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Data Source: Parker on the Web

• Résumé : CCCC MS 389 was written at St Augustine's, Canterbury in the late tenth century, and contains Jerome's Life of St Paul the First Hermit and the Life of St Guthlac by Felix of Crowland (eighth century). These are two very important texts for the anchoritic tradition: Jerome's Life of St Paul provided a model both for subsequent hermits and for those who wrote their uitae; while Guthlac was the original English hermit, pursuing his vocation in the wilderness of the fens rather than in the middle-eastern desert. This manuscript therefore shows an interest in the eremitical way of life at Canterbury at this time, further emphasised by the marking up of the Guthlac text into nine lections to be used on his feast day. It was written in late Square minuscule, the last type of Insular script to be used for Latin texts in England, and contains wonderful initials of Wormald's "Type II", with interlace work and grasping beast heads outlined in ink. In the second half of the eleventh century, perhaps circa 1070, an author portrait of St Jerome was added at the start of the manuscript in a late Anglo-Saxon style. The manuscript has a St Augustine's, Canterbury classmark, but is not included in the surviving catalogue.

  
  

  Contenu :

  
  

  Langue(s) des textes : latin, anglais

  
  

  Intervenants :

  Jerome - author

  1v-16v - Jerome, Vita Sancti Pauli primi heremitae

  Note : On f. 1v is a full-page drawing of Jerome, tonsured, beardless, in green robe, face R. seated in a rich chair writing in book on desk, with pen in R. and knife in L. hand. A dove at his ear. Architecture above, supported by shafts with acanthus capitals. A curtain, twisted up, hangs on R.

  Note : (2r) Preface. Title in red and green capitals. Very fine initial in black and red outline: interlaced work in black: dragons' heads in red

  incipit : (2r) Hieronimus presbiter natus a patre eusebio hunc librum scripsit in bethleem in loco uidelicet militum qui uocatur litostrotos: temnanus ait. si quidem aptum erat ut de milite in loco militum scriberetur uel in oppido stridodis quod nomen uersum a gothis dalmatia nuncupatur, etc.

  explicit : (3v) quia ambo in uita eorum adfirmauerunt uerbum eorum post mortem alterius alter dicit

  Note : (3v) Rustic capitals, red

  rubric : (3v) De variis estimationibus quis utique primus monachus habitauit heremum

  incipit : (4r) Inter multos saepe dubitatum est a quo potissimum

  Note : (P. L. XXIII 17)

  Note : (4r) Fine initial as on f. 2r

  Note : Titles of chapters in red rustic capitals. Initials usually plain purple, but sometimes in outline, interlaced

  Note : Ends

  explicit : (16v) tonicam pauli cum meritis eius quam regum purpuras cum poenis suis

  rubric : (16v) Finit liber

  
  

  Intervenants :

  Felix of Crowland - author

  17r-66r - Felix of Crowland, Vita Sancti Guthlaci

  Note : f. 17r is blank

  Note : on f. 17v is a faint pencil sketch in excellent style of a king throned full-face, a sword across his knee, holding up an admonitory finger to a beardless person on R.

  rubric : (18r) Incipit prologus (in vita) Sancti Guthlaci

  Note : (by Felix: cf. MS 307. 1)

  incipit : (18r) In domino dominorum domino meo mihi pre ceteris regalium primatuum gradibus dilectissimo aelfuualdo

  Note : (18r) Fine initial as on f. 2r

  explicit : (20r) principium in principio finem in fine conpono

  rubric : (20r) Explicit prologus

  rubric : (20r) Incipit capitula libri Sancti Guthlaci anachorite

  Note : Initials alternately green and purple: 53 capp. ending 22r

  rubric : (22v) In nomine trino et divino Incipit liber de vita Sancti Guthlaci strenuissimi ac perfectissimi anachoritae

  Note : (red capitals)

  incipit : (22v) Fuit itaque in diebus aethelredi inlustris anglorum regis

  Note : (22v) The first two words of the incipit in green and purple capitals

  Note : (22v) Magnificent initial of interlaced work and dragons' heads as on f. 2r

  Note : On f. 34v strofosus is glossed fræte

  Note : On f. 35v raucisonis is glossed hasgrumelum and horrescere hlyþan

  Note : On f. 41r strinebant (-debant) is glossed scriccettan

  Note : On f. 41v forcipe i. bile

  Note : On and after f. 57v viii lections are marked in the margin, from: Contigit ergo inter haec postquam dilectus dei famulus guþlacus ter quinis annorum uoluminibus

  Note : Ends

  explicit : (66r) Uiditque uidentes quos prius uidere negauit. Grates deo persoluens dignas quas nullus reddere nescit

  rubric : (66r) Explicit liber Sancti Guthlaci anachoritae

  Note : Cf. MS 307. Acta Sanctorum II Aprilis, etc.

  Note : On f. 66v beginning of an alphabet in green capitals and a late scribble