The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220

Elaine Treharne

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 198

MS Items

fols 1r-7r, fols 7r-12v, fols 12v-21r, fols 21r-27v, fols 27v-34v, fols 34v-43v, fols 43v-47r, fols 47r-57v, fols 57v-64v, fols 64v-73r, fols 73r-81r, fols 81r-90r, fols 90r-103v, fols 103v-10r, fols 110r-17r, fols 117r-22v, fols 122v-28v, fols 128v-32v, fols 132v-37r, fols 137r-40v, fols 140v-45r, fols 145r-49v, fols 160r-66v, fols 166v-74v, fols 174v-86v, fols 186v-96v, fols 196v-202r, fols 202r-06v, fols 206v-09r, fols 209r-13r, fols 213r-15r, fols 215r-17v, fols 218r-26r, fols 226r-28v, fols 228v-31v, fols 231v-36v, fols 236v-40v, fols 242v-47v, fols 248r-53v, fols 253v-59v, fols 259v-63v, fols 263v-66r, fols 266r-67v, fols 267v-73r, fols 273r-74v, fols 274v-78v, fols 278v-81r, fols 281r-86r, fols 286r-91v, fols 291v-95r, fols 295r-98v, fols 298v-306v, fols 306v-11v, fols 311v-16r, fols 316r-21r, fols 321v-27v, fols 328r-42v, fols 342v-50r, fols 350r-59r, fols 360r-66v, fols 367r-74v, fols 374v-77r, fols 378r-85v, fol. 385v and fols 386r-94v.

Physical Description

Object Description

Hand Description

Decoration Description

Binding Description

History

Additional Information

Administration Information

Surrogates

Bibliography

Back to List of MSS and Descriptions

Homilies

Date: s. xi2, xiii1

Summary:

A volume of homilies, consisting of sequentially arranged set of texts, written in the early eleventh-century, with additions in contemporary hands and hands of s. xi2. The Tremulous Hand makes numerous interventions, beginning with extensive additions to the original Table of Contents at fol. iii. Fols 321-27, 367-77 contain three homilies added in s. xi2: Items 56, 61 and 62. See also Item 55 for later addition.

Manuscript Items:

Item: fols 1r-7r
Item: fols 7r-12v
Item: fols 12v-21r
Item: fols 21r-27v
Item: fols 27v-34v
Item: fols 34v-43v
Item: fols 43v-47r
Item: fols 47r-57v
Item: fols 57v-64v
Item: fols 64v-73r
Item: fols 73r-81r
Item: fols 81r-90r
Item: fols 90r-103v
Item: fols 103v-10r
Item: fols 110r-17r
Item: fols 117r-22v
Item: fols 122v-28v
Item: fols 128v-32v
Item: fols 132v-37r
Item: fols 137r-40v
Item: fols 140v-45r
Item: fols 145r-49v
Item: fols 160r-66v
Item: fols 166v-74v
Item: fols 174v-86v
Item: fols 186v-96v
Item: fols 196v-202r
Item: fols 202r-06v
Item: fols 206v-09r
Item: fols 209r-13r
Item: fols 213r-15r
Item: fols 215r-17v
Item: fols 218r-26r
Item: fols 226r-28v
Item: fols 228v-31v
Item: fols 231v-36v
Item: fols 236v-40v
Item: fols 242v-47v
Item: fols 248r-53v
Item: fols 253v-59v
Item: fols 259v-63v
Item: fols 263v-66r
Item: fols 266r-67v
Item: fols 267v-73r
Item: fols 273r-74v
Item: fols 274v-78v
Item: fols 278v-81r
Item: fols 281r-86r
Item: fols 286r-91v
Item: fols 291v-95r
Item: fols 295r-98v
Item: fols 298v-306v
Item: fols 306v-11v
Item: fols 311v-16r
Item: fols 316r-21r
Item: fols 321v-27v
Item: fols 328r-42v
Item: fols 342v-50r
Item: fols 350r-59r
Item: fols 360r-66v
Item: fols 367r-74v
Item: fols 374v-77r
Item: fols 378r-85v
Item: fol. 385v
Item: fols 386r-94v

Physical Description:

Object Description:

Form: Codex

Support: Mixed. Parchment is yellowy and waxy on hairside, and very flexible. Fol. i is a Parkerian flyleaf taken from an account roll, s. xv. Fols 196-97 were originally blank leaves of another larger manuscript: traces of writing are still visible on narrow strips of the leaves formerly conjugate with them, which have been preserved to attach them together.

Extent:

c. 271 mm x 187 mm (dimensions of all - size of leaves)

c. 215 mm x 135-107 mm (dimensions of all - size of written space)

Foliation and/or Pagination:

Fols v + 395 + iv. The first three and last four leaves are modern flyleaves of the date of binding and are not numbered. The other leaves are foliated i-iii, 1-394.

Collation:

Quires:

Condition: Shows signs of significant use, judging by the dirt and softness of corners and margins. By fol. 367, condition of parchment is poorer, with original holes (fol. 367/2-6), and evidence of end-pieces being used (e.g., fol. 371).

Layout description:

Ruling is drypoint, often very deeply cut on more than one leaf at a time. Single bounding lines in Quires 4-10, 20, 28-31, 45 and in parts of other quires.

Hand description:

Number of hands:

Summary:

Ker 1957

Hand:

Scope: major
Scribe: Ker 48 SC9
Script: late eleventh-century
Description: fols 231v, 367-74v.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand: This is a very round hand using a straight-cut nib. There are few abbreviations, and legibility seems the key to this scribe's stint. Laterally somewhat compressed, the rotundity of the letter forms provides the sense of ampleness to the writing. Slight forward-leaning aspect.
a is very round with a curved tail to the right.
The e component of æ rises above the a component.
d is round-backed with a short upward stroke.
e is very rounded with an extended tongue in final position.
f has a crossbar flat on the line which transects the vertical very notably.
The tail of insular g begins in the middle of the headstroke, and the open tail is generous, curved and sweeping.
minims are even, with barely any serifs.
p has a very rounded bowl, and a short foot at the end of the descender.
s is long with a small onset stroke to the left. By fol. 367r, the head of long s is occasionally elaborately curved, particularly at line-ends.
ð has a long ascender at 60º or so, with a cross-stroke which only just transects the ascender and flicks down to the right.
y is straight-limbed with a long tail, and is consistently dotted in the middle.
ascenders have a slight wedge, which is higher on the right than the left.
descenders are straight and even.
accents are very steep.
Abbreviations:
Abbreviated þ has a long cross-stroke which curves up to the right.
Punctuation:
punctus sits just above the ruled line.
Ligatures:
st ligatures are avoided.
Litterae Notabiliores:
The nota begins at minim height and descends below the line at 90º.

Hand:

Scope: major
Scribe: Ker 48 SC10
Script: late eleventh-century
Description: fols 322-27. At top left of upper margin of fol. 323v 'ae[eth]elric' is written in same script and same ink as Scribe 10. At fol. 323v in upper and left margins there are erased notes.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand: This scribe appears to be attempting to emulate the round hand of Scribe 9, but is a much less competent scribe: the even-ness of Scribe 9 is not apparent, and there is a shakiness to the duct of Scribe 10 that suggests slowness in the copying process, and a lack of proficiency. This is confirmed by scratchy letters and ink blotches (fol. 322r/18-19). Some angularity in letter forms such as d and ð.
d is round-backed with a low back which flicks up to the right.
f has a cross-stroke, flat on the line, piercing the stem.
s is consistently low, with one uncial form as capital, but by fol. 323r, long s with an elaborate rounded head is evinced.
ð has a cross-stroke to the right of the ascender only, curving down at the right, though by fol. 326r it pierces ascender.
Straight-limbed, dotted y has a distinctive flick to the right by fol. 323r.
Square capital N sometimes occurs in final position, sometimes elaborate to fill space.
The square form of capital H is notable.
ascenders have slight tags to the left.
descenders are relatively short and occasionally curve slightly to the left or have flat feet extending across the bottom.
Abbreviations:
The ˥ is large and at 90º. It sits on the line, above minim height.
The abbreviated þ for 'þæt' has a macron only from the ascender and finishes with flick up to the left.
Punctuation:
punctus on the line. punctus versus and punctus interrogativus are used.
Low, flat hyphen at line-end.
Ligatures:
st ligature is avoided.
Correcting technique: Correction by erasure, by subpunctus and interlinear addition. Correction also by signe-de-renvoi (fol. 326v) comprised of backwards c plus bar plus c, with dot above and below bar.

Hand:

Scope: major
Scribe: Ker 48 SC11
Script: late eleventh-century
Description: fols 374v-77.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand: The rubric and initial S here are red, with red infill on some of the small capitals on that folio. If this is another scribe (and not the same as Scribe 9, which seems very likely), there is a round duct, and a mostly upright aspect. Once again, the writing is slightly compressed laterally, but the bodies of the letters are abundantly rounded. There are few abbreviations, and legibility seems the critical feature.
a is very round with a curved tail to the right.
The e component of æ rises above the a component.
d is round-backed with an short-ish upward stroke.
e is very rounded with an extended tongue in final position.
f has a crossbar flat on the line which transects the vertical very notably.
The tail of insular g begins in the middle of the headstroke, and the open tail is curved and usually closed.
minims are even, with small feet to the right.
p has a very rounded bowl, and a short foot at the end of the descender.
Long and low s, with a slightly hooked shoulder.
ð has a long ascender at 60º or so, with a cross-stroke which only extends from the right of the ascender; the cross-stroke flicks down to the right.
y is straight-limbed with a long tail, and is consistently dotted in the middle.
ascenders are wedged.
descenders are straight and even.
accents are very steep.
Abbreviations:
Abbreviated þ has a long cross-stroke which curves up to the right.
Punctuation:
The punctus sits hust above the ruled line.
Ligatures:
st ligatures are avoided.
Litterae Notabiliores:
The nota begins at minim height and descends below the line at 90º.

Hand:

Scope: minor
Scribe: Tremulous Scribe
Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
Description: Numerous interventions, beginning with extensive additions to the original Table of Contents by the Tremulous Hand.
Date: xiii1

Decoration Description:

Titles mainly in metallic red capitals. Initials are a metallic red, occasionally with some ornament, for example ball and crescent.
Fol. 128v One initial is green.
Fol. iir Image of four synoptic gospel writers and SS Peter and Paul. The book in the hand of the lower right character is open, and seems to depict an opening with an illustration on the verso (coloured in a purplish ink) with blue on verso. Other apostles hold closed books, with the left-most apostles holding books with covered hands (the hand in the lower left was originally uncovered and then a sleeve was drawn up over it).

Binding Description:

Binding of s. xii. Ker (1957) notes that the previous binding (s. xvi) was presumably of dark skin as it is referred to as 'Liber niger' in CCCC 421, p. v and Cleopatra B. xiii, fol. 1v (p. 82).

History:

Origin:

The origin of the manuscript is unknown. The spellings of the late eleventh-century additions suggest that they were written in the west of England.

Provenance:

The annotations throughout by the Tremulous Hand show that the manuscript was at Worcester by s. xiii at the latest.

Acquisition:

S (8) in the list of manuscripts bequeathed by Parker to Corpus Christi College.

Additional Information:

Administration Information:

Manuscript described by Elaine Treharne with the assistance of Zöe Enstone, Hollie Morgan and Johanna Green (2010; 2013).

Surrogates:

EM Project facsimile

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Stanford University, Parker Library on the Web (http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/; accessed in 2010)

Bibliography:

Ångstrøm, Margareta, Studies in Old English MSS (Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckeri-A.-B., 1937)

Assmann, Bruno, ed., Angelsächsischen Homilien und Heiligenleben, Bibliotek der angelsächsischen Prosa, 13 (Kassel: Wigand, 1889; repr. 1964)

Belfour, A. O., ed., Twelfth-Century Homilies in MS. Bodley 343, EETS, OS 118 (London: Kegan Paul Trench Trübner, 1909)

Birch, Walter de Gray, Memorials of Saint Guthlac of Crowland (Wisbeach: Leach & Son, 1881)

Bright, James Wilson, An Anglo-Saxon Reader (New York: Henry Holt, 1862)

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Stanford University, Parker Library on the Web (http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/; accessed in 2010)

Förster, Max, Die Vercelli- Homilien, I. Hälfte, Bibliothek der Angelsächsischen Prosa, 12 (Hamburg: Henri Grand, 1932)

Gneuss, Helmut, Handlist of Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A List of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100 (Tempe, AZ: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2001), item 64

Goodwin, C. W., ed., The Anglo-Saxon Legends of St. Andrew and St. Veronica (Cambridge: Cambridge Antiquarian Society, 1851)

James, Montague Rhodes, Matthew Parker, and A. Rogers, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 2 vols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912)

Ker, N. R., Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957; repr. 1990), item 48

Kluge, F., 'Zu altenglischen Dichtungen', Englische Studien, 8 (1885), 474-79

Morris, Richard, ed., The Blickling Homilies, EETS, OS 58, 63, 73 (London: Oxford University Press, 1874, 1876, 1880; repr. 1697)

Müller, Ludwig C., Collectanea Anglo-Saxonica Maximam Partem Nunc Primum Edita et Vocabulario Illustrata (Hauniæ: Wahl, 1835; repr. Amsterdam: Rodophi, 1970)

Napier, Arthur Sampson, ed., Wulfstan: Sammlung der ihm zugeschriebenen Homilien nebst Untersuchungen uber ihre Echtheit, Sammlung englischer Denkmaeler in Kritischen Ausgaben, 4 (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1883)

Scragg, Donald, Alexander Rumble, and Kathryn Powell, C11 Database Project (Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies, http://www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/mancass/c11database/; accessed in 2009)

Sisam, Kenneth, 'MSS. Bodley 340 and 342: Ælfric's Catholic Homilies', Review of English Studies, 7, no. 25 (1931), 7-27

---, Studies in Old English Literature (1953)

Skeat, W. W., ed., Ælfric’s Lives of Saints, EETS, OS 76, 82, 94, 114 (London and Oxford: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1881-1900; repr. as 2 vols, 1966)

Sweet, Henry, Anglo-Saxon Reader in Prose and Verse (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1876)

Thorpe, B., ed., The Sermones Catholici or Homilies of Ælfric, Ælfric Society, 2 vols (London: Ælfric Society, 1844-46)

Wanley, H., Librorum Veterum Septentrionalium Catalogus (Oxford, 1705)

Willard, R., 'On Blickling Homily XIII: The Assumption of the Virgin', Review of English Studies, 12, no. 1 (1936), 1-17

---, 'The Punctuation and Capitalization of Ælfric's homily for the First Sunday in Lent', The University of Texas Studies in English, 29, no. 1 (1950)

Wormald, Francis, English Drawings of the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries (London: Faber & Faber, 1952)