EXCERPTA

MRJ number
111
College classmark
E.8

    Vellum, 7.25 x 5.25, f. 107 + 11, 28-27 lines to a page.  Early 13th cent., very well written.

    Skin over boards, fastening gone.

    Donor, T. C. S.                                                                                2 fo. carnis que.         

    At end:

                                 Sir Nicholas Hyckman est possessor libri.

    Collation: 6 flyleaves, 112 (5, 12 canc.) 28 - 58 66 78 88 (3, 5 canc.) 98 - 118

 (8 canc.) 128 - 148 (5 and another canc.), 5 flyleaves.

    The flyleaves are folded leaves of an antiphoner of the 13th cent., not unlike the Westacre book (D.21). 

     On f. 1, originally blank, is matter in a small hand of the 13th cent., viz.:

      A long prayer.  D. I. C. qui in hunc mundum propter peccatores de sinu patris

aduenisti: ending 1b, peccata mea hic et in futuro.

    Notes follow.

    Contents:

        1.       Exceptiones de diuersis librorum uoluminibus      .         .         .    f.  1

                  Peccator quando peccat deum et quicquid a deo creatum est

                     aduersum se ad iram prouocat.

                  The initials are usually in red with odd green flourishing, or

                     vice versa.

                  The main topics treated of are the Commandments, marriage.

                  Story of the Cross, 29b.  Expulso adam propter peccatum.

                  Versus Sybille (Judicii signum), 32.  Penitence of Solomon, 34.

                  De officio quod in ecclesia cantari solet.  Dum medium

                     silentium   .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         43 

                  Abstinence, 46.  Vigils, 49b.  The Hours, 50b.  Church

                     seasons, Septuagesima, etc., 55.  58b partly blank: a later

                     note on psalmody.

                  De octo criminalibus uiciis, 59.  A paradisi gaudiis.

                  De iiii principalibus uirtutibus, 62b. 

                  Inc. primum sciendum est  quid sit aut quare dicatur virtus. 

                  Expl. deus qui est virtutum omnium proprietas et origo contulerit.

                  This is an adaptation of Halitgarius of Cambrai ,

                  'De virtutibus et vitiis', book 2 of De Poenitentia.

                  De vii gradibus humilitatis, 64.

                  Verses.  Dic homo qui transis per me circumspice quid sis

                                                        

                                Teque deus saluet teque ualere precor.

        2.       Inc. capitula prime particule libri de miseria condicionis humane       67

                  Inc. prol. d. lotharii diaconi cardinalis ss. sergii et bachi anno

                     iiiio d. celestini (pape) III indictione xiiia.

                  Domino pater karissimo    .         .         .         .         .         .         .       67b

                  Text.  Quare de uulua matris (CCXVII 701).

                  Pars II, f. 80b.  Pars III, 97

                      -ignis ardens in sec. sec. amen.  Expl. lib. de mis. cond.

                      humane.

        3.       In a small hand of the 13th cent.

                  Benedictio carnium - casei buturi ouorum.  Bened. quando

                     uolueris        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     105b

                  Later form of exorcism.  Insufflo te diabole.

        4.       In 3 columns (xiii).

                  Poem on the day of judgment, in French          .         .         .         .     106

                                Amur e pour ad deu mis

                                Pur bien garder ses amis

                                Pour lur fet lur pechez lesser

                                Et amur vertuz enbracer.

                  Ends:     Les diables vrunt prestement

                                Pur mener les en fort turment.

        5.       Song in Latin and English, with music on 4-line stave (xiii)    .           106b

                  Latin:  Stabat iuxta Christi crucem. stabat uite uidens ducem.

                                  nitens uale facere.

                  English:  Stand wel  moder under rode. bihalt {th}i child vyt

                                  glede mode. bli{th}e moder mai {th}u bie.

                  Ending:   Lat. et fit riui sanguinis.

                                  Engl. itholie det for {th}ine sake.

                  On f. 107a a receipt in French: Pur fere entrete contre plaie.

                  A prayer in Latin: Huic sacratissimo corpori.

Manuscript extra information

 

 

 

On item 4, H. J. Chaytor (ed.), 'Poem on the day of judgement', in O. H. Prior (ed.), Cambridge Anglo-Norman texts, vol. 1 (Cambridge, 1924).

 

On item 5, C. Brown, English lyrics of the thirteenth century (Oxford, 1932), pp. 203-4. 

 

According to Mrs M. L. Brown (10 June 1981), the Latin hymn has not been edited by anyone.

 

Fol. 107a, T. Hunt, 'Anglo-Norman receipts', in Ian Short (ed.), Anglo-Norman anniversary essays, Anglo-Norman Text Society, no. 2 (London, 1993), 183.

 

 

 

R. T. Davies (ed.), Medieval English lyrics (London, 1963), pp. 86 and 317.

 

Iain Fenlon (ed.), Cambridge music manuscripts 900-1700 (Cambridge, 1982).

 

E. J. Dobson and F. Li. Harrison (eds), Medieval English songs (London, 1979), text and music.

 

A. M. Bouly de Lesdian, 'Les manuscrits didactiques antérieurs au 14th siècle: essai d'inventaire', Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes 13 (1964-5), 57-79.

 

István Bejczy, 'A medieval treatise on the cardinal virtues (Cambridge, St. John's College, ms. E.8 (111), fol. 62v-64r)', Mittellateinisches Jahrbuch, Band 38, 1, 2. Heft (2003), 239-247.