library Research Fellow reveals the secrets of one of England's most popular works of medieval literature' on the left.
A circle drawn with black, red and white ink and gold-filled background presents a person in green shirt and hooded red cloak who sits in front of a large pot on a fire, while hooking a slab of meat(?) out of the pot with a claw-like tool. The toes of their left feet are uncomfortably close to the fire. Image copied from Parker Library manuscript CCCC MS 53, f. 1v
Medieval Calendar image for January, roundel with black-blue-white frame and gilded background portrays a crowned three-faced person dressed in green robe and red cape, at table, drinking and eating. Table covered in white cloth holds drink and food, including a boar's head. The Peterborough Psalter and Bestiary, early 14th century, now CCCC MS 053, f. 1r https://parker.stanford.edu/parker/catalog/gs233db8425
Medieval manuscript page with central text area surrounded by gilded red and blue border with frilly floral and leaf decorations. now Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 257, f. 181r
Opening of a 10th-century manuscript that is now in the Parker Library as CCCC MS 183. Opening shows a full page portrait of King Aethelstan (d. 939) presenting a book to St Cuthbert, or rather the community of St Cuthbert, then already in exile from Lindisfarne. The full page image has a floral border in red, king under an arch on the left and St Cuthbert in front of a brick structure topped with a cross. Right of the image contains the beginning of Life of St Cuthbert, written in Latin. First three lines in red (rubric) is followed by two lines of monumental script in multiple colours, after which the text itself continues in usual brown ink.
Full-page illumination to start a psalter, capital B on blue background, outlined mainly in red and infilled with plant swirtls and twisted white lions; some writing in gold lettering; five roundels of human heads on gold background, some crowned; two half-circles of angels; two half circules of full-lenght humans; all framed with red and gold border Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 272: The Psalter of Count Achadeus https://parker.stanford.edu/parker/catalog/gv751fq0828
Opening from medieval manuscript (Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 10, fol. 330v) displaying a painting of a bearded and long-haird man with open arms (palms out) on the left, and canon law text on the right. The man is painted on deep blue background with red and partial green frame. A chart of multiple circles (empty) is superimposed on him.
Outline of Stonehenge in brown ink, standing on green ground: drawn with 14 upright and 14 horizontal stones. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 194, f. 57r
A detail of a full page illumination: a golden circle surrounds a galloping centaur while holding a spear with a frindged flag and a green shield Decoration from the Bury Bible, now in the Parker Library as Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 2i, fol. 1v
Digital image viewer showing two pages of a medieval manuscript, each side written with various notes in Latin in multiple hands and inks. Top of the image shows the manuscript shelfmark and a brief title description of the content of the manuscript.
Full page drawing of a memory aid in a form of an angel coloured in red, blue, green, yellow and gold. Six wings marked in Latin as representing love of god, love of neighbour, purity of heart and of flesh, confession, and satisfaction; each wing has in additon five feathers that highlight different aspects of the main theme. Angel is framed in red and green decorative foliage wtih golden circles in the corners of the frame. The right edge of this image has one column of text in Latin from the next page. Image taken from Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 66, p. 100 https://parker.stanford.edu/parker/catalog/canvas-939c88d0dd067774e49ce19ba676031b
Medieval handwritten text in Latin above and below an image field with two elephants. The one on the left, having fallend, is on its back with feet in the air. The other on the right stands on four legs and carries an impressive castle-contraption with one knight on its back. Image from Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 22, f. 164v
Image viewing window from The Parker Library On the Web, showing an image of an elephant and the animal keeper plus some text in Latin about the animal, taken of a medieval manuscript held at the Parker Library. On the left on white background is information about the image; the top line shows the source manuscript identification : Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 016i: Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora II.
Two white roses handpainted with red edging, separated frome each other with a green medley of stem and leaves. No thorns.
Drawing in an early 15th-century 'Biblia pauperum' of a group of five men, two in pointy hats, one of them caresses a lap-ful of coins held by another man without a hat. A fourth man in a double-pointed hat (similar to bishop's mitre) looks on. A fifth man, with only a head visible, witnesses it all from the back of the composition.
Snapshot of digital image viewer showing list of pages on the left and a 16th-century paper with writing and a cat's pawprints
Detail of a manuscript on the right, with two concentric ovals in blue and lined with gold with a picture of St George and the Dragon in the inner oval. On the left a ruler showing 17mm Image from Corpus Christi College Cambridge MS 645
Nine conjoined roundels with a ruler on the left and three images of matches lined up on top of each other on the right. Corpus Christi College Cambridge MS 645
Frayed dragon screaming, or a stylised yellow creature with two legs, branches for upper half and a head with a tongue sticking out of open mouth. Creature is wrapped around golden letter C on blue and red background. Text starts: Liber primus (first book) in red ink
Portrait of archbishop Matthew Parker in black and white garb, placed inside an oval. He is sitting in a green chair, with green curtain at the background, window to the left and table on the front. Windowsill has an hourglass. Identifiable items include a book, a box, a bell, a seal and a staff.
Boatful of people sailing a 15th-century cog. Scota and Goídel Glas indicated by their names.
On the left, reverse (=up-side down) shield in blue of King Harald (d. 14.10.1066 in the Battle of Hastings). On the right, red shield of William I (d. 1087), the new king.
Green leather-surfaced tabletop holds a wooden desk lamp with off-white shade. Partial globe on the left, a bookshelf in the back ground. Warm and cosy feeling.
Three recipes and some scribbles added to once empty leaf in CCCC MS 223 p. 2. Top recipe contains instructions for making incense.
Autograph letter of Anne Boleyn to her father, Sir Thomas Boleyn beginning: Monssr je antandue par v(ost)re lettre que.... / I find by your letter that ... Now in the Parker Library: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 119, p. 21a
Colourful eagle in red, green and yellow, fitted in red and green frame with green crosses and lines protruding towards the eagle. It was made in late seventh- or early eighth-century Northumbria. Watch out for those talons!
Blessing of Cross by a bishop. Early 15th-century Pontifical made probably in London, now CCCC MS 79, f. 212
A display case showing six books from the Christopher Isherwood in Cambridge -exhibition
Queen Matilda dressed in purple gown and cape, holding a purse in one hand while giving a sealed charter with the other hand to a monk on left, dressed in a black habit. From the Book of Benefactors to St Albans Abbey, now held in the Parker Library, CCCC MS 7 (image from folio 104v).
Information and dates about the tours of the Parker Library duirng February and March 2024
Opening image (f. 1v) for an early 15th-century copy of Chaucer's Troylus and Criseyde, now in the Parker Library as CCCC MS 61. The frontispiece shows a man speaking from a pulpit to a large audience dressed in red, blue and gold