Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 375: Metrical Lives of St Katherine and St Ælfheah, Hymns
Description
Abstract/Contents
- 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
- Metrical life of St Katherine -- Geta (extract) -- Metrical life of St ÆlfheahHymns
Bibliographic information
- M.R. James Date
- xii-xiii
- Downloadable James Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:fm899bn1509/MS_375.pdf
- Superseded Interim Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:dw669sb4876/375.pdf
- Contains
-
- Metrical life of St Katherine. 1r-54v
- James
- Passio Sancte Katerine. 1r-54v
- 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
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
Fresh divisions begin at
(8v) Talia dum memorat dum uiua uoce perorat
(16r) Uirgo sit inquit ita sed si minus arte polita
(24r) Iam catherina satis tantis ac tot superatis
(34r) Nox abit aurore superaccedente rubore
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
- Vitalis of Blois, Geta (extract). 54v-56v
- Author
- Vitalis of Blois
- 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
- Metrical life of St Ælfheah, Hymns. 57r-120r
- James
- Passio Sancti Ælphegi. 57r-120r
- 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
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
(74v) Iam dorobernorum summus patriarcha beatus
(84r) Cum fragor armorum cecidisset pace sepultus
(96v) Hactenus excidium destructe fleuimus urbis
(106v) Talia dunstanus dum pertractando reuoluit - Note
- Ending
- Explicit
- (116v) Omnibus expletis finem licet expediamusQuo tibi festiuas laudes pater alme canamus
- Metrical life of St Katherine. 1r-54v
- TJames
- 323
- Stanley
- 9. 8
- Location
- https://purl.stanford.edu/hb336yt8349
- MS 375
- Repository
- UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction:
- 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
- License:
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).