Royal MS 1 C III

I C. III BIBLE, in French, from Genesis to Tobit; preceded by the epistle of Jerome to Paulinus (f. 1, 'Frere Ambros a moi portaunt tes petitz douns'). The pro, logue to the Pentateuch (f. 5) is entitled 'Ci comence la preface de seint Jerome le chapellain en launcien testament', and begins 'Jeo ai reseu les lettres coueitez de moun desir'. The books of the Old Testament follow the usual Vulgate order, except that the Prayer of Manasses follows the second book of Chronicles. The prologues of Jerome are prefixed to their respective books, except Tobit. According to Berger (La Bible Francaise au Moyen Age, pp. 230-237) the text belongs to an Anglo-Norman version of the Bible, made in England in the I4th century, of which only three copies exist, viz. this MS. (the best), and Bibl. Nat. MSS. Fr. i and 9562. It is written in debased French, the prologues in particular being extraordinarily corrupt, according to Berger (op. Cit., p. 236); but the occasional insertion of English words, to which he refers, is not confined to the prologues, but occurs also in the text of the sacred books (e. g. ff. 91, 95 b, 127 b, 164, 168, I75 b, 241 b). In some cases Latin words are inserted in explanation of the French (e. g. ff. 96, 181, 191); and in some cases words are omitted altogether, apparently from ignorance of the right French word (e. g. ff 74, 80, 161, 232, 288).

Vellum; ff. i+315., 14.3/4 in. x ie in. XIV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves,withcatchwords. Written in England, by several hands. In double columns, with initial letters of books ornamented in red and blue; but all coloured initials and numeration of chapters cease after f. 2co. Sec. fol. 'folie de'. On f.i, 'Hic est liber monachorum claustralium Radingie'; and below, in a later hand, the number 83. The MS. was probably written in Reading Abbey, and passed (like other MSS. now in the Royal Library) to Henry VIII at the Dissolution.