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Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 375

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Source
Parker Library On the Web (Cambridge)
Library
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Shelfmark
  • MS 375
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1100 - 1299
Language
  • Latin
Title
    • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 375: Metrical Lives of St Katherine and St Ælfheah, Hymns
    • Metrical life of St Katherine || Passio Sancte Katerine
    • Vitalis of Blois, Geta (extract)
    • Metrical life of St Ælfheah, Hymns || Passio Sancti Ælphegi
    • see more
Agent
Description

  • Summary: CCCC MS 375 is a compilation of verse made at St Albans Abbey in the middle of the twelfth century, probably for immediate presentation to Christ Church, Canterbury as a gift. It was certainly at Christ Church by the early fourteenth century, when it was included in Henry of Eastry's library catalogue. The flyleaf on which the classmark was recorded became detached from the rest of this manuscript, and is still at Canterbury Cathedral, classmark SB B 232 final page. The main contents of the manuscript are metrical saints' lives of Katherine and Ælfheah (Alphege), both written by an unidentified Richard, presumably a monk of St Albans. Their composition has been associated with Abbot Geoffrey de Gorron (abbot 1119-46), who is known to have been devoted to St Katherine.


    Contents :


    1r-54v - Metrical life of St Katherine || Passio Sancte Katerine

    Note: (no heading)

    incipit: (1r) Ut super omne melos delectat cantus olorisCum uicina premit mors et noua causa doloris

    Note: 30 lines in sets of six 1-6 rhyme -oris 7-12 rhyme -orem 13-18 rhyme -undo 19-24 rhyme -auit 25-30 rhyme -are

    Note: ending

    explicit: (1r) Hanc imitemur ad hec bona que meruit properareFestinemus et hec sine tempore finis amare

    Note: Gold initial to text of f. 1v

    incipit: (1v) Non humilis turbe proles insignis in urbe Alexandrina uirgo nituit catherina

    Note: In paragraphs, with red, blue and green initials

    Note: Fresh divisions begin at

    Note: (8v) Talia dum memorat dum uiua uoce perorat

    Note: (16r) Uirgo sit inquit ita sed si minus arte polita

    Note: (24r) Iam catherina satis tantis ac tot superatis

    Note: (34r) Nox abit aurore superaccedente rubore

    Note: On f. 42r is a coloured drawing occupying the upper half of the page: washed with colour: no background. Katherine in green habit with jewelled nimbus stands in the midst of four red and brown wheels set with knives. Divine Hand in cloud on L. The wheels are all set upright, showing all the spokes

    incipit: (43v) At Regina dolis non cessit fragmine molisTerrita penali

    Note: Ends

    explicit: (54v) O pia martir aue cui spirat aroma suaue, etc....Hec precor hec dona ne frauder uirgo coronaVictricibus palme tibi sit laus spiritus alme


    54v-56v - Vitalis of Blois, Geta (extract)

    Note: In a different ink, not much later, a speech by Sosia and reply by Geta (cf. the Comoedia Getae)

    incipit: (54v) Contemptus limo sapientia marcet in imoQue fuerat primo florida parque thymo

    Note: Ending

    explicit: (56v) Ergo studere uelis ut ames. ac mente fidelis Cantes in celis carmina plena melis Ut perpes uita feruenter amando petita Que super astra sita sit tibi. fiat ita. Amen


    57r-120r - Metrical life of St Ælfheah, Hymns || Passio Sancti Ælphegi

    Note: (57r) In a hand like the first: large gold initial (no title)

    incipit: (57r) Mens quod amando diu concepit de generosaMartiris Ælfegi uirtute parit studiosaTanti gesta patris recitare uolens animosaDum pro posse suo fierit cupit officiosa Metra nouando canit que sunt prius edita prosaNam pater Osbernus de laude uiri speciosa Scribit habetque sibi satis id gens religiosa Sed uirtute tamen minor etas deliciosa Carmine scripta probat cui prosa dicta perosa

    Note: This then is a versification of Osbern's work, probably by the author of no. 1

    Note: The Passion begins

    incipit: (57r) Floruit insignis pater Ælfegus generosaDe radice fluens ac summe religiosa

    Note: Breaks occur

    incipit: (65v) Uenerat interea presul Wentanus ad astra

    incipit: (74v) Iam dorobernorum summus patriarcha beatus

    incipit: (84r) Cum fragor armorum cecidisset pace sepultus

    incipit: (96v) Hactenus excidium destructe fleuimus urbis

    incipit: (106v) Talia dunstanus dum pertractando reuoluit

    Note: Ending

    explicit: (116v) Omnibus expletis finem licet expediamusQuo tibi festiuas laudes pater alme canamus

Rights
  • Images courtesy of The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For higher resolution images suitable for scholarly or commercial publication, either in print or in an electronic format, please contact the Parker Library directly at parker-library@corpus.cam.ac.uk
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