Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 389: Lives of the Hermits Paul and Guthlac

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Abstract/Contents

Summary
CCCC MS 389 was written at St Augustine's, Canterbury in the late tenth century, and contains Jerome's Life of St Paul the First Hermit and the Life of St Guthlac by Felix of Crowland (eighth century). These are two very important texts for the anchoritic tradition: Jerome's Life of St Paul provided a model both for subsequent hermits and for those who wrote their uitae; while Guthlac was the original English hermit, pursuing his vocation in the wilderness of the fens rather than in the middle-eastern desert. This manuscript therefore shows an interest in the eremitical way of life at Canterbury at this time, further emphasised by the marking up of the Guthlac text into nine lections to be used on his feast day. It was written in late Square minuscule, the last type of Insular script to be used for Latin texts in England, and contains wonderful initials of Wormald's "Type II", with interlace work and grasping beast heads outlined in ink. In the second half of the eleventh century, perhaps circa 1070, an author portrait of St Jerome was added at the start of the manuscript in a late Anglo-Saxon style. The manuscript has a St Augustine's, Canterbury classmark, but is not included in the surviving catalogue.
Contents
Vita Sancti Pauli primi heremitae -- Vita Sancti Guthlaci

Description

Alternative title Vita Pauli. Vita Guthlaci
Type of resource mixed material
Extent ff. 66
Date created [ca. 800 CE - 899 CE]
Language Latin; English, Old (ca. 450-1100)
Material Vellum
Layout 19 lines to a page
Height (mm) 230
Width (mm) 140
Collation 1(8)-5(8) 6(10) (8 canc.) 7(10) (3, 7 canc.) 8(10) (4 canc.).
Writing in an exquisite flat-topped minuscule of Celtic aspect
Foliation ff. i-ii + 1-66 + iii-iv
Provenance From St Augustine's, Canterbury: on f. 1r at top: Di. IXa Gradu tercio V. Lower down (xii): Vita S. pauli primi heremite. Vita S. Guthlaci. (xiv) Liber S. Aug. Cant. Not entered in the old catalogue.

Bibliographic information

M.R. James Date ix?
Downloadable James Catalogue Record
Title
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:mw641wp0309/MS_389.pdf
Superseded Interim Catalogue Record
Title
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:pj620zf9901/389.pdf
Contains
Title
Jerome, Vita Sancti Pauli primi heremitae. 1v-16v
Author
Jerome
Note
On f. 1v is a full-page drawing of Jerome, tonsured, beardless, in green robe, face R. seated in a rich chair writing in book on desk, with pen in R. and knife in L. hand. A dove at his ear. Architecture above, supported by shafts with acanthus capitals. A curtain, twisted up, hangs on R.
(2r) Preface. Title in red and green capitals. Very fine initial in black and red outline: interlaced work in black: dragons' heads in red
Incipit
(2r) Hieronimus presbiter natus a patre eusebio hunc librum scripsit in bethleem in loco uidelicet militum qui uocatur litostrotos: temnanus ait. si quidem aptum erat ut de milite in loco militum scriberetur uel in oppido stridodis quod nomen uersum a gothis dalmatia nuncupatur, etc.
Explicit
(3v) quia ambo in uita eorum adfirmauerunt uerbum eorum post mortem alterius alter dicit
Note
(3v) Rustic capitals, red
Rubric
(3v) De variis estimationibus quis utique primus monachus habitauit heremum
Incipit
(4r) Inter multos saepe dubitatum est a quo potissimum
Note
(P. L. XXIII 17)
(4r) Fine initial as on f. 2r
Titles of chapters in red rustic capitals. Initials usually plain purple, but sometimes in outline, interlaced
Ends
Explicit
(16v) tonicam pauli cum meritis eius quam regum purpuras cum poenis suis
Rubric
(16v) Finit liber
Title
Felix of Crowland, Vita Sancti Guthlaci. 17r-66r
Author
Felix of Crowland
Note
f. 17r is blank
on f. 17v is a faint pencil sketch in excellent style of a king throned full-face, a sword across his knee, holding up an admonitory finger to a beardless person on R.
Rubric
(18r) Incipit prologus (in vita) Sancti Guthlaci
Note
(by Felix: cf. MS 307. 1)
Incipit
(18r) In domino dominorum domino meo mihi pre ceteris regalium primatuum gradibus dilectissimo aelfuualdo
Note
(18r) Fine initial as on f. 2r
Explicit
(20r) principium in principio finem in fine conpono
Rubric
(20r) Explicit prologus
(20r) Incipit capitula libri Sancti Guthlaci anachorite
Note
Initials alternately green and purple: 53 capp. ending 22r
Rubric
(22v) In nomine trino et divino Incipit liber de vita Sancti Guthlaci strenuissimi ac perfectissimi anachoritae
Note
(red capitals)
Incipit
(22v) Fuit itaque in diebus aethelredi inlustris anglorum regis
Note
(22v) The first two words of the incipit in green and purple capitals
(22v) Magnificent initial of interlaced work and dragons' heads as on f. 2r
On f. 34v strofosus is glossed fræte
On f. 35v raucisonis is glossed hasgrumelum and horrescere hlyþan
On f. 41r strinebant (-debant) is glossed scriccettan
On f. 41v forcipe i. bile
On and after f. 57v viii lections are marked in the margin, from: Contigit ergo inter haec postquam dilectus dei famulus guþlacus ter quinis annorum uoluminibus
Ends
Explicit
(66r) Uiditque uidentes quos prius uidere negauit. Grates deo persoluens dignas quas nullus reddere nescit
Rubric
(66r) Explicit liber Sancti Guthlaci anachoritae
Note
Cf. MS 307. Acta Sanctorum II Aprilis, etc.
On f. 66v beginning of an alphabet in green capitals and a late scribble
TJames 68
Stanley G. 2
Location https://purl.stanford.edu/yz220fk7648
Location MS 389
Repository UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library

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Collection

Parker Manuscripts

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