DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14722#0231
105
ANGLO-SAXON GOSPELS.
written, added the interlineary Saxon version, with some marginal notes.1 It does not indeed appear at what
date Aldred lived, but he is stated by Astle to have been bishop of Durham from 946 to 968; and Wright
(Anglo-Sax. Lit., p. 427) conjectures that it was during the first half of the lOth century that the gloss was
written, as the same name is attached to an Anglo-Saxon gloss in the Durham ritual,2 recently published by the
Surtees Society, with a note relating to Bishop Alfsige, who fiourished during the latter half of the lOth
century. A comparison of the hand-writing of the two glosses would settle the question.
Many marvellous tales were recorded by the Monkish Chroniclers of Durham respecting this precious
MS. Amongst others it is asserted, that when the monks of Lindisfarne were fiying from thence to avoid the
depredations of the Danes, the vessel in which they were embarked was overset, and the volume fell into the
sea, but through the merits of St. Cuthbert the tide ebbed much further than usual, and the book was found
upon the sands above three miles from the shore without haviag received injury from the water.
Archbishop Matthew Parker's Gospels, preserved in the Bodleian Library, No. 441, are written in a large
upright minuscule character, of an unusual size and clearness, with plain red and green initials. The volume
measures 12 inches by 7, with 25 lines in a page. The specimen No. 6 contains the latter partof the firstverse
of St. John^s Gospe!—"fi popb pser mib jobe-j gob pser f pojib." Wanley considers it to have been written before
the Norman Conquest.
The Cottonian MS. Otho C. 1, is of a large quarto size, plainly written, but very much injured by the
destructive fire whereby so many treasures of that library were destroyed.
Bishop Leofric's Gospels, preserved in the University Library at Cambridge, is a fmely-written MS.,
containing 401 pages, measuring 12| by inches, with 26 lines in a page, and with plain red, green, and blue
capitals : containing on the first leaf, in Latin and Anglo-Saxon, the donation of the volume by Leofric,
Bishop of the church of St. Peter in Exeter (Exancestre), for the use of his successors. The specimen No. 4
contains a copy of the heading and commencement of St. Luke's Gospel. According to Wanley, it was written
about the time of the Norman Conquest.
The Gospels of iElfric are preserved in the Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, written in a moderate-
sized plain upright minuscule character, with an ornamented initial letter to the Gospel of St. John, copied in
the specimen No. 3 (the commencement of the three other Gospels being wanting). It measures 12 inches by
8|, with 27 lines in a page. A copy of iElfric's autograph (from the MS. given by Astle) is added in No. 73.
The MS. contains numerous Anglo-Saxon entries, and lists of the popes (beginning with "Psetrus p. p.," and
ending with Nicolas and Alexander); and of the different English archbishops and bishops of the various sees,
from which it appears that the volume was written in the eleventh century.
The Boyal MS. 1 A. 14, in the British Museum—is written in a moderate-sized minuscule character,
inclining to the modern Gothic, with the initial letter of each Gospel slightly ornamented in colours; and is
considered by Wanley to have been written about the reign of King Henry II. This MS. was originally in the
abbey of St. Augustine, of Canterbury, and afterwards belonged to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. The speci-
men No. 2 is from this MS., and contains the heading and commencement of St. Luke^s Gospel, as follows:—
" Xu pe pilla6 hep eop apeteen. Lucaf boc Daf halgan gobfpelleref. FojiSa be pytoblice nianega pohte pape pinje paceje
enbebypben pe on uf gerylbe fint."
The Hatton Gospels are preserved in the Bodleian Library (No. 38), written in an incipient modern
gothic character, considered by Wanley to be of the time of King Henry II., with which period the
ornamental initials will well accord. The MS. measures 9| by 6£ inches, with 25 lines in a page, and has the
autograph of " Johes Parker" at the commencement, written in red chalk, which is also employed throughout
in marking the Gospel and chapters. The specimen No. 5 is from the MS., and is the heading and commence-
ment of St. Matthew's Gospel. As a specimen of the Norman-Saxon this MS. is of great value.
Astle has given (Pl. 20, No. 9) a fac-simile from a charter of King Henry L, to the cathedral of
Canterbury, written in characters very similar to those of the last mentioned MS.
i
All these names occur in the Register of Benefactors to Durham fessor, which would not agree with the conjecture that this MS. was
Cathedral, contained in the Cott. MS. Dom A. 7. written by the great Anglo-Saxon reformer, Archbishop /Elfric. In-
2 Rituale Ecclesiae Dunelmensis, 8vo., Lond. 1840. Edited by deed, I find no account of either his or Alfric Bata's having been
Stevenson. eugaged in a translution of the Gospels, nor yet of either of them
3 The entire note is as follows, and occurs at the end of St. Mat- beiug resident in the Monastery at Bath ; yet the circumstance of
thew's Gospel: " Ego JElfricus scripsi hunc librum in Mouasterio this translation having been made by an " ^Elfricus," will accord witb.
Baththonio et dedi Brithwoldo preposito. Q.ui scripsit vivat in pace the charaeters of either of those writers, opposed as they were to the
in hoc Mundo et in futuro sclo et qui legit legator in etemum." Romish Church of the time. vEIfric died m 100G, and AllVic Bata in
As:le gives this entry as about the time of King Edward the Con- 1051, which latter date will accord with Astle's statement.
4
ANGLO-SAXON GOSPELS.
written, added the interlineary Saxon version, with some marginal notes.1 It does not indeed appear at what
date Aldred lived, but he is stated by Astle to have been bishop of Durham from 946 to 968; and Wright
(Anglo-Sax. Lit., p. 427) conjectures that it was during the first half of the lOth century that the gloss was
written, as the same name is attached to an Anglo-Saxon gloss in the Durham ritual,2 recently published by the
Surtees Society, with a note relating to Bishop Alfsige, who fiourished during the latter half of the lOth
century. A comparison of the hand-writing of the two glosses would settle the question.
Many marvellous tales were recorded by the Monkish Chroniclers of Durham respecting this precious
MS. Amongst others it is asserted, that when the monks of Lindisfarne were fiying from thence to avoid the
depredations of the Danes, the vessel in which they were embarked was overset, and the volume fell into the
sea, but through the merits of St. Cuthbert the tide ebbed much further than usual, and the book was found
upon the sands above three miles from the shore without haviag received injury from the water.
Archbishop Matthew Parker's Gospels, preserved in the Bodleian Library, No. 441, are written in a large
upright minuscule character, of an unusual size and clearness, with plain red and green initials. The volume
measures 12 inches by 7, with 25 lines in a page. The specimen No. 6 contains the latter partof the firstverse
of St. John^s Gospe!—"fi popb pser mib jobe-j gob pser f pojib." Wanley considers it to have been written before
the Norman Conquest.
The Cottonian MS. Otho C. 1, is of a large quarto size, plainly written, but very much injured by the
destructive fire whereby so many treasures of that library were destroyed.
Bishop Leofric's Gospels, preserved in the University Library at Cambridge, is a fmely-written MS.,
containing 401 pages, measuring 12| by inches, with 26 lines in a page, and with plain red, green, and blue
capitals : containing on the first leaf, in Latin and Anglo-Saxon, the donation of the volume by Leofric,
Bishop of the church of St. Peter in Exeter (Exancestre), for the use of his successors. The specimen No. 4
contains a copy of the heading and commencement of St. Luke's Gospel. According to Wanley, it was written
about the time of the Norman Conquest.
The Gospels of iElfric are preserved in the Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, written in a moderate-
sized plain upright minuscule character, with an ornamented initial letter to the Gospel of St. John, copied in
the specimen No. 3 (the commencement of the three other Gospels being wanting). It measures 12 inches by
8|, with 27 lines in a page. A copy of iElfric's autograph (from the MS. given by Astle) is added in No. 73.
The MS. contains numerous Anglo-Saxon entries, and lists of the popes (beginning with "Psetrus p. p.," and
ending with Nicolas and Alexander); and of the different English archbishops and bishops of the various sees,
from which it appears that the volume was written in the eleventh century.
The Boyal MS. 1 A. 14, in the British Museum—is written in a moderate-sized minuscule character,
inclining to the modern Gothic, with the initial letter of each Gospel slightly ornamented in colours; and is
considered by Wanley to have been written about the reign of King Henry II. This MS. was originally in the
abbey of St. Augustine, of Canterbury, and afterwards belonged to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. The speci-
men No. 2 is from this MS., and contains the heading and commencement of St. Luke^s Gospel, as follows:—
" Xu pe pilla6 hep eop apeteen. Lucaf boc Daf halgan gobfpelleref. FojiSa be pytoblice nianega pohte pape pinje paceje
enbebypben pe on uf gerylbe fint."
The Hatton Gospels are preserved in the Bodleian Library (No. 38), written in an incipient modern
gothic character, considered by Wanley to be of the time of King Henry II., with which period the
ornamental initials will well accord. The MS. measures 9| by 6£ inches, with 25 lines in a page, and has the
autograph of " Johes Parker" at the commencement, written in red chalk, which is also employed throughout
in marking the Gospel and chapters. The specimen No. 5 is from the MS., and is the heading and commence-
ment of St. Matthew's Gospel. As a specimen of the Norman-Saxon this MS. is of great value.
Astle has given (Pl. 20, No. 9) a fac-simile from a charter of King Henry L, to the cathedral of
Canterbury, written in characters very similar to those of the last mentioned MS.
i
All these names occur in the Register of Benefactors to Durham fessor, which would not agree with the conjecture that this MS. was
Cathedral, contained in the Cott. MS. Dom A. 7. written by the great Anglo-Saxon reformer, Archbishop /Elfric. In-
2 Rituale Ecclesiae Dunelmensis, 8vo., Lond. 1840. Edited by deed, I find no account of either his or Alfric Bata's having been
Stevenson. eugaged in a translution of the Gospels, nor yet of either of them
3 The entire note is as follows, and occurs at the end of St. Mat- beiug resident in the Monastery at Bath ; yet the circumstance of
thew's Gospel: " Ego JElfricus scripsi hunc librum in Mouasterio this translation having been made by an " ^Elfricus," will accord witb.
Baththonio et dedi Brithwoldo preposito. Q.ui scripsit vivat in pace the charaeters of either of those writers, opposed as they were to the
in hoc Mundo et in futuro sclo et qui legit legator in etemum." Romish Church of the time. vEIfric died m 100G, and AllVic Bata in
As:le gives this entry as about the time of King Edward the Con- 1051, which latter date will accord with Astle's statement.
4