Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 302 Ælfric, "Hexameron," Homilies

Abstract

48. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 302
Ælfric, "Hexameron," Homilies
[Ker 56, Gneuss 86]

HISTORY: Dated by Ker (Cat.) 11/12c, although can probably be assigned to early 12c. Contains Ælfric's "Hexameron" and homilies for Sundays and feast days in the Temporale arranged according to the church year from the
first Sunday in Advent to Wednesday in Rogationtide; incomplete at end, but the missing text is supplied by a 16c emulative hand on pp. 233-42. Shares a number of texts (items 9-34) in common with London, BL, Cotton Faustina A. ix [192]; perhaps these texts in both manuscripts derive from a common exemplar. The origin and medieval provenance of this manuscript is unknown. It was in Archbishop Parkers possession after 1565 as his 'Quintus liber homiliarum' (S. 9), and was bequeathed by Parker to Corpus Christi College in 1575. It is one of four Parker manuscripts about which nothing of their previous history is known.

CODICOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION: viii+ 111 + x leaves. Pagination in red pencil occurs at top right of rectos, i-vi,1-247,249-52. Earlier, paler ink foliation is evident on some top right comers of the rectos (ff. 1,2,3, etc.) but many of these have been excised. Pp. i-iv and 249-52 are modem paper flyleaves; pp. v-vi,1-10 paper of16c; pp. 233-42 paper and parchment supply leaves of16c; pp. 243-48 parchment flyleaves of16c. Leaves arranged HFHF. Possible quire signatures at p. 154 ('I' with a tick to the right in lower right margin),p. 168 ('nf in lower right margin),p. 199 ('m' in lower right margin).
Leaves measure ca. 250 x 160 mm.; writing area 200 x 113-120 mm. Single column writing grid with 31 lines per page. Drypoint ruling, done before folding, with double vertical and double horizontal bounding lines (Quire VII has antepenultimate and ultimate horizontal lines ruled; Quires XIII and XIV have single vertical bounding lines). Quality of leaves varies from suede-like to thin parchment, but condition of leaves and ink is very good throughout with only minor defects (wormholes present in Quire I excising small portions of text; natural holes in Quire II around which text is written; pale brown staining on p. 49; pp. 51,79,82-83,97,99, 155,177,183,206,214,and 225 show contemporary repairs to parchment). Ink is very dark brown and occasionally made slightly fuzzy by thick parchment. Titles in red rustic capitals with red and/or purple, or green decorated litterae notabiliores. Some contemporary and 13c English glosses (see below). Numerous later glosses,notes and marginalia in pencil and pale ink on pp. 1,11, 23, 25,30 (the latter three pages have pencil underlining with crosses in the margins at pp. 23/11-24; 25/8-9,11-13,29-31; 29/28-30,possibly by Abraham Wheelock),151 (pen-trials), 159, 161,189,213 (German and Latin notes on the "Lord's Prayer"),p. 215,218 (German), 224. At p. 215, a 16c note reads 'id est | that is, | si thin nama gehalgod |' corresponding to 'sanctificetur nomen tuu<m>' in the text. A Parkerian table of contents occurs on p. 9 that identifies 33 articles (a 19c[?] hand has added 'Be there halgan clen<n>isse' with an accompanying asterisk at article 9). The foliation of the table of contents corresponds to the actual manuscript foliation and not to the pagination scheme. Additional Parkerian marking in red crayon occurs on pp. 83 (lower right hand comer, 'se hælend cwæð þ<æt> heofon'a' rice'),177 (two red crosses in margin; 'læuel' and '7 par an' underlined in red), 183, 189 (illegible red crayon note in top margin may indicate that text is missing before p. 189). Illegible scratched gloss at p. 88/3, margin.
There is one main hand in the manuscript, writing with a backward slope. Uses Insular forms with the exception of Caroline a. A second hand which is rounder and more upright writes p. 29/1-8, and (not noted by Ker) probably p. 97/3 'f:r mid þam'. Rebound in light brown leather in 1954.

COLLATION: I⁸ (pp. 11-26), II⁸ (pp. 27-42), III⁸ (pp. 43-58), IV⁸ (pp.
59-74), V⁸ (pp. 75-90), VI⁸ (pp. 91-106), VII⁸ (pp. 107-122), VIII⁸ (pp.
123-138), IX⁸ (pp. 139-154), X⁸ (pp. 155-170), XI⁸ (pp. 171-186), XII⁸ wants 2 after p. 188 (pp. 187-198),XIII⁸ (pp.199-215),XIV⁸ 3 and 6 half-sheets (pp. 216-232); an indeterminate number of pages are missing at the end.
[Note: The manuscript is very tightly bound and the quiring of III-XI is hard to see, so Ker is to be much trusted here, having seen the manuscript before it was rebound.)

CONTENTS:
pp. 1-10 Paper flyleaves (16c). Pp. 1-9 blank except for old pressmark (S. 9) and title; p. 10 contains table of contents.
1. pp. 11-22 Part of Ælfric's "Hexameron": 'Her sego hu ure drihten gesceop heofonan. 7 eoroan 7 ealle gesceafta' (coll. Crawford 1921: 35/30-74). Initial H is red and purple.
2. pp. 22/15-26/13 Ælfric, ÐOMINICA | P(RI)MA DE ADVENTV D<OMI>NI | ' ÐYSES ÐÆGES þENUNG' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.600-7; Clemoes 1997: 520-23). Initial Ð green.
3. pp. 26/13-33/7 Ælfric, DOM<INI>C<A> .II.a DE ADUENTU | D<OMI>NI 'Erunt signa in sole .. . SE GODSPELLERE LVCAS awrat on þisu<m> dæ:gperlican |godspelle' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.608-19; Clemoes 1997: 524--30). Initial S is red and purple.
4. pp. 33/8-40/15 Wulfstan, DOM<INI>C<A> .III. VEL QVANDO UOLVERIS | 'SE APOSTOL PAULUS EALRA þeoda lareow' (coll. Skeat 1881-1900: 1.364-83). Initial S is red.
5. pp. 40/15-42 Wulfstan, DOM<INI>C<A> .IIII. VEL QVANDO VOLUERIS | 'GEHADEDVMMANNUMis swiðe micclu<m> beboden fra<m> | gode sylfum' (as Bethurum 1957: 172-74). Initial G is purple.
6. pp. 43/1-50/21 Ælfric, DE NATIVITATE D<OMI>NI. N<OST>RI IESV CHR<IST>I | 'WE WILLAÐ TO TRIMMINCGE' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.28-45; Clemoes 1997: 190-97). Initial wyn is red.
7. pp. 50/21-57/14 Ælfric, DE S<AN>C<T>O STEPHANO P<RO>TOMART<YRE> | 'We rædað on þære þec þe is gehaten actus ap<osto>lor<um>' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.44-57; Clemoes 1997: 198-205). Initial wyn is purple and green.
8. pp. 57/14-66/30Ælfric, DE SANCTO IOHANNE EVANGELISTA:
| 'IOHANNES SE GODSPELLERE CRISTES dyrlinc wearð on
þissu<m> dæge' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.58-77, Clemoes 1997: 206-16). Initial I is red.
9. pp. 66/30-71/7 Ælfric, DOM<INI>C<A> .II. BE ÐERE HALGAN CLÆNNESSE | 'URE HÆLEND CRIST CYDDE þæt he lufod þa
halgan || clænnesse' (as Assmann 1889: 13-23, no. 2, 11.13-225). Initial U is green.
10. pp. 71/7-73/14 DOM<INI>C<A> .III. ET QUANDO UOILUERIS. BE HEOFONWARUM 7 BE HELWARUM: | 'MEN ðA LEOFESTAN. ute gehyran her godes word' (pp. 71/15-72/13 as Willard 1935: 38-57). Initial M is red.
11. pp. 73/15-78/3 "Concerning the Last Judgement": DOM<INI>C<A> .IIII. ET Q<UAN>DO UOLVERIS BE URVMDRIHTENE: | 'MEN ÐA LEOFESTAN VRE DRIHTEN Ælmihtig god' (ed. Assmann 1889: 164-69). Initial Mis green.
12. pp. 78/4-83/2 DOM<INI>C<A> .V. AUT QUando uolueris de uerbis domini: | 'MEN ðA LEOFESTAN VTAN gepencan georne on ure |
gepance . 7 þ<æt> faste healdan. hu s<an>c<tu>s iacobus cristes | pegn srede hu se hrelend cwæo' (from 's<an>c<tu>s iacobus' as Napier 1883: 257/9-265 [second part of no. 49]). Initial Mis red.
13. pp. 83/3-90/1 Ælfric, DOM<INI>C<A> IN SEPTVAGESIMA: 'DRIHTEN SJEDE | þis bigspel his leorningcnihtu<m>' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2.72-84; Godden 1979: 41-49/223, who treats this item and the following as his single Homily V). Initial D is green; line 7, initial S red.
14. pp. 90/2-91/20 Ælfric, DE ALLELVIA: 'WE willað eow secgan be þissere andweardan | tide' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2.84-89, Godden 1979: 49/234-51/287). Initial wyn is red.
15. pp. 91/20-97/19 Ælfric, DOMINICA IN SEXAGESIMA: |'CVM TVRBA PL VRIMA CONVENIRENT AD IESVM & de ciui | tatibus ... On sumere tide | ða þa micel meniu' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2.88-98; Godden 1979: 52-59). Initial C is purple.
16. pp. 97/19-104/20 Ælfric, DOMINICA IN QUINQUAGESIMA: |
'ASSVMSIT IE<SU>S DUODECIM DISCIPULOS suos secreto & ait illis. Her is geræd on þissu<m> godspelle' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.152-65; Clemoes 1997: 258-65). Initial A is purple; H is red.
17. pp. 104/20-112/9 Ælfric, LARSPEL IN CAPITE IEIUNII: | 'ON
ÐISSERE WUCAN ON WODNESDÆG' (coll. Skeat 1881-1900:
1.260-83). Initial O is purple.
18. pp. 112/10-120/6 Ælfric, DOM<INIC>A .I. IN QUADRAGESIMA. |
'Ductus est ie<sus> in desertum & r<eliqua> Ic wolde eow trahtnian' (as Thorpe 1864-1866: 1.166-61; Clemoes 1997: 266-74). Initial I is green.
[Note: At p. 113, later 12c note in right margin refers to 'þa yfelan men' at line 14: 'Robberas 7 Reafera[s] | þeofas 7 falsa myner<er>a[s] | wicche 7 wanwestras | þe fordop men 7 ma[n] | na bigleofa'; p. 113/24, 'hwi him' interlinear correction; p. 115/3, 'dyrstelica<n>' added to line 2; p. 119/16, 'wanspedge' glosses 'ælfremedan'.]
19. pp. 120/7-125/26 Ælfric, F<E>R<IA> .II. EUANGELIV<M>. CU<M> VENERIT. 'MEN ÐA LEOFESTAN | eow eallu<m> is cuð (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2.98-109; Godden 1979: 60-66). Initial M is red.
20. pp. 125/26-129/28 Ælfric, DOM<INI>C<A> .II. IN QUADRAGESIM[A] | 'EGRE.SSVS INDIE [recte, INDE] ie<su>s secessit in partes tyri & sidonis. & RELlQUA. | Drihten hælend preade mid wordu<m>' (as Thorpe 1844--1866:
2110--17; Godden 1979: 67-71). Initial E is green; smaller Dis red.
21. pp. 129/28-137/5 Ælfric, DOM<INICA> .III. IN QUADRAGESIMA | 'ERAT IE<SUS> EICIENS DEMONIVM. ET RELIQVA. ON þære mæran tide þe se mildheorta hælend | wunode' (as Pope 1967-1968:1.264-80). Initial O is red.
22. pp. 137/5-142/7 Ælfric, DOM<INICA> .IIII. QUADRA|GESIMA. |
'ABIIT IE<SUS> TRANS MARE GALILEAE. ET. R(ELIQUA). Se hælend ferde ofer þa galileiscean sæ' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.180-93; Clemoes 1997: 275-80). Initial A and S are red and intertwined.
23. pp. 142/7-151/14Ælfric, DOM<INICA> .V. IN QUADRAGESIMA. |
'DEOS TID FRAM pisum andweardu<m> dæge' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2. 224-40; Godden 1979: 127-36) [f. 142/21 Latin text (Godden 1979: 127/14) preceded by the heading: EUANGELIVM]. Initial Ð, line 8, is green; initial Q, line 22, is purple.
24. pp. 151/14-155/28 F<E>R(IA> .VI. ANTE RAMOS PALMA[RUM] |
'COLLEGERVNT PONTIFICES ... | [Þ]æt halige godspel þe ge |
gehyrdon nu rædon' (coll. Assmann 1889: 65-72). Initial C is green. Erased red Þ, lines 17-18.
25. pp.155/28-163/12 Ælfric,DOM<INICA>INDIERAMISPALMARV<M>. | 'CRISTES ÞROWUNGWÆS GERÆD'(asThorpe 1844-1866:1.206-19; Clemoes 1997: 290-98). Initial C is red.
[Note: At p. 157/5 '7 bringan' added; p. 157/20, 'hyrsumnysse' glosses 'bigengu'; p. 159/26, '7 þis mid fule synne' in right margin; p. 159/bottom margin, 'þurh scrift 7 dedbote'. Same hand as that annotating pp. 113 and 119. At pp. 159/12-13 'blissiað' in right margin glosses 'wuldriað'; p. 159/18 'hrigge' in right margin glosses 'bæce'. In right margin p. 161/18 'mid steorede'; p. 161/22 'mid soþre weorche'.]
26. pp. 163/12-173 Ælfric, F<ER>I<A> .II. DE PASSIONE DOMINI. 'DRIHTENES | þrowunge we willað eow gedafenlice secgan'(as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2.240-62; Godden 1979: 137-49). Initial D(with back hidden in margin) is green.
27. pp. 174/1-182/23 IN CENA DOMINI F<ER>I<A> .V. 'SEGEÐ on pisum bocu<m> be þære | arwurðnesse' (coll. Assmann 1889: 151-63). Initial S is red. Line 14 ÆR is purple.
28. pp. 182/24-88Ælfric, SERMO DE SACRIFICIO IN DIE PASCHAE ‘MEN þa LEOFOSTAN | Gelome eow is gesæd' (as Thorpe 1844-1866: 2.262-282; Godden 1979: 150/1-37, 159-324) [one leaf missing at end]. Initial M is purple.
29. pp. 189/1-198/23 Ælfric (begins imperfectly), ‘…to gitsunge. sume he onrærð to modignesse'(as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.240/25-258/6; Clemoes 1997: 314/45). [The passages Thorpe 242/7'Be ðisum' - 242/24'bysnað',
and 244/7-9 are omitted, but are added, by a system of signes de renvoi, in the lower margin of p. 189 by an early 13c hand. From 'Ge magon gehyran
on þære halgan lare'(p. 189/31) to the end is not in Thorpe. Introductory lines to this part of the homily have been added in the lower margin of p. 189 by a 13c hand: 'Men ða leffostan us lareowhu<m> gedafenað þa soðen lare ðe god | silf gesette. ðurch us halga<n> witega<n>. 7 purch hine silfne. eowh | gelome seggan to eowhres lifes richtinge. And be magon gehiran on ðare'.]
30. pp. 198/24-205/30 Ælfric, SERMO IN LETANIA MAIORE 'þAS DAGAS SYND GEHATENE | letanie'(as Thorpe 1844-1866: 1.244-58; Clemoes 1997: 317-24). Initial þ red and purple.
31. pp. 205/31-212 F<E>R<IA> .II. IN LETANIA MAIORE ‘MEN DA LEOFESTAN US IS SWIÐE || mycel neodþearf þ<æt> we gehyron sumne dæl þyses gastlican ge | writes' (as Bazire and Cross 1982: 70-74). Initial M red and purple.
32. pp.213/1-221/2 Ælfric,EODEM INDIEDOM<INI>C<A> ORATIONE: | 'SE HÆLEND CRIST SYÐÐAN | he to þyssu<m> life com' (as Thorpe 1844-1866:1.258-74; Clemoes1997: 325--34). Initial S is green. Line10, purple P; line 11, green þ.
33. pp. 221/2-230/2 FERIA .III. IN LETANIA MAIORE 'MEN ÐA LEOFESTAN WE GEHYRDON FORHOFT secgan' (coll. Napier 1883: 250-65, no. 49; as Morris 1880: 105-7). Initial M red.
34. pp. 230/2-232 Ælfric, EODEM DIE DE FIDE CATHOLICA. | ‘ÆLC
CRISTENMANN SCEALÆFTE RIHTE CUNNAN'; ends imperfectly: ' þæt þu ne leofast | Seo-' (as Thorpe 1844--1866: 1.274--82/6; Clemoes 1997: 335-38/99) [remainder of homily supplied on pp. 233-42 (16c)]. Initial Æ green.

PHOTO NOTES: Not visible on the microfiche are p. 119/17,interlinear 'ð';
p. 119/25, 'tohogian' glosses 'heofian'; p. 119/26, interlinear 'echelice'. All glosses and corrections on pp. 113 and 119 by the same hand. Partially excised 13c pencil notes of names and corresponding amounts of money occur in the left and bottom margins of p. 224 (pr. James 1912: 2.94). Red crayon underlining occurs at pp. 176 and 177. Grey pencil underlining and rough crosses appear in the text and margins of pp. 23-33,and may be the work of Abraham Wheelock,Librarian of Cambridge University Library,1629-1653.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Assmann, Bruno, ed. Angelsächsischen Homilien und Heiligenleben. Bibliothek der angelsächsischen Prosa, 13. Kassel: Georg H. Wigand, 1889; repr. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft,1964.
Bazire, Joyce,and James E. Cross,eds. Eleven Old English Rogationtide Homilies. Toronto Old English Series, 7. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1982.
Bethurum, Dorothy, ed. The Homilies of Wulfstan. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957.
Clemoes,Peter,ed. Ælfric's Catholic Homilies: The First Series. Early English Text Society,s.s. 17. Oxford: Oxford University Press,1997.
Crawford,S.J.,ed. Exameron Anglice. Bibliothek der angelsächsischen Prosa,10. Hamburg: H. Grand, 1921; repr. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft,1968.
Godden, Malcolm, ed. Ælfric's Catholic Homilies: The Second Series, Text. Early English Text Society,s.s. 5. London: Oxford University Press,1979.
James, Montague Rhodes. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Chnsti College, Cambridge. 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1912.
Morris, R., ed. The Blickling Homilies of the Tenth Century. Early English Text
Society,o.s. 58,63,73. London: N. Triibner, 1880.
Napier, Arthur, ed. Wulfstan: Sammlung der ihm zugeschriebenen Homilien nebst Untersuchungen iiber ihn Echtheit. I. Text und Varianten. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung,1883.
Pope, John C., ed. Homilies of Ælfric: A Supplementary Collection. Early English Text Society,o.s. 259,260. London: Oxford University Press,1967-1968.
Skeat, Walter W., ed. . Ælfric's Lives of Saints. Being a set of sermons on saints' days formerly observed by the English Church. Early English Text Society,o.s. 76,82, 94,114. London: N. Trübner, 1881-1900.
Thorpe, Benjamin, ed. The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church: the First Part, containing the Sermones Catholici or Homilies of Ælfric. 2 vols. London: Ælfric Society,1844-1866.
Willard,R.,ed.. Two Apocrypha in Old English Homilies. Beitrage zur Englischen Philologie, 30. Berlin: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1935.

E.M.T.