The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220

Elaine Treharne

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 303

MS Items

p. 1/1-1/4 (underneath a sixteenth-century strip of parchment), p. 1/1-6/1, pp. 6/1-10/33, pp. 10/33-12/5, pp. 12/5-16/14, pp. 16/14-21/16, pp. 21/6-27/7, pp. 27/7-30/3, pp. 30/3-34, pp. 35/1-38/22, 38/23-43/05, pp. 43/5-49/2, pp. 49/2-56/17, pp. 56/18-61/23, pp. 61/23-68/13, pp. 68/13-72/33, pp. 72/33-75, pp. 76/1-82/7, pp. 82/7-87/13, pp. 87/13-89/28, pp. 89/28-94/25, pp. 94/25-99/25, pp. 99/25-107/20, pp. 107/20-14/1, pp. 114/11-19/11, pp. 119/11-32/14, pp. 132/14-40a/18, pp. 141/19-44/24, pp. 144/25-50/34, pp. 150/34-54/7, pp. 154/7-7/13, pp. 157/13-63/20, pp. 163/30-71/16, pp. 171/16-85/16, pp. 185/16-88/2, pp. 188/28-90/28, pp. 190/28-94/23, pp. 194/24-199/16, pp. 199/16-202/17, p. 202/18-35, pp. 203/1-11/20, pp. 211/20-15/10, pp. 215/10-19/13, pp. 219/13-23/32, pp. 223/32-26/26, pp. 226/27-31/13, pp. 231/13-36/15, pp. 236/16-42/6, pp. 242/6-48/14, pp. 248/14-52/15, pp. 252/16-55/10, pp. 255/10-56/32, pp. 256/33-61/31, pp. 261/31-64, pp. 265/1-68/4, pp. 268/4-73/10, pp. 273/10-76/31, pp. 276/31-79/6, p. 279/ 6-15, pp. 279/15-83/11, pp. 283/11-90/2, pp. 290/3-96/28, pp. 296/28-301/27, pp. 301/27-06/33, pp. 306/33-17/31, pp. 317/31-27/33, pp. 327/33-33/4, pp. 333/4-38/15, pp. 338/16-39/26, pp. 340/1-41/25, pp. 341/26-55/24, pp. 355/24-56/22 and pp. 356/22-62.

Physical Description

Object Description

Hand Description

Decoration Description

Additions

Binding Description

Accompanying Material

History

Additional Information

Administration Information

Surrogates

Bibliography

Back to List of MSS and Descriptions

Homilies

Date: s. xiimed

Summary:

The manuscript contains 73 texts: homilies for Sundays and feast days in the Temporale and the second half of the Sanctorale, together with miscellaneous items at the end. The contents can be divided into five groups (Godden 1979, p. xxxiv) arranged, for the most part, according to the church year: the homilies from the Second Series of Homilies [Catholic Homilies II]: Second Sunday after Epiphany (this first homily only survives as four lines) to the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. As the manuscript is incomplete at the beginning and end (having lost 44 folios), it probably originally also contained texts for the first half of the Sanctorale. 63 of the pieces are by Ælfric, the remainder being anonymous (with the first erased and pasted over in the sixteenth century).

Manuscript dated by Ker 1957 to s. xii1, though probably closer to s. xiimed.

Manuscript Items:

Item: p. 1/1-1/4 (underneath a sixteenth-century strip of parchment)
Item: p. 1/1-6/1
Item: pp. 6/1-10/33
Item: pp. 10/33-12/5
Item: pp. 12/5-16/14
Item: pp. 16/14-21/16
Item: pp. 21/6-27/7
Item: pp. 27/7-30/3
Item: pp. 30/3-34
Item: pp. 35/1-38/22
Item: 38/23-43/05
Item: pp. 43/5-49/2
Item: pp. 49/2-56/17
Item: pp. 56/18-61/23
Item: pp. 61/23-68/13
Item: pp. 68/13-72/33
Item: pp. 72/33-75
Item: pp. 76/1-82/7
Item: pp. 82/7-87/13
Item: pp. 87/13-89/28
Item: pp. 89/28-94/25
Item: pp. 94/25-99/25
Item: pp. 99/25-107/20
Item: pp. 107/20-14/1
Item: pp. 114/11-19/11
Item: pp. 119/11-32/14
Item: pp. 132/14-40a/18
Item: pp. 141/19-44/24
Item: pp. 144/25-50/34
Item: pp. 150/34-54/7
Item: pp. 154/7-7/13
Item: pp. 157/13-63/20
Item: pp. 163/30-71/16
Item: pp. 171/16-85/16
Item: pp. 185/16-88/2
Item: pp. 188/28-90/28
Item: pp. 190/28-94/23
Item: pp. 194/24-199/16
Item: pp. 199/16-202/17
Item: p. 202/18-35
Item: pp. 203/1-11/20
Item: pp. 211/20-15/10
Item: pp. 215/10-19/13
Item: pp. 219/13-23/32
Item: pp. 223/32-26/26
Item: pp. 226/27-31/13
Item: pp. 231/13-36/15
Item: pp. 236/16-42/6
Item: pp. 242/6-48/14
Item: pp. 248/14-52/15
Item: pp. 252/16-55/10
Item: pp. 255/10-56/32
Item: pp. 256/33-61/31
Item: pp. 261/31-64
Item: pp. 265/1-68/4
Item: pp. 268/4-73/10
Item: pp. 273/10-76/31
Item: pp. 276/31-79/6
Item: p. 279/ 6-15
Item: pp. 279/15-83/11
Item: pp. 283/11-90/2
Item: pp. 290/3-96/28
Item: pp. 296/28-301/27
Item: pp. 301/27-06/33
Item: pp. 306/33-17/31
Item: pp. 317/31-27/33
Item: pp. 327/33-33/4
Item: pp. 333/4-38/15
Item: pp. 338/16-39/26
Item: pp. 340/1-41/25
Item: pp. 341/26-55/24
Item: pp. 355/24-56/22
Item: pp. 356/22-62

Physical Description:

Object Description:

Form: Codex

Support: Parchment. Pages i-iv and 363-66 are paper flyleaves of s. xx; pp. v-viii are s. xvi parchment. Leaves are arranged HHFF.

Extent: iv + 182 + ii leaves

ca. 260 mm x ca. 196 mm (dimensions of all - size of leaves)

213-203 mm x 149-138 mm (dimensions of all - size of written space)

Foliation and/or Pagination:

Pagination occurs at top right of rectos, iii, iv (paginated i, ii (with fol. 43 in the top right of p. iir), and in black ink on the rectos of 1-361.

Medieval arabic foliation in pencil begins at fol. 45 (now p. 1) where it appears underneath the strip of parchment placed by Parker over the erased four lines of the first extant item. This medieval foliation in the middle of the top margin has been partially excised throughout the manuscript, but is half-visible on pp. 27, 39, etc.

The medieval foliation is written in ink at pp. 211-39, probably by the annotator of pp. 220-22.

Note that the page numbers for the homily in Item 27 are actually 132-143: p. 141 has been paginated as such twice. All succeeding page numbers are therefore two pages out.

Collation:

Collation is as Ker 1957 suggests: 18 wants 8, 2 before p. 1, 2-238. Indeterminate number of pages missing at end.

Signatures:

Condition:

The quality of leaves varies from suede-like (Quire 2) to thin parchment (Quire 11), but the condition of leaves and ink is excellent throughout, though pages 1 and 362 show signs of having been left unbound for a time as they are both yellowed. There are few defects (pale staining on pages 10, 11, 280 in the margins, animal pelt holes at pp. 147 and 177, and at pp. 85 and 255, lines 13-14, where the holes are repaired).

Layout description:

Layout:

Columns: 1
Written Lines: 34-35
Overview: Single column writing grid with 34 lines per page usually, but 35 in Quire XI. Pencil ruling, done before folding, with single vertical and two horizontal bounding lines at top and bottom (penultimate and ultimate horizontal lines ruled).

Hand description:

Number of hands:

Summary:

Ker 1957

Methods of Alteration:

Hand:

Scope: major
Script: Anglo-Saxon Insular minuscule

Hand:

Scope: major
Script: Late vernacular minuscule
Description: These hands can be characterised as a hybrid late vernacular minuscule, evincing significant evidence for a date much closer to the middle of the twelfth century than Ker's assignation s. xii1 allows. The manuscript might, realistically, be dated c. 1140 or thereabouts.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
a is Caroline in both hands, and 'backward-looking', with the bow often touching the preceding letter.
æ occasionally has an enlarged bowl of e.
c is quite angular.
Both round-backed and straight-backed d are used in English, although round-backed d is preferred.
e has a pointed bowl in both hands and an extended tongue; there are no visible examples of spurred e.
f is insular. The crossbar often transects the stem.
Insular g varies in form from angular to quite rounded, and occasionally the entire character sits on the line.
h is Caroline.
o is angular and pointed.
p often finishes with a foot to the right of the descender. ƿ is distinct from p by virtue of its pointed bowl.
r is Caroline.
s is usually high, written on the line and formed with a high rounded head. Long s is rare, as is uncial s, but they do occur occasionally, together with superscript s, which appears at the end of words where space is at a premium.
ascenders vary in length; tops are usually wedged or split; backs of d and ð are often taller than the other ascenders, and often higher in the hand of Scribe 2 than 1.
descenders are long in both hands and usually finish with a curve to the left.
minims are firned with an attack stroke and all downward strokes are formed with serifs that turn up to the right. The stem is often finished with a serif to the right, and it is used in all positions.
Minuscule t shows late features of a downward tick at the end of the headstroke, and the piercing of the headstroke by the stem.
þ is preferred in initial position, unless late in the manuscript; its descender is often straight and tapering.
ð is written in many different forms, occasionally as one pen stroke in the hand of Scribe 1 (resembling a medieval arabic letter 4).
ƿ is distinct from p by virtue of its pointed bowl.
x is formed with the left foot exaggeratedly extending below the line and the preceding letter.
y is usually dotted by Scribe 2, but not by Scribe 1, with both upper limbs curving to the left; occasionally the descender flicks to the right.
Capital letters are important for dating purposes: of most significance, the capitals are offset into the margin of the justified writing block. Rustic capitals are most common, but a variety of forms is used for D (both Rustic and Uncial), for E (Uncial, Rustic and an enlarged minuscule version); G is the form most commonly seen in Protogothic script. H and M are most commonly Uncial; N is often half-Uncial, as is T, on many occasions, a feature most frequently seen in later twelfth-century manuscripts.
a variety of forms is used for D (both Rustic and Uncial).
for E Uncial, Rustic and an enlarged minuscule version.
G is the form most commonly seen in Protogothic script.
H is most commonly Uncial.
M is most commonly Uncial.
N is often half-Uncial.
T is often half-Uncial.
Abbreviations:

Punctuation:
Language: is predominantly Late West Saxon.

Hand:

Scope: minor
Script: Hand 3
Description: Hand 3 is a significant scribe in the compilation of the manuscript, responsible for some corrections, for the rubrics, and for the most idiosyncratic stretch of writing. Language is characterisable as 'early Middle English', inasmuch as it does not adhere to Late West Saxon forms. Also this scribe does not adhere to what appears to be the matched hands of Scribes 1 and 2. In Scribe 3's hand, the general aspect is a little shaky.
This hand is predominantly late English Vernacular Minuscule, most notably, it is less of a formal bookhand than those of the other scribes; elements of Scribe 3's hand are more traditionally associated with diplomatic hands of the mid-twelfth century, particularly its currency. Significantly, for dating purposes, multiple ligatures are used not only by Scribe 3, but also by Scribes 1 and 2. The most important is the d+e ligature seen in manuscripts datable to the second half of the twelfth century. This ligature occurs only in the hand of Scribe 3, at pp. 231/3, 231/15, and 251/13, for instance.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
A characteristic feature is his almost three-shaped ˥, often seen in this form in diplomata of the second quarter and middle of the twelfth century.
ascenders are often elongated, filling the height of the line, but rarely becoming entangled with the descenders of the line above.
descenders curve backwards by means of an angled stroke to the left.
minims are formed with an attack stroke leading in to the first vertical line. The limbs of minims have serifs curling upwards from the ruled line to the right.
The arches of m are angular.
The arches of n are angular.
i is important, since this scribe sometimes forms a double i as ij, slashing each letter to distinguish it from other minims.
Minuscule a is a backward-looking Caroline a with a well-formed bow, and often an exaggerated form of this letter is used, but without any determinable rationale.
d is round-backed with a high ascender that usually tapers to the right; it has a pointed bowl.
There are three different forms of f: insular f, where the medial crossbar sits on the line; a Caroline form of f, where the crossbar is placed above the ruled line; and a third form, a high f, which sits on the ruled line with the crossbar at minim height.
The g is insular and distinctive: it has a very angular tail, closing at a 45 degree angle to the tail-end.
h is Caroline, with a lengthy ascender, which is often split.
r is quite idiosyncratic here, and takes the form of Insular r with a broken shoulder; it gives the page an impresssion of untidiness, and it is also the letter which helps identify this scribe in the rubrics.
Scribe 3 uses high s, long s, and Uncial s for capitalisation.
t shows late features: the headstroke occasionally pushes above the stem, and the headstroke turns up to the right or slightly down to the left at the end.
This scribe prefers to use þ in all positions. It has a wedged ascender and is pointed at the top and bottom of the bowl.
When ð is used it is written with one pen stroke, like a medieval arabic figure 4.
ƿ and y are written similarly, with both upper limbs curving to the left. y is seldom dotted.
ƿ and y are written similarly, with both upper limbs curving to the left.
Scribe 3's capital letters are not demonstrably different from those of the other scribes, though the scribe does use a long-tailed capital U with the descender curved to the left.
long-tailed capital U with the descender curved to the left.

Decoration Description:

Ink of the main text is black. Titles in red minuscule with red litterae notabiliores, and some red infilling of letter-forms within the text. Letters and titles placed in the margin by the scribe as guides for the miniator/rubricator have often been lost, though some are visible (pp. 68, 76, 327 and 341, for example).

Additions:

pp. iir-v. A Parkerian Table of Contents occurs on p. ii rv in two columns.

s. xvi: pp. 1-6/1 Hand of s. xvi has added 'Post Epiphania' to beginning of title, and 'Cap. 8' at the end. (pp.1-6.1)

There are some contemporary glosses (for which see individual items above).

There are also numerous later glosses, notes and marginalia in pencil and ink. pp. 220-22 are late thirteenth- or fourteenth-century ink glosses and annotations that demonstrate careful reading of this text (Feria III in Rogationibus).

At p. 220/27, 'senne' glosses 'leahter', 'prude' glosses 'ofermodignysse'.
At p. 222/22 , 'luxuria' glosses 'forlyr'.
At p. 220/21, a marginal note reads 'Eleemosina triplex'
p. 220/27, the marginal note 'septem capitalis peccata' occurs
p. 221/27, marginal note 'septem'
p. 222/5, 'vana gloria' in the left margin glosses 'idelwuldor'
p. 222/21, 'virtutum ˥ viciorum conflictus' occurs in the left margin.
A series of dots, from one dot to seven, occurs beside the text at p. 220/21, 22, 23 and p. 221/8, 13, 19, 24, 31 and refers to the list of the seven sins in the OE text.

There are sixteenth-century glosses on pp. 21-22

p. 21/22, 'desertum' glosses 'westene'
p. 21/25, 'tentator' glosses costnere
p. 21/27, 'pane' glosses 'hlafe'
p. 22/9, 'eternall' glosses 'ecan'
'temporall' glosses 'hwilwændlicum'

Seventeenth- or early eighteenth-century glosses occur:

at p. 248/16, 'parabolam' glosses 'bigspell
'baptist' glosses 'fulluhtere', with 'inde fuller' in the right margin.

A number of annotations and pencil markings are not visible on the microfiche. These are:

pencil Notae at pp. 252/28, 282/14;
and pencil capitula and vertical lines in the text at pp. 246, 247, 248 (probably by the same annotator of pp. 220-22).

A name occurs in the bottom margin at p. 90, but is virtually impossible to interpret: perhaps 'Camillus de Nag’'.

Grey pencil marks consisting of underlinings and rough crosses appear on pp. 150, 292, and 302-03, and may be the work of Abraham Wheloc, Cambridge University Librarian between 1629 and 1653.

Binding Description:

Rebound in tan goatskin in 1956.

Accompanying Material:

Added flyleaves of a printed edition of a Latin text at the beginning and the end of the manuscript.

History:

Origin:

Almost certainly attributable to Rochester Cathedral Priory.

Provenance:

While the origin of this manuscript is probably Rochester, nothing is known of its subsequent medieval history. It was in Archbishop Parker's possession after 1565 when he labelled it 'Homiliarum Saxonicarum Liber Nonus' (S. 17).

Acquisition:

Parker bequeathed it to Corpus Christi College in his Indenture of 1575.

Additional Information:

Administration Information:

Manuscript described by Takako Kato, Hollie Morgan and Owen Roberson, completed by Elaine Treharne (2012; 13).

Surrogates:

EM Project facsimile

Parker Library on the Web

http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/

Bibliography:

Assmann, Bruno, ed., Angelsächsischen Homilien Und Heiligenleben, Bibliotek Der Angelsächsischen Prosa, 13 (Kassel, 1889; repr. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1964)

Bazire, J., and J. E. Cross, ed., The Eleven Old English Rogationtide Homilies, Toronto Old English Series (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1982)

Bodden, Mary-Catherine, ed., The Old English Finding of the True Cross (Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 1987)

Clayton, Mary, and Hugh Magennis, ed., The Old English Lives of St Margaret, Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England, 9 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994)

Clemoes, Peter, ed., Ælfric's Catholic Homilies: The First Series, Text, EETS, SS 17 (London: Published for the EETS by the Oxford University Press, 1997)

Godden, Malcolm, ed., Ælfric's Catholic Homilies: The Second Series, Text, EETS, SS 5 (London: Oxford University Press, 1979)

Guerrieri, A. M., ed., Ewangelium De Uirginibus in CCCC 303 (Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1988)

Hulme, W. F., 'The Old English Version of the Gospel of Nicodemus', Modern Philology, 1 (1903-04), 591-610

Ker, N. R., Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957; repr. 1990), item 57

Morris Richard, ed., Legends of the Holy Rood, EETS, OS 46 (London: Trübner, 1871)

---, ed., Old English Homilies of the 12th and 13th Centuries, EETS, OS 29, 34 (London: Oxford University Press, 1867-68; repr. as one volume, 1988)

Page, R. I., Matthew Parker and His Books, Sandars Lectures in Bibliography, 1990 (Kalamazoo: Western Michigan University, Medieval Institute Publications)

Pope, John C., ed., Homilies of Ælfric: A Supplementary Collection, EETS, OS 259, 260 (London: Oxford University Press, 1967-68)

Scragg, D. G., ed., The Vercelli Homilies and Related Texts, EETS, OS 300 (Oxford: Published for the Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1992)

Skeat, W. W., ed., Ælfric's Lives of Saints, Early English Text Society, OS 76, 82, 94, 114 (London and Oxford, 1881-1900; repr. as 2 vols, 1966)

Thorpe, B., ed., The Sermones Catholici or Homilies of Aelfric, Aelfric Society, 2, (1844-46)

Treharne, Elaine M., ed., The Old English Life of St Nicholas with the Old English Life of St Giles, Leeds Texts and Monographs, ns 15 (Leeds: Leeds Studies in English, 1997)

---, 'A Unique Old English Formula for Excommunication from Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 303', Anglo-Saxon England, 24 (1995), 185-211.