This manuscript is a compendium of saints’ lives related to
Canterbury. A main part is dedicated to St Augustine of Canterbury
and St Mildred including their lives, miracles and the translation
of their relics written by Goscelin of St Bertin. It includes also
Goscelin's Libellus contra Inanes Sanctae Virginis Mildrethae
Usurpatores (Tract against the inane usurpers of St Mildred),
written as a result of the dispute between the Augustinian priory
of St Gregory, Canterbury and the Benedictine abbey of St
Augustine, where Goscelin was a monk. Seven lives of archbishops of
Canterbury who were beatified followed this treatise. In addition
to those texts, excerpts are also included from other works such as
Cassiodorus's Historia Tripartita and Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica
on St Augustine or St Lawrence. Contents: ff. 3r-37v: Goscelin of
St Bertin, Historia Maior de Adventu Sancti Augustini, (Life and
Miracle of St Augustine of Canterbury), preceded by capitula (ff.
3r-5v), beginning: 'Incipit liber de Adventu beatissimi Anglorum
apostoli Augustini sociorumque eius in Brittaniam et de ipsius
virtutibus. Potentissimus triumphator mundialis tyranni'. ff.
37v-38r: Spurious decree of the Roman council under Pope Boniface
IV, beginning: 'E concilio Bonefacii pape qui quartus a beato
Gregorio fuit quod liceat monachis cum sacerdotali officio ubi ubi
(sic) ministrare'. ff. 38r-38v: Extract from Cassiodorus, Historia
Tripartita, book 10, chapter 27, beginning: 'Theodoritus episcopus,
quidam vir conversatione quidem monachica sed asperior consilio'.
ff. 38v-65v: Extracts from Goscelin's Historia Miracula and
Translatio Sancti Augustini, (Miracles and translation of St
Augustine), the chapters out of order, beginning with chapter 1:
'Cum Danorum adhuc paganorum exercitus Doroberniam obsideret',
ending with the prologue: 'et posteros memores esse affectus nostri
et servitii devoti quamvis ingrate'; it is continued by an extract
from the Historia Maior de Adventu Sancti Augustini (ff. 65v-67r) ,
written by a 13th-century English hand, beginning: 'Est vicus in
pago Oxenfordensis', ending: 'sine fine victurus intravit. Quod
nobis prestare dignetur Ihesus Christus Dominus noster, qui cum
Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivit et regnat Deus in secula seculorum.
Amen'. ff. 68r-74v: Extracts from Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica,
beginning with the end of Book 1, chapter 26 and the beginning of
chapter 27: 'Converso ad fidem Christi glorioso rege Athelberto ac
baptizato donavit ipsis doctoribus suis locum sedis, eorum gradui
congruum, in Dorovernensi metropoli sua simul et necessarias in
diversis speciebus possessions conferret. Interea vir Domini
Augustinus venit Arelas'; ending with the beginning of Book 1,
chapter 28: 'Hucusque responsiones beati pape Gregorii ad consulta
reverentissimi antistitis Augustini'. ff. 75r-135v: Goscelin of St
Bertin, De Translatione Sancti Augustini, (On the translation of St
Augustine); preceded by a prefatory epistle to Anselm of Canterbury
(f. 75r) and capitula (ff. 75r-76v), beginning of the prefatory
epistle: 'Dux Anselme patrum pater et vigor ecclesiarum quem
celebrat titulis Romanus et Anglicus orbis, ne spernas imi pronum
munus Gotcelini'; beginning of the text (f. 77r): 'Incipit liber I
de translatione Sancti Augustini Anglorum apostoli et sociorumque
eius. Post antique evangelici prothoparentis Anglorum Augustini
solemnia celo triumphata'; book 1 (ff. 77r-113r); book 2 (ff.
113v-135v), preceded by a prologue (f. 113r), ending: 'regnantem
cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto, per infinita secula semper collaudare.
Amen'. ff. 137r-188r: Goscelin of St Bertin, Vita et Translatio
Sancte Mildrethe, (Life of St Mildred and translation of her
relics). The life of St Mildred (ff. 137r-158r) preceded by a
prologue (f. 137r) and capitula (ff. 137r-v), beginning of the
prologue: 'Divinus interpres Ieronimus'; beginning of the text (f.
138r): 'Regum proles dignissima virgo Domini Mildretha'. The
Translation of St Mildreth's relics (ff. 158r-188r), preceded by
capitula (f. 150r-v), beginning: 'Translationem exposituri gloriose
virginis Mildrethe ad locum quo nunc presentiam suam mirifice
propalat'. ff. 189r-204r: Goscelin of St Bertin, Libellus Contra
Inanes Sanctae Virginis Mildrethae Usurpatores, Tract against the
inane usurpers of St Mildred, written as a result of the dispute
about the relics of St Mildred between the monks of St Augustine's
and the canons of St Gregory, Canterbury, as the latter claimed
that St Mildred's body lay in their church. The treatise is
preceded by capitula (ff. 189r-v) and a prologue (f. 189v);
beginning of the prologue: 'Scribimus non studio quemquam ledendi
sed iura nostra defendendi'; beginning of the text (f. 188r): 'Iam
itaque sideree Mildrethe translationem omni Anglie celeberrimam'.
ff. 205r-218v: Vita Sancti Adriani, (Life of St Adrian of
Canterbury), beginning: 'Incipit libellus de adventu beati Adriani
abbatis in Angliam eiusque virtutibus. Venerabilis abbatus Adrianus
natione Affricanus comes et cooperator'. ff. 218v-227v: Vita Sancti
Theodori, (Life of St Theodore of Canterbury), beginning: 'Anno ab
incarnationem Domini sexcentesimo sexagesimo quarto eclypsis solis
facta est'. ff. 227v-233v: Extracts from Bede, Historia
Ecclesiastica related to St Lawrence of Canterbury (Book 2 Chapters
4 to 6) and from Goscelin of St Bertin, Miracula Sancti Augustini
(Miracles of St Augustine), beginning: 'Assumpto ad celestia Deo
dilecto patre Augustino successit in episcopatum famulis Christi
Laurentius quem ipse iccirco (sic) adhuc vivens ordinaverat'. ff.
233v-243r: Vita Sancti Melluti, (Life of St Mellitus), beginning:
'Precellentissimus anglorum apostolus Augustinus delectato rege
Athelberto'. ff. 244r-246v: Vita Sancti Iusti, (Life of St Justus),
beginning: 'Ordinatus vir domini Augustinus in apostolatum Anglie'.
ff. 246v-249r: Vita Sancti Honorii, (Life of St Honorius),
beginning: 'Beato archiepiscopo Iusto ad celestia translato
sacrassimus Honorius pro illo est'. ff. 249r-250v: Vita Sancti
Deusdedit, (Life of St Deusdedit), beginning: Egregius Dei pontifex
Honorius'. Decoration: Very large initials in colours and gold with
foliate decoration and acanthus leaves and/or entwined animals (ff.
6r, 137r, 138r, 205r). Large initial in gold on a blue ground (f.
3r). Large initials in red, green, or blue, some with penwork
decoration in the other colour or colours. Small initials in red or
green. Text in alternating letters or words of red, blue, and
green.
