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Worcester Cathedral library has many interesting books and documents.

A 1300's manuscript which has various items within it, including sermon outlines and a theological work by Peter Bersuire, a tract on the vices and virtues, and an alphabetical table of morals. (WCL F19 folio 168r).

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The cathedral tower in the sunshine viewed from the south side a couple of weeks ago. In the foreground is the chapter house exterior and the middle distance is the exterior of the quire.

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A strange stylized human face with a leaf stick out of its mouth in the inner margin of a tightly bound medieval manuscript. This is in a 1200's copy of a collection of sermons on the Saints copied in England and used at Worcester (WCL Q53 fol.169r).

A doodle in red ink. the human face is looking away from the text. It is very tiny. The leaf is on a stalk sticking out of its mouth. It has some sort of cap or hood on.

A 4A page! This is the opening of James of Voragine's work "Tabula super Historias Biblie". James was Italian and was the archbishop of Genoa. This copy was made in the fifteenth century (WCL F89 f.1r).

The text is in two columns. There are red and blue flourishes deocrating the left hand sides of both columns. There are 4 capital letter A's in dark blue with red flourishes to decorate them. Two are in each column of text.

An engraving of a Bishop Saint Epiphanius an early Church Father. He became the Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus and lived in the 4th century AD. Although a Bishop he was also a monk and gave much to the poor.

The Bishop hold a Book in his left hand. He is wearing a clerical costume with lots of crosses sewn onto it. His right hand is raised to give a blessing. he has a beard. A halo has been drawn around his head.

The face of a man with a couple of heraldic shields drawn very close to it in this 1200's copy of an Italian author's legal text. This copy was also made in Italy but made its way to England and has some added English names in notes within the manuscript. (WCL f159 f.138v)

a man's face is doodled in the inner margin of a law manuscript. There are two shields doodled by his nose. One is green and white chequered and the other has a red chevron on a white background with three red roundels.

The ruin of the medieval Guestenhall where visitors to the medieval cathedral stayed. It was built in the 1300's. The monk in charge of it was called the hosteller. Have a great weekend!

The red sand stone of the wall has four windows - two very large and two half their size. In the background is a pinnacle in pale brown stone of the cathedral. In the foreground is the frost on the lawn. The photo was taken early on Friday and the wall is still in shadow.

The music collection has documents that tell us about the music and services in earlier times. These two sheets give the music for next week in 1890 and 1915. They record the composers chosen, anthem numbers, and whether it was for Matins and Evensong.

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A busy title page from a 1648 book about natural philosophy (WCL UG2). Philosophy and its related branches are depicted as women, whilst in the middle row are Aristotle and three scholars. In the lowest section is a sort of court room or perhaps a university auditorium.

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A zig-zag pattern red and blue letter P starts this page from a copy of a legal manuscript dating to the 1300's by Goffredo di Trani. Goffredo was a canon lawyer who lived in the 13th Century. This particular copy was made in England.

The text is divided into two columns. At the start of the right hand column is a letter P in alternating red and blue zig-zag pattern with red and blue flourishes extending off it at the top and bottom of the page. There are no marginal annotation except for one doodled face besides the left hand column of text presumably next to something useful.

This week's cartoon shows a man with a cap or beret and his faithful dog or some sort of creature. This is in a medieval manuscript copy of Justinian's Codex glossed in the thirteenth century (WCL F78).

In the lower part of the right hand column of text is a man's head. he wears a cap which is tinted yellow by the artist. Directly below his head is a dog or creature's head with gritted teeth and a wide eye. It also appears to have drool on its jaw.

Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars memorial 1914-1918 on the left and the same for 1939 to 1945 on the right in Worcester Cathedral. Remembering today those who gave there lives for their country.

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This red and blue letter A is from Thomas of Ryngstede on the Book of Proverbs, which was part of a collection of items from the 15th century and used by one of the Worcester monks Thomas of Blokley (WCL F80 f.138r)

The text is in two columns. At the top of the right hand column is a large letter A in red and blue. It is decorated in a zig-zag pattern. Red ink flourishes extend from the letter A along the margins and down between the column of text.

In Prince Arthur's chantry chapel of the early 16th century, the incredible ceiling with his coat of arms in the centre gives the interior a fantastic appearance. Have a great weekend!

The ceiling is white with cream coloured foliage pattern ribs that extend almost like a spider web across the whole of the tiny chapel ceiling apart from in the centre where there is Prince Arthur's coat of arms, which are unpainted.

A capital letter D from an early medieval manuscript of the 1100's of a collection of sermons compiled at Worcester Cathedral. This one was originally by Bede. (WCL F92)

A dark purple letter capital letter D starts a new sermon in this early Norman book of sermons. It is located in the right hand column one third of the way down. There are no marginalia.

William Durand was a French Bishop in the 1200's. This is the opening letter from a 14th Century manuscript copy of his work Rationale Divinorum Officiorum- which was about Christian liturgy and symbols etc. (WCL F129 f.1r)

A green dragon with a green and white foliage tail is at the centre of a red and blue zig zag pattern capital letter O. Red and blue ink flourishes and decorations extend off the letter into the margins.

This 1200's copy of Peter Lombard's Sentences has many marginal notes. This copy was made by a professional and use by at least one of the Worcester monks (WCL F8 f.3r).

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William Durand was a French Bishop in the 1200's. This is the opening letter from a 14th Century manuscript copy of his work Rationale Divinorum Officiorum- which was about Christian liturgy and symbols etc. (WCL F129 f.1r)

A red and blue zig-zag capital letter with a green dragon in the centre of it. The dragon has a tail of green and white foliage. Blue and red ink flourishes extend off the letter in the margins.

This 1200's copy of Peter Lombard's Sentences has many marginal notes. This copy was made by a professional and use by at least one of the Worcester monks (WCL F8 f.3r).

A red and blue capital letter is in the top left corner. it has red, blue and white swirling patterns as an infill. The text is in two columns, with marginal annotations all around the page.

A busy page from a 1200's manuscript copy of Aristotle's 'Sophistici Elenchi' - Sophistical refutations. It was translated by Boethius. This copy was used by a Dominican friar called Thomas Palmar who lived in the late 14 early 15th Centuries (F66 f139).

Two diagrams in red and brown ink in the margins. Text is a central column. Very detailed notes in both left and right hand margins of the pages. Another medieval hand has made a note at the base.