The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220

Elaine Treharne

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 391

Prayers, Prognostics &c

Date: s. xi2; xi/xii; xiiiin

Summary:

711 pages of Latin and Old English liturgical material, closely associated with Wulfstan, in the manuscript formerly known (wrongly) as Portiforium Oswaldi. Old English consists of the following items:

• Prognostics (pp. 713-21)
• A Confessional Prayers entitled 'Anglice' (pp. 601-03)
• English translations of Prayers to the Cross (pp. 611-15), all occurring within the rubric 'Item alię orationes latine et anglice.'
• Instructions for using a Latin charm (pp. 617/21-27, 618)
• Four lines beginning 'þreo dawes beoð on tweolf moneþ' (p. 721)

Many other Latin liturgical materials are included in the manuscript, from Gallican Psalms to hymns and collects.

Manuscript Items:

1. Item: pp. 601-03

   Title (B.12.4.3.1): Confessional Prayers: headed 'Anglice'

   Rubric (initial): ANGLICE

   Incipit: Drihten for þinre þære miclan mildheortnesse 7 for ealra þinra haligra lufan 7 gearnunga. gemiltsa | me synfullum sƿa sƿa þin mæra ƿilla sy | (p. 602) 7 min mod to þinum ƿillan gestranga 7 gestaðela

   Explicit: Drihten heofona heah cyning gestranga hi to ðinum | ƿillan. 7 gemildsa eallum þam ðe fulluhtes bæð | underfengon for ðinum naman. Amen

   Other versions of the text: Ker 1957, item 186, art. 9 (d) and item 249, art. c.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Zupita 1890, p. 327

2. Item: pp. 611-15

   Title (B.12.4.4): Prayers to the Cross

   Incipit: ƿe gebiddað þe drihten 7 ðe gebletsiað forþi þurh ðine | rode þu alysdest ealne middangeard.

   Explicit: drihten helend crist ic geeadmede þe on | rode astigendne 7 ðyrnenne kynehelm | on haefde berendne ic bidde ðe þæt seo sylfe | rod me alyse fram ðam sleandan engle

   Note: Renderings usually sentence by sentence, of Latin forms of prayer to the Cross, under the heading 'Item alię orationes latine et anglice'. See Ker 1957 for textual variation.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Zupita 1890, p. 361

3. Item: pp. 617/ 21-27, 618

   Title (B.23.1.7): Prose Charm: Directions for the use of a Latin charm in the form of address to the Cross

   Incipit: GYF ÐE ÐYNCE þæt ðine fynd þƿyrlice ymbe þe ðry | dian ðonne gang þu on gelimplicere stoƿe 7 þe ða | halgan rode to gescyldnesse gesciig 7 asete þe aðenedum | earmum and cweð þus ærest

   Explicit: y ƿyrc | sƿyþe gelome cristes rode tacen on ðinum heafde. 7 cƿeð þis gelome | Ecce crucem domini. 7 cƿeð ðis þonne. Hoc signaculo sancte crucis

   Note: The charm is added in an originally blank space at the end of quire 40. Pp. 619, 620 are blank.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Zupita 1890, p. 364

4. Item: p. 713

   Title (B.23.3.1.1.EM): Prognostics: by sunshine

   Incipit: (beginning imperfect) kiningum 7 ricum mannum bið mycel syb þy geare

   Explicit: On xxx nihte | aldne monan efter tƿegra daga fyrste þæt sƿe | fen agæð butan frecednesse

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Förster 1912, p. 65

5. Item: pp. 713-15

   Title (B.23.3.1.2.EM): Prognostics: by thunder

   Incipit: On an weardne gear gif hit þunreð.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Förster 1908, pp. 46-48 (a-d)

6. Item: p. 715

   Title (B.23.3.1.3.EM): Prognostics: of birth by the day of the week

   Incipit: Gif mon bið acennen on sunnandæg

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Förster 1912, p. 297

7. Item: p. 716

   Title (B.23.3.1.4.EM): Prognostics: of birth by the age of the moon

   Incipit: Onre [sic] I nihte ealdne monan.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Förster 1912, p. 21

8. Item: pp. 717, 718

   Title (B.23.3.1.5.EM): Prognostics: of illness by the age of the moon

   Incipit: Se ðe onre [sic] nihte monan weorðeð untrum.

   Explicit: ariseð. Ðis is eallum genæne iungum ˥ealdum. Finit.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Printed, except the last sentence, in Förster 1912, p. 34

9. Item: p. 718

   Title (B.23.2.1.1.EM): Tables of Lucky and Unlucky Days: List of three days on which only male children are born and with incorruptible bodies

   Incipit: [Ð]ry dagas synd on XII monðum mid III nihtum.

   Other versions of the text: The Latin note in Ker 1957, item 70, p. 49.

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, item 67

   Förster 1929, p. 260

10. Item: p. 718

    Title (B.23.2.1.2.EM): Tables of Lucky and Unlucky Days: List of three unlucky days for blood-letting

    Incipit: Ðry dagas synd on XII monðum þa synd swiðe unhalwende.

    Bibliography:

    Ker 1957, item 67

    Förster 1929, p. 273

11. Item: pp. 720, 721

    Title (B.23.3.1.6.EM): Prognostics: by the age of the moon

    Incipit: Þonne se mone, bið anre nihte swa hwæt swa þu gesihst.

    Note: Preceded on pp. 718-20 by a Latin version.

    Bibliography:

    Ker 1957, item 67

    Förster 1925-26, p. 79

12. Item: p. 721

    Title (B.23.2.1): Tables of Lucky and Unlucky Days

    Addition: (p. 721) þreo daƿes beoþ on tƿeolf moneþ, þ[...] | beoþ sƿuþe unhaleƿende monne oþer | nutene. blod on to forletene. oþer [drnr] to | drinkene. most of þ[...] (probably þæt) was cut off; [drnr] should probably be 'drenc'

    Text Language: English

    Date: s. xiiiin

    Hand: Tremulous Hand

    Note: Four lines added in a blank space, a copy with linguistic alterations of the first four lines of item 10 above.

    Bibliography:

    Ker 1957, item 67

    Förster 1925-26, p. 77

Physical Description:

Object Description:

Form: Codex

Support: Parchment. Heavy, small and compact book, weighing perhaps 2 kg.

Extent:

225 mm x 135 mm (dimensions of all - size of leaves)

c. 173 mm x 94s mm (dimensions of all - size of written space)

Foliation and/or Pagination: Paginated 1-724.

Collation:

Quires: 18 24 3-128 1310 1412 (2 cancels) | 15-178 (two cancels) 182 | 198 2010 21-238 246 (wants 3) 25-398 404 (wants 3, 4) 412 | 42-438 438 444 458 464 478 486 496 (See Parker Library on the Web).

Signatures: Quire signatures in roman numerals at ends of quires, bottom middle of lower margins or beginning of quire bottom middle.

Layout description:

27 long lines usually.

Hand description:

Number of hands: 4 hands in Old English

Hand: Main 1
• Scope: Major
• Scribe: Hemming
• Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
• Ker reference: Ker 67 SC1
• Description: pp. 601-03, 611-12. Slightly square script. Red rubrics.
• Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
• Enlarged a in initial position. Most often a is single compartment and slightly rounded triangular at top.
• æ has a high e component and is frequently ligatured to a following consonant.
• e is often horned. Long tongue in final position.
• The tongue of f is longer than the shoulder and curves up very slightly at the end.
• Insular g is a curvy letter, which often begins the downstroke right from the left end of the head, meaning that there is no left-end to the head and the letter is like uncial s with a closed tail.
• Flat feet on minims.
• Long s with rounded shoulder, low s with split shoulder. Position variable.
• ð is long and very high with a straight ascender at a 135º angle; straight crossbar through ascender.
• Left limb of x slightly curves under preceding letter.
• High ascenders, except on d, which is very low and back on itself and just curves up at the end. Ascenders generally 3 mm, including long s with a very rounded shoulder.
• Most descenders are quite short and straight, except y, which is dotted, long and straight at 45º with a very occasional small flick to the right.
• Abbreviations:
• ˥ with a fairly straight head and straight downstroke.
• Abbreviation for 'drihten' is a straight line above the t.
• Usually a straight abbreviation mark, sometimes with a tick down to the left and up to the right at the beginning.
• Punctuation: Punctuation by punctus, usually on the line, occasionally just above. End of section is a positura in the form of three dots in a triangle over a comma-shape.
• Ligatures: No st ligature.
• Correcting technique: Correction by erasure. Insertion mark is a curved comma.
• Other manuscripts: Hemming also wrote the main text of CUL Kk. 3. 18 and other Worcester manuscripts.
• Date: s. xi2

Hand: Main 2
• Scope: Major
• Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
• Ker reference: Ker 67 SC2
• Description: pp. 613-13, 713-21. Round script. Ker suggests that this hand is 'probably identical' with one of the main hands who copied Leofric Collectar. (Ker 1957, p. 115).
• Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
• Caroline a, often enlarged in initial position.
• Very low round-backed d with back curving over bowl.
• e is without horn.
• Insular f, with a cross-bar that is slightly longer than head stroke, and with a descender that hooks slightly to the left.
• Insular h.
• minims have curved feet on the line.
• s is regularly long, often with an exaggerated rounded head, curling a little; some forms have a wavy upright stroke formed in two pen-movements from the onset stroke; that is, the lower part of the letter is slightly to the left of the upper part of the letter.
• Straight cross-stroke of ð pierces the very long stem.
• Straight-limbed y, occasionally dotted.
• ascenders are tall.
• descenders are long and sweeping, and their ends sometimes curve gently to the left.
• Ligatures: st avoided ligature in English, but not in Latin.

Hand: Main 3
• Scope: Major
• Scribe: Ker 67 SC3
• Script: English Vernacular minuscule
• Description: pp. 617-18. Described by Ker 1957 as a 'rough hand' (p. 115). This scribe also writes part of the manuscript where the ruling is double-columned (for many folios around pp. 260-70 ruling is double-columned); namely, pp. 275-78, and the blank folio for the end of this scribe's stint at 619-20 must have come from the same batch of double-ruled folios.
• Summary of the characteristics of the hand: Characteristics include a very narrow duct, with minimal chiaroscuro. Rather a cursive script. Quite rounded.
• a is Caroline.
• The e and a components of æ are the same size.
• d is almost the same size as ð.
• Insular g seems to be a t with a tail and is the most characteristic.
• h is Caroline.
• i is dotted.
• s is Caroline.
• ð almost the same size as d, with the curved cross-stroke piercing the bar but curling up the left.
• v-shaped u at line end.
• Round-limbed y, high on the line and dotted.
• Short ascenders with wedged tops.
• straight descenders, occasionally turning to the left.
• Abbreviations:
• Straight abbreviation line (pierces þ for 'that').
• ˥ is z-shaped and sits on the line.
• Punctuation: Punctus is low.
• Other manuscripts: This hand seems to be identical with that of fol. 164r of Tiberius B. i, the C-version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle localised to Abingdon.
• Date: s. xi/xii

Hand: Tremulous Hand
• Scope: Minor
• Description: p. 721. Four lines added in a blank space by the 'tremulous' hand, a copy with linguistic alterations of the first four lines of Prognostics.
• Date: s. xiiiin

Decoration Description:

• Initials are alternately red, purple, green and blue.
• Blue initial D at p. 601, with 'ANGLICE' in red.
• Red capitals at pp. 617 and 618.

Binding Description:

Twentieth-century binding. Rust marks from an older binding show on pp. 711-24.

History:

Origin:

The three hymns for St. Oswald, the high positions of Saints Oswald and Egwin among saints invoked in a prayer on p. 598 and the script of pp. 581-91 (similar to Hatton 113 and Hatton 114) and of pp. 597-612 indicate that it was written at Worcester.

Provenance:

A note at the foot of p. 1, s. xiii, reads 'Liber sancte marie Wygornensis ecclesie per sanctum Oswaldum', but a note by Joscelyn beside the inscription points out that this cannot have been St. Oswald's book, and that it belonged to the age of Bishop Wulfstan II (1062-95) (Ker 1957, p. 115).

Acquisition:

Bequeathed by Archbishop Parker to Corpus Christi College in 1757.

Additional Information:

Administration Information:

Manuscript described by Elaine Treharne with the assistance of Natalie Jones, Hollie Morgan and Sanne van der Schee (2010; 2013). Thanks are due to Anthony Esposito for his helpful feedback after the description was first published in 2010.

Surrogates:

EM Project facsimile

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

Dewick, E. S., The Leofric Collectar Compared with the Collectar of St. Wulfstan, Together with Kindred Documents of Exeter and Worcester., ed. by W. H. Frere (London: Harrison, 1921), II, pl. 2

Bibliography:

Dewick, E. S., The Leofric Collectar Compared with the Collectar of St. Wulfstan, Together with Kindred Documents of Exeter and Worcester, ed. by W. H. Frere (London: Harrison, 1921), II

Förster, Max, 'Beiträge zur mittelalterlichen Volkskunde III', Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen, 121.30 (1908)

---, 'Beitrage zur Mittelalterlichen Volkskunde VI', Archiv für das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, 128 (1912), 55-71

---, 'Beitrage zur mittelalterlichen Volkskunde VII', Archiv für das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, 129 (1912), 285-308

---, 'Beitrage zur mittelalterlichen Volkskunde VIII', Archiv für das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, 129 (1912), 16-49

---, 'Die altenglischen Traumlunare', Englische Studien, 60 (1925-26), 58-93

---, 'Die altenglischen Verzeichnisse von Glücks-und Unglückstagen', in Studies in English Philology, A Miscellany in Honor of Fredrick Klaeber, ed. by K. Malone and M. B. Ruud (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1929), pp. 258-77

Hollis, Stephanie, 'Old English "Cattle-Theft Charms": Manuscript Contexts and Social Uses', Anglia: Zeischrift für Englische Philologie, 115 (1997), 139-64

Ker, N. R., Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957; repr. 1990), item 67

McLachlan, Dame Laurentia, 'St Wulfstan's Prayer Book', Journal of Theological Studies, 30 (1929), 174-77

Wormald, Francis, ed., English Kalendars before A. D. 1100, Henry Bradshaw Society, 72 (Henry Bradshaw Society, 1934)

Zupitza, Julius, 'Eine weitere Aufzeichnung der Oratio pro peccatis', Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, 84.1 (1890), 327-29

---, '"Kreuzandacht", "Kreuzzauber"', Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, 87 (1892), 361-64