Late 10th-century manuscript, produced in England, which contains a selection of the poetry of Coelius Sedulius, with glosses in Latin and Old English.

Item

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.7.7

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The manuscript contains prefatory matter (‘Hoc opus Sedulii` etc., J Huemer in ‘Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum’, x, page vii note; ‘Sedulius epistola ... utilitati`, Huemer, page xi; `istud sequens` etc., Huemer, page xxii; poem of Turcius Rufus Asterius, Huemer, page 307, and ‘Anthologia Latina’ 491; `Sedulius versificus` etc., Huemer, page viii note; `mos est poetarum` etc., Huemer, page xxii); the letter to Macedonicus; the preface of the `Carmen paschale`, called `prologus`; book i, divided as `praefatio’ (verses 1-59), `inuocatio` (verses 60-102), and `expositio` in 26 sections; book ii in 22 sections, called `liber Noui Testamenti`; books iii to v in 27, 19, and 10 sections respectively, called `liber II` to `IIII`; the two hymns, not separated from book v or from each other; the verses of Liberatus Scholasticus (folio 40 verso: Huemer, page 309) and of Bellesarius (folio 41; Huemer, page 307); ten verses on Sedulius, beginning `Qualiter adfixus ligno iam Christus in alto’ (folio 41; ‘Coelii Sedulii poemata sacra’, page 109); and Pseudo-Virgil, ‘Anthologia Latina’ 392 (Walther 19768) (folio 41 verso).

There are glosses in both Latin and Old English; the latter are printed in ‘Old English Glosses’, 39-42; see also ‘Catalogue of Manuscripts containing Anglo-Saxon’, number 111; glosses 1-81 on folios 1 verso and 2 recto are in an 11th-century hand, glosses 82-152 are contemporary with the text. Dots indicating syntactical connections occur throughout (cf. F C Robinson in ‘Speculum’, xlviii, 443-475, especially 458-461).

The prefatory matter appears in the same order in b (Bern, MS.286, 11th century); in the parts cited by Huemer only from b, `istud sequens` etc. and `mos est poetarum` etc., this manuscript has a purer text (in the former ‘carmen’ for ‘carmine’, in the latter ‘componere excusationem et prefationem et inuocationem et expositionem. excusatio ut est `ne quaeras opus hic`, prefatio’ and ‘positum est et’; on the other hand it has ‘excusabile in quo’ for b`s correct ‘excusatio in quo’). Huemer does not regularly cite b in his apparatus, so that whether this connexion is maintained in the text is uncertain (although of the seven readings cited by Huemer on page xxxiii it has only the first).

This manuscript was used for the Edinburgh edition of 1701.

Headings in green and red, initials (one on folio 4 ornamental) frequently in red. The hand is an English caroline minuscule.

Dates

Creation: Late 10th century.

Extent

1 Volumes (ii (paper) + 41 + ii (paper) folios.)

Language of Materials

Latin

Additional Description

Arrangement

Collation: 1-2⁸ (3 and 6 in each are half sheets), 3¹⁰ (5 and 7 are half sheets), 4⁸, 5⁸ (-5⁸, probably blank). Signatures in capital letters in the centre lower margin of the first recto of each gathering. Pricking with a triangular awl in the outer margins, from first recto to last verso of each gathering. Ruling with a hard point. 1 column. 27 lines. Ruled area 165 x 95 millimetres. Secundo folio:

`silentii non carcere`.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Vellum. Binding of brown sheepskin, tooled blind, with two brass clasps, circa 1640 (rebacked).

Custodial History

The association with Adv.MSS.18.6.12 and 18.7.8, both from Thorney Abbey, makes it likely that this manuscript also belonged to Thorney. Bound with Adv.MSS.18.6.12 and 18.7.8, it was in the library of Henry Savile of Banke (1568-1617) and has his cipher for `Hnry Savil bnk` on folio 1; it is number 7(m)-(o) in the catalogue of his library printed by J P Gilson in ‘Transactions of the Bibliographical Society’, ix, 126 and what follows (cf. also ‘The Manuscripts of Henry Savile of Banke’, 18). The ex libris of Sir James Balfour is on folio ii, dated 1630 (Denmilne number 56 on folio i). It was number 189 in the sale of Balfour`s books in 1698. Former pressmark: A.5.29.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilms available:

Mf.Sec.MSS.183;

Mf.Sec.MSS.814.

The manuscript is reproduced in ‘Anglo-Saxon manuscripts in microfiche facsimile’, volume 5 (1997).

Related Materials

Bern, MS.286.

The syntactical dots appear to be related to those in British Museum Royal MS.15.B.xix.

The ten verses on folio 41 occur also in Adv.MS.18.4.7.

Separated Materials

Adv.MS.18.6.12.

Adv.MS.18.7.8.

Bibliography

‘Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum’, x (1885).

‘Anthologia Latina’.

‘Coelii Sedulii poemata sacra’ (Edinburgh, 1701).

Meritt, H D. ‘Old English Glosses’ (New York, 1945).

Ker, N R. ‘Catalogue of Manuscripts containing Anglo-Saxon’ (Oxford, 1951).

‘Speculum’, xlviii (1973).

‘Transactions of the Bibliographical Society’, ix (1908).

Watson, A G. ‘Manuscripts of Henry Savile of Banke’ (London, 1969).