Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Advocates' MS 18.7.7 Sedulius, "Carmen Paschale"

Abstract

125. Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Advocates' MS 18.7.7

Sedulius, "Carmen Paschale"

[Ker 111, Gneuss 253)

HISTORY: Presumably English, late 10c with OE glosses of late 10c and 11c, and Latin glosses of similar and later date. From its later association with Adv. MSS 18.6.12 and 18.7.8, both with Thorney inscriptions (Ker 1964: 189), it is inferred that this too belonged to Thorney Abbey. Bound with these manuscripts, it was in the library of Henry Savile of Banke (1568-1617) and has his cipher for "Hnry Savil bnk" on f. lr; no. 7 (m)-(o) in the catalogue in Gilson 1908 (cf. also Watson 1969: 18). Owned by the herald, historian, and collector Sir James Balfour of Denmilne (d. 1657; Mackie 1928; Cunningham 1989: 121-23), whose ex libris is on f. ii recto (dated 1630; the significance of dates in his ex libris is not certain; also Denmilne no. 56 on f. i recto and mark on f. 41 v). He had the three separately rebound. The majority of Balfour's manuscripts, including this one, were sold in 1698 (A Catalogue 1698: no. 189) to the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh (ex libris on ff. i recto,_ lr). From approximately 1698 to 1840 the shelfmark was A.5.29 (f. i recto). In 1925 the Faculty of Advocates gave their non-legal collections of books and manuscripts to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.