# pixidib.  [pixis / de pixidibus]



## AlexanderIII

Dear all,
I translate a book by Francis Grose “The Antiquities Of England And Wales” and have come across a phrase in Latin. 


De pixidib. omnium sanctor. in eccles, St. Margaret et Capellis St. Nicholai et St. Jacobi una cum Capella Beatæ Mariæ ad Pontem. 6s. 4d.

Could someone help me out with “pixidib.” please? I take it to be an abbreviation.


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## wandle

AlexanderIII said:


> Could someone help me out with “pixidib.” please? I take it to be an abbreviation.


That does not seem to be an abbreviation of any Latin word. It may be a corruption (misrendering) of the original.
The phrase *'in die omnium sanctorum'* means 'on All Saints' Day'. This occurs repeatedly in medieval records.

My provisional conjecture at correcting the first part of the line would be:
*Depix. in die omnium sanctor. in eccles. St. Margaret*

Expanding the abbreviations in this, we have:
*Depixi in die omnium sanctorum in ecclesia St. Margaret*

meaning: _'I painted [this] on All Saints' Day in the church of St. Margaret'_.


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## AlexanderIII

Thank you very much, Wandle! I'm afraid that was not the last question.


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## wandle

AlexanderIII said:


> I'm afraid that was not the last question.


Well, I'm afraid that was not the last answer.

My conjecture above was wrong.* pixidib* is in fact the abbreviation of *pixidibus*, ablative plural of _*pixis*_, a pyx. 

*De pixidibus omnium sanctorum* means 'Concerning the pyxes of All Saints'.

What made me look further was the figure at the end, 6s 4d. This seemed too much to be the price of a painting and it did not make sense that the painter would leave such a statement on or about the supposed painted object.

In fact, 6s 4d, or six shillings and fourpence, is being given as the value of the pyxes, that is the boxes for carrying the host or communion wafer. Such boxes could well be made of precious metal and be valuable items.


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## fdb

But why "pyxes of all saints" in a church and three chapels? Would it not make better sense if pyx here meant "reliquaries"?


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## wandle

Further corrections!  It seems, in fact, from the following excerpt that they are offertory boxes, in which the faithful place money donations and from similar accounts elsewhere, it is also clear that the figure of 6s 4d is not a large sum.

Original Documents related to St. Paul's _via_ Archaeology Data Service:
_Amongst various other extracts from the curious archives of St. Paul's, kindly communicated by the Archdeacon, there are accounts of sums received in the *pixis*, *truncus*, or money-box, entitled " *Recepta de pixide crucis borialis*," dated A.D. 1343, 44. _

Thus *De pixidibus omnium sanctorum ... una cum Capella Beatæ Mariæ ad Pontem. 6s. 4d.
* means:
_ [Money received] from the offertory boxes of All Saints  ... together with the Chapel of Blessed Mary at the Bridge: 6s 4d._.

Thus the *pixides* were the offertory boxes in the name of All Saints, one placed in each of the church and chapels mentioned, and 6s 4d was the total collected from the four boxes.


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## AlexanderIII

I see, thank you very much, Wandle and Fbd!


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