Add MS 40000

Catalogue of Additions to the Manuscripts in the British Museum in the Years 1916-1920 (London: British Museum Trustees, 1933), pp. 276-79:

'GOSPELS in Latin, Vulgate version, imperfect by loss of one leaf at the end (from Joh. xx. 5 " uidit linteamina "). Preceded (ff. 4 b-9 b) by tables of the Eusebian canons (the arches unfinished). There is no preface or table of capitula to St. Matthew, but the other Gospels have both, the preface following the capitula in the case of SS. Mark and Luke, preceding them in that of St. John. The capitularies are of the same type as those contained in the Books of Armagh and Kells, the Echternach Gospels (Paris, lat. 9389) and the St. Germain Bible (Paris, lat. 11553), but most closely allied to the tables (added while the MS. was in England ?) of the Codex Aureus at Stockholm (see Wordsworth and White, Nouum Testamentum, Oxford, 1898, i, pp. 174, 274, 492). The text has been rather carefully collated (except towards the end) with a MS. of a different type. The corrections are in several hands, some insular. Anglo-Saxon glosses have been interlined in a few passages of the text of the Gospels (.Matth. xxiv. 28-end, Luke i. 1-17), in the 10th cent. (?), chiefly with a hard point. In the margins (in an English 10th-11th cent. hand) are lectionary indications, much mutilated by the binder. The system they indicate seems to be roughly that of the pericopae used in Charlemagne's chapels (see, e.g., the Aachen capitulare, see Baisel's Entstehung der Perikopen, 1907, pp. 127-141) and thence imported into England (see, e.g., the Winchester New Minster Gospels, Add. MS. 34890). The names of the Sundays, however, are somewhat different. The modern plan of continuous numeration from the Octave of Pentecost to the Sun. before Advent is used, and Septuagesima, etc., are distinguished from the Suns. after Epiphany, but the Advent Sundays are reckoned on the old plan, backwards from Christmas. The ends of lessons are often marked by " f:.n:.t." The opening of the Passion lessons is marked by the original scribe by rubrics in SS. Matthew (xxvi. 2) and Luke (xxii. 1), by new paragraph without rubric in St. Mark (xiv. 1) and by new paragraph and a line of uncials in St. John (xviii. 1). These lessons in the first two Gospels only are marked for reading (not by the original scribe) with the litterae (See K. Young Observations on the origin of the mediaeval Passion-Play, 1910), viz. c for narrative passages, s for words of the Jews, t for words of Christ. In the lower margin of f. 30 are written in red in a good 10th cent. English band some obscure verses, possibly a charm, viz. " + á suis cunctis diram depellere sitim. letas in Christo mentes habere diurnas suisque profectis remeant in cubile suum." On ff. 1 b-4, 9 b-12 are entries in a variety of hands of the late 11th-15th centt. relating to Thorney Abbey, co. Camb., mainly lists of monks and those in confraternity. All these leaves appear to be part of the original MS., since ff. 3-12 are all ruled in a special way adapted to the Eusebian tables, which actually occupy ff. 4 b-9 b. The lists comprise several hundred names, mainly Anglo-Saxon or Danish, but with many Normans among the later entries. What is possibly the earliest entry (f. 4) has reference to the lost binding of the MS.:-" +Aelfric and Wulfwine. Eadgife goldsmiðes geafen to broþerræedenne twegen órn weghenes goldes þæt is on þis ilce bóc herforuten gewired," i.e. " Aelfric and Wulfwine, goldsmiths of Eadgifu, gave for confraternity two oras (an ora = 1/15lb. ?) of is weighed gold which is wired (sc. made into a drawn gold ornament) without upon this same book." Eadgifu is too common a female name for certain identification, but it is not unlikely that this refers to the " Eddeva pulchra " who appears in Domesday as a great landowner in South Cambridgeshire. Sir Henry Ellis, however (Introd. to Domesd., ii, p. 78), is very probably wrong in identifying this Eadgifu the Fair with Ealdgyth (d. 1074), the widow of King Harold (Eadgyth, moreover, appears to be the true form of the name both of Harold's sister, queen of Edward the Confessor, and of Harold's mistress, Eadgyth Swanneshals). Apart from this entry, the first lists entered seem to be those on ff. 10, 10 b, beginning " Hec sunt nomina fratrum istius loci. Rex Cnut." King Cnut is followed by his two sons, Kings Harold (I) and Hardecnut, his two wives Imma and Aelfgifu, Aegelnoð, Archbishop [of Canterbury, d. 1038], Bishops Aeðericus [Ethelric of Dorchester, d. 1034 ?], Remigius [of Dorchester, d. 1092], Rodbertus [Bloet, of Lincoln, 1094-1123, unless Robert Jumièges, Bishop of London, 1044-1051, Archbishop of Canterbury 1051-1052, is meant, which is less likely], Herebertus [de Losinga, of Thetford, afterwards Norwich, 1091- 1119] and Wulstanus [of Worcester, 1062-1095], five Abbots of Thorney, from Godemannus [circ. 968] to Gunterius [circ. 1085-1112], with Fulcardus [who preceded Gunter, but was never episcopally blessed] by way of appendix (not described as abbas), 33 monks [of Thorney], four other abbots, viz., Gosbertus [of Battle, 1076- 1095 ?], Balduuinus [of Bury, 1065-1097], Aegelfi [uncertain], and Toroldus [of Peterborough, 1070] and a few other bishops, viz. Leuing, Archbishop [of Canterbury, 1013-1020], Aegelricus [Ethelric of Selsey, 1058-1070, or of Durham, 1050-1056], Randulfus [of Durham, after 1099, if the epithet " passeflambardus " added in a slightly later hand is correct, otherwise Ralph Luffa of Chichester, 1091-1123, might perhaps be meant], Ezig, Bishop [Eadsig, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1038-1050 ? ], Aelfricus, Archbishop [of York, 1023-1051], and, added in another hand, Kynsi, Archbishop [of York, 1051-1060]. Three more columns on f. 10, written, it would seem, at one time, contain over 200 names, apparently of laymen in confraternity, beginning with Turkyl comes [the Danish Earl of East Anglia, banished 1021 ?], Hacun comes [perhaps Cnut's nephew], Eoric comes [Earl of Northumberland, circ. 1016 ?], and Eglaf comes and his brother Ulf. Two other earls, Walðef and Siuuardus, are added later. The first column of f. 10 b, which seems to be in the same hand, contains many Norman names, beginning with Roger le Bygod [d. 1107], his wife and sons, and including many other Domesday tenants. Additions at the end include Simon comes et uxor eius Mahalt, i.e. Simon de Senlis (d. bef. 1109), Earl of Huntingdon. The other entries are small groups written at various times, the sequence of which it is difficult or impossible to determine, but practically all seem to fall within the 12th cent. An interesting group on f. 2 contains Hugh [d'Avranches], Earl of Chester [d. 1101] and his relatives, and on f. 1 b occurs a brother of Abbot Salomon (1172- 1188). Of the 12th cent. is also a list of relics, " Hec sunt nomina sanctorum Thornensi cenobio requiescentium," on f. 11 b. The list of abbots " Nomina abbatum huius monasterii " (f. 11) is in one 15th cent. hand, and extends to John Ramsey [1450-1457]. Vellum; ff. iii + 87. 12⅜ in. x 9½ in. Written probably on the Continent (N. France or Netherlands ?) in the X cent., additions made in England 10th-15th centt. Gatherings of 8 leaves (last ³), two only lettered (A begins the text of St. Matthew), viz. at end of A and beg. of B. Initials to the Gospels mainly geometrical in design, in red, yellow and green. Blank pages were left before the opening of each Gospel, possibly for miniatures of the Evangelists. Calf binding, 18th cent., blind-tooled. The MS., which had realised £2 7s. 0d. at the sale of the library of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, on 21 Nov. 1687 (sale-cat., p. 81, lot 31; press-mark 821.i.8 in Dept. of Printed Books), was bought by Sir Thomas Mostyn, 2nd Bart., 23 Feb. 1692 for £2 12s. (see note inside cover, f. 1), and bears the bookplate of arms (f. ii) of his grandson, Sir Thomas, 4th Bart., dated 1744, with " no. 22," the book-label of his library at Gloddaeth, co. Carnarvon, and another number " MS. no. 72." Sold at the sale of the 3rd Lord Mostyn's Library (Sotheby's sale-cat., 13 July 1920), lot 39.'.