This composite manuscript is composed of two parts. The first part
(ff. 1r-82v), dating to the 2nd half of the 12th century, contains
two Anglo-Norman works by Philippe de Thaon (fl. 1113-1150), the
first Anglo-Norman poet. The first work is his Bestiarius
(Bestiary)−the oldest bestiary in French–which he composed
between 1121 and 1135. The second work is his Comput ( Computus
)−the oldest extant scientific text in the vernacular−which he
composed in 1113. Cotton MS Nero A V is one of three manuscripts
that contain the Bestiarius and one of six manuscripts that contain
the Comput . The manuscript's second part (ff. 83r-118v), dating to
the 13th century, contains the Quadrilogus de Vita Sancti Thome
Cantuariensis (Tetralogy on the Life of St Thomas of Canterbury) by
Elias (fl. c. 1200), a Benedictine monk of the Benedictine abbey of
Evesham. The first part originates from and was possibly also
produced at the Cistercian abbey of St Mary the Virgin at Holme
Cultram in Cumbria. The origin of the second part is unknown, but
the two parts were most likely joined together in the library of
Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (b. 1571, d. 1631). Contents: ff. 1r-39r:
Philippe de Thaon, Comput. ff. 40v-41r: Two short Latin texts on
the Computus. ff. 41r-82v: Philippe de Thaon, Bestiarius. ff.
83r-118v: Elias of Evesham, Quadrilogus de vita sancti Thome
Cantuariensis . The manuscript contains a few later additions:f.
118v: A list of readings for liturgical feasts (‘oblaciones’)
with folio numbers, added in a 13th-century script. f. 1*recto: A
table of contents, added by Richard James (b. 1592, d. 1638),
librarian for Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (b. 1571, d. 1631).[ff.
1*verso, 39v, 40r, [82a]recto, [82a]verso, are empty].Decoration:
See the descriptions of part 1 and part 2.
