Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 140: The Bath Old English Gospels

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Abstract/Contents

Summary: CCCC MS 140 contains the four gospels in Old English, specifically in West-Saxon Old English, written in the second half of the eleventh century at Bath Abbey in Somerset. Each of the gospels was written by a different scribe in codicologically separate sections, but this was probably for speed of production rather than because the gospels were originally kept separately. The scribe of Matthew ended with a colophon naming himself as one Ælfric, and stating that he wrote at Bath for the benefit of a certain Brihtwold. The manuscript attracted early additions, especially of documents, in the manner typical of Latin gospel books, suggesting that its language gave it no lower status. These include many manumissions of slaves and an agreement between the prior of Bath and some townspeople. Some of MS 140 was moved by Parker into CCCC MS 111, which contains among other things the twelfth-century Bath cartulary, presumably to keep the Bath documents together; these leaves now constitute pp. 7-8 and 55-56 of MS 111, and contain further manumissions and two lists of Bath's relic-collections. These displaced pages also include a very interesting agreement of confraternity between various West Country houses including Bath, dating from the time of Bishop Wulfstan II (1062-1095).
Contents: West-Saxon translation of the Gospel -- Manumission of Ælfwig the Red -- Manumission of Sægifu and her children -- Manumission of Ælfric Scot and Ægelric Scot -- Manumission of Sydeflæd -- Manumission of Gunnhild -- Manumission of Sæwig Hagg -- Manumission of Leofgyth and her two children -- Agreement between the prior and brothers of Bath and Sæwig and his wife Theodgifu -- Manumission of Sæthryth -- Manumission of Ælfgyth -- Manumission of Wynric -- Homily on The Sunday Letter -- Archbishops of Canterbury -- Archbishops of York -- Bishops of the West Saxons -- Bishops of Sherborne -- Bishops of Ripon -- Bishops of Hexham -- Bishops of Whithorn -- Bishops of Wells -- Bishops of the Hwicce after Seaxwulf -- Bishops of London -- Bishops of Lindsey after Seaxwulf -- Bishops of Rochester -- Bishops of Mercia -- Grant by Walter Hosatum to the bishop and monastery of Bath -- Agreement between Bath and Worcester concerning Peter Croke

Description

Alternative title	Evangelia Saxonice
Type of resource	mixed material
Extent	ff. 147
Date created	[ca. 1000 - 1099]
Language	English, Old (ca. 450-1100); Latin
Material	Vellum
Layout	27 lines to a page
Height (mm)	305
Width (mm)	210
Collation	1(8)-5(8) 6(6) (wants 6) \| 7(8) (1 canc.) 8(8) 9(8) 10(6) (4, 6 canc.) \| 11(8) (wants 1) 12(8)-14(8) 15(12) \| 16(8) (1 canc.) 17(8)-19(8) (+1).
Writing	in a fine large hand
Foliation	ff. a-b + 1-147 + c-d
Provenance	From Bath Abbey, see the colophon at the end of Matthew (f. 45v).
Additions	On f. 1r-1v are the manumissions in six or seven different hands. They are printed in Kemble VI, no. 1351 as well as in Madox and the Monasticon. Other manumissions, and a list of relics, formerly in this book, are now in MS 111.

Bibliographic information

M.R. James Date	xi
Downloadable James Catalogue Record	Title https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:gz943sp8044/MS_140.pdf
Superseded Interim Catalogue Record	Title https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:cg503kw0470/140.pdf
Contains	Title West-Saxon translation of the Gospel. 2r-147r Nasmith Evangelia quatuor, Saxonice. 2r-147r Note (Cameron B8.4.3) De quibus sic dicit Cl. Marescallus, Hunc codicem et Oxoniensem rarius reperi ab invicem dissentientes, superioremque eos vetustatem spirare existimo. Ad calcem evangelii secundum D. Mattheum habentur base; Finit, amen. Sit sic hoc hic interim: Ego Ælfricus scripsi hunc librum in monasterio baðþonio et dedi brihtƿoldo preposito ∵ Qui scripsit vivat in pace in hoc mundo et in futuro seculo et qui legit legator in eternum. (2r) West-Saxon translation of the Gospel of Matthew Matthew begins without rubric or initial: a space of 4 lines blank at top Incipit (2r) aefter matheus gerecednysse. her is on cneorisse boc. haelendes cristes dauides sunu Note At first there are rubrics to Gospels, e.g. Rubric (2v) Cum esset desponsata (3r) Cum natus esset Ihesus in bethleem (3v) Ecce angelus domini apparuit Note The last is on f. 6v Rubric (6v) Quia nisi habundauerit Note which is in capitals Initials to sections are nearly always in single colours, dark red, green, orange, blue. Some simple ornament grows out of them. Two colours sometimes occur in the same initial Matthew, which, I believe, is all in one hand, ends f. 45v Colophon exactly as in Nasmith (above) (46r) West-Saxon translation of the Gospel of Mark This Gospel is in a second hand: and another scribe is said to have written a single page XII 26-38 (f. 63v). The initials show no change (73r) West-Saxon translation of the Gospel of Luke The hand seems a little smaller than that of Mark, and the vellum differs in quality. Initials as before (114r) Ends The lists of Popes and Bishops (see below) occupy ff. 114v-115v. They are probably all in one hand, but the Popes, on f. 114v, are written larger. The two last, on f. 115v, Rochester and Mercia, are unrubricated Lists of Popes Rubric (114v) Nomina pontificum sedis apostolice Note Six columns (114v) Petrus - Poppo Leo. Iste est qui nouum canticum de S. Gregorio fecit. Victor. Stephanus. Nicolaus. Alexander. (115r) Postea iio pape in roma facti sunt, id est, episcopus parmensis qui expulsus est. Et episcopus de luca qui papa permansit scilicet hildebrandus qui et Gregorius. Post istos etiam duo pape fuerunt Wibertus in roma qui et Clemens et Urbanus in apulia. Post istos Pascalis (the last three words added) (116r) West-Saxon translation of the Gospel of John (116r) The first words (On frymðe ƿæs) are in red capitals and the initial in purple red has ornament of various colours within it The hand is clearly a different one from what has preceded. It is very possibly the same throughout the Gospel, but if so it develops from a rather round script into a very tall narrow one The initials seem uniform with the rest This version of the four Gospels occupies the first column in the four-volume edition of the Anglo-Saxon Gospels planned by Kemble and brought out by Hardwick and Skeat, Cambridge, 1858-78 Title Manumission of Ælfwig the Red. 1r-1r Nasmith Testificatio ingenuitatis Ælfwigi cognomento Rufi, qui seipsum emerat una libra ab Ælfsigo abbate. 1r-1r Note (Cameron B16.2.3) Title Manumission of Sægifu and her children. 1r-1r Nasmith Testificatio libertatis Sægifae cum prole sua, quam ab Ælfsigo abbate emerat Edricus aet Forda pater ejus. 1r-1r Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Ælfric Scot and Ægelric Scot. 1r-1r Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Ælfrici Scot et Ægelrici Scot pro Ælfsigi abbatis anima. 1r-1r Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Sydeflæd. 1r-1r Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Sydefledae quam 5 solidis et --- denariis emerat a Iohanne episcopo Siwinus aet Lincumbe Leofwii filius. 1r-1r Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Gunnhild. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Gunnildae Thurkilli filiae quam Ioannes emerat dimidia libra. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Sæwig Hagg. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Sæwii cognomento Hagg de Widecum, qui seipsum lucratus est [ȝedon] ab Ælfsigo abbate. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Leofgyth and her two children. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Lifgithae aet Forda cum binis filiis ejus per Ioannem episcopum. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Agreement between the prior and brothers of Bath and Sæwig and his wife Theodgifu. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio pactionis sive conventionis inter priorem et fratres Bathonenses ex una parte et Saewium cum Theodgyfa uxore sua ex altera. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.1) Title Manumission of Sæthryth. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Sæthrythae quam 3 mancsis emerat a Saewoldo abbate Ægylmerus. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Ælfgyth. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Ælfgythae quam dimidia libra emerat Wulwinus cognomento Hareberd ab Ælwigo abbate. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Manumission of Wynric. 1v-1v Nasmith Testificatio manumissionis Wynric quam una yra [yre] auri emerat Ægylsigus ab Ælfwigo abbate. 1v-1v Note (Cameron B16.2.3 cont.) Title Homily on The Sunday Letter. 71r-72v Nasmith Scriptum de coelo delapsum seu potius homelia de diei dominicae observatione, quae sic incipit M. þa l. Her onginð þæt halie geƿrit. 71r-72v Note (Cameron B3.4.54) (71r) The Letter of Christ concerning Sunday, f. 71r-72v, is in a much smaller hand Incipit (71r) (Men þa leofestan [above the line]) Her onginð þæt (halie [above the line]) geƿrit etc. Explicit (72v) on þæs ƿitigan naman he under fehð þæs ƿitigan mede. Amen Note Printed by Priebsch Otia Merseiana I 135 (1899) This document exists in many versions, e.g.: Greek in Vassiliev, Anecdota Graeco-Byzantina, Latin, Syriac ed. Isaac Hall, New York 1889. Ethiopic trans. by René Basset Les Apocryphes Éthiopiens II 1893 after Praetorius (1869) Title Archbishops of Canterbury. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina archiepiscoporum Dorobernensis civitatis ad Anselmum. 115r-115r Rubric (115r) Nomina archiepiscoporum dorobernensis ciuitatis Note Augustinus - Anselmus Title Archbishops of York. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina archiepiscoporum Eboracensium ad Bosan. 115r-115r Rubric (115r) Nomina archiepiscoporum eboracensium Note Paulinus - Bosan eboraci substitutus est Title Bishops of the West Saxons. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum occidentalium Saxonum ad Willelmum. 115r-115r Note West Saxons: Birinus ... Stigandus Walcalinus Willelmus (added) Title Bishops of Sherborne. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Scireburnensis ecclesiae ad Asserium. 115r-115r Note Sherborne to Asser Title Bishops of Ripon. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum ad Ripam. 115r-115r Note Ripon to Wulsig Title Bishops of Hexham. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Hagustaldensis ecclesiae. 115r-115r Note Hexham to Eanbiriht Title Bishops of Whithorn. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum ad Casa Candida. 115r-115r Note Casa Candida to Beaduulf Title Bishops of Wells. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Wellensis ecclesiae. 115r-115r Note Wells to Giso, Iohannes Title Bishops of the Hwicce after Seaxwulf. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Hvicciorum post Saxulfum. 115r-115r Note Hvicciorum to Wulstan and SAMSON Title Bishops of London. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Londoniae. 115r-115r Note London to Ealhun Title Bishops of Lindsey after Seaxwulf. 115r-115r Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Lindisfarorum post Saxulfum. 115r-115r Note Lindsey to Eaduulf Title Bishops of Rochester. 115v-115v Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Roffensium. 115v-115v Note (155v) Rochester to Alfstan, Goduuine Title Bishops of Mercia. 115v-115v Nasmith Nomina episcoporum Merciorum. 115v-115v Note Mercia to Haedda Title Grant by Walter Hosatum to the bishop and monastery of Bath. 147r-147r Nasmith Donatio capellae B. Mariae Magd. de Holewey extra Bath. et capitalis messuagii ibidem episcopo et conventui Bathon. per Walterum Hosatum, ea conditione ut episcopus et monachi aedificent et exaltent dictam capellam. 147r-147r Note The document about Holewey (f. 147r) was copied in cent. xv late Title Agreement between Bath and Worcester concerning Peter Croke. 147v-147v Nasmith Finalis concordia in curia regis apud Westm. 13 Hen. III. inter conventum de Bath. et episcopum Wigorn. de custodia et maritagio Petri Croke et heredum ejus. 147v-147v Note 28 is on f. 147v and was copied in cent. xiii
TJames	276
Stanley	S. 4
Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/ks656dq8163
Location	MS 140
Repository	UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library

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Parker Manuscripts

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