Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
A manuscript from Northern England, written towards the end of the 12th century, containing sermons by two religious authors. It consists of three distinct sections (cited as (A), (B) and (C)) containing sermons: respectively 26 and 1 by Aelred of Rievaulx and 1 by Achard of Saint Victor. The date of the manuscript is inferred from the script and the punctuation and subject matter indicates it to have been written under Cistercian influence, with the possible assumption that this could have been at Rievaulx itself. The three sections have very similar appearance, layout and ruling, and annotations in the same 13th century hand. Raciti in his edition says that this group of Aelred's sermons (i.e. sections (A) and (B)) is not edited by the author, but of the type collected and circulated privately by his associates. The repaired damage and general wear that the manuscript has sustained would imply that it was heavily used, and post-dissolution inscriptions and the gift of the book to George Davenport by a canon of York Minster with family connections near Rievaulx all lead to the conclusion that the book did not stray far from its place of origin.
[1] + 3 (paper, 17th century) + 75 + 1 (paper slip, 17th century) + 18 + [1]; foliated, by R. A. B. Mynors, mid 20th century, in ink: i-iii, 1-54, 56-94, except for the paper slip after f. 76 which is misfoliated 78 in pencil, referring really to f. 12.
The folios, or openings, of section (A) were numbered in the original hand and ink .j. - .lxxj., 12th/13th century, with numbers placed halfway down the outer margin of each verso, generally between a pair of the lines ruled for the text extended to the edge of the leaf; Mr Michael Gullick reports a rather earlier foliation in Dublin Trinity College MS 187, mid 12th century, from the SW Midlands.
Section (A): ff. 1-71: 1-412, 512 wants almost all 7 (f.55), 612 wants 12 (blank ?) after f. 71
Section (B): ff. 72-80) 78 + 1 leaf (f. 80) after 8
Section (C): ff. 81-94) 88, 98 wants 7-8 (blank ?).
Pricking in inner margins of quire 1 (ff. 1-12) and in outer margins of ff. 1-12, 56-61 and 70-93; double pricks for two extended medial horizontal lines as well as top and bottom pairs. Written area c. 230 x 150 mm.; ruled in soft brown, with one pair, or section (C) two pairs, of medial writing lines extended across outer margin. Two columns. 35 or, section (C), 36 lines, the first above the top ruled line.
Written in proto Gothic or Gothic minuscule, sections (A) and (B) competently, section (C) rather better, the three sections each by a different hand; wording for rubric to section (B), f. 72, in documentary cursive, 13th century, probably in the hand of the annotator. Original punctuation includes punctus flexus throughout, also by alteration of plain punctus in sections (A) and (B).
Initials:
(i) to items 1 and 3 and sermons of item 1, 4 or 5 line, in light red or red and blue, with infilling and section (A) flourishing in red and light or in section (C) greenish blue;
(ii) to item 2, 5 line, plain green.
The first initial in Paris BN MS Lat. 17467 is comparable.
Corrections by the original hands over erasures. Many original or contemporary Notas and other marginal signs and markings. Original marginal divisiones in section (A) and section (C), also some added early. Plain punctus altered to flexus in section (A) and section (B). Many neat notes in cursive, 13th century, probably in the hand giving the wording for the rubric to section (B), f. 72, including numbering of short sections, nota-marks and “.dm.”, e.g. ff. 27 and 39. Large brown plummet manicules of uncertain date. Marginalia, in soft brown, 14th century, with wording of rubrics on ff. 12 and 20 and, in ink, 16th-17th century. On f. 94vb some pen trials etc., including “pater noster qui es in celis santificetur <..> nomen”, 13th/14th century; “sermo san(c)ti avredi abbatis de riualle in purificacione beate marie”, 15th century.
Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards with 2 clasps (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound most of the Cosin Manuscripts in the 19th century). One hole from tackets prior to early binding (?), about 5 mm from the bottom edge of all leaves, close to the gutter; three similar holes, about 25 mm from the top of ff. 1-61 (11-51) and 72-80 (i.e. section (B)), close to the gutter.
Written in England, later 12th century (Aelred is described as “venerabilis”, f. 1), presumably at or for a Cistercian house (indicated by the punctuation), perhaps at Rievaulx or near by.
Portion cut from the top margin of f. 1, perhaps to remove an ex libris.
“Robertus” twice in dry-point on f. 36v.
“William Watsoun (?) of Busshop walton ...”, f. 57v, late 16th century (Bishop Wilton is near Pocklington, E. Yorkshire).
“Thomas War...”, f. 94v, late 16th century.
The manuscript was given to Bishop Cosin's Library by George Davenport, to whom it had been given by Timothy Thurscross - “Geo. Davenport. 1660. Ex dono R. Viri Tim. Thurscross S.T.B.”, f. iv. Thurscross was a canon of York 1622-71 and vicar of Kirkby Moorside [N. Yorkshire], which is near Rievaulx, 1625-38, in succession to his father, and his gift of books to York Minster Library is cited in Raine's catalogue of that collection (p.xii-xiii), with references to other library donations.Timothy Thurscross's entry in Matthew's Walker revised includes mention of a parliamentary news sheet of 17 June 1644 condemning him and Cosin for subscribing to an "idolatrous petition"; he is mentioned extensively in Davenport's correspondence (The letters of George Davenport, 1651-1677).
List of contents, by Davenport, f. iiiv; his notes on Aelred and Achard of Bridlington from Pits, f. ii, and, on an inserted paper slip, misfoliated 78 and misplaced after f. 76, his note on a homily by Aelred printed in St Bernard's Opera, here Section (A) (d-f).
Episcopal Library ex-libris and shelf-numbers by T. Rud, f. 1.
Previously catalogued in Catalogi veteres, p. 140-1.
Remainder of f.71v left blank.
Remainder of f.80v left blank.
This copy is cited by Châtillon as R, and is one of the more important witnesses for Sermon xv, the only one with ascription (pp. 16-17); fifteen other copies are listed (p. 199), including four in England: Durham Cathedral Library MS B.II.31, ff.73v-80v; Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud misc. 402, ff.32-44v; both formerly belonging to Durham Cathedral Priory, neither descendants of the Cosin copy; Cambridge, St John's Coll. MS 131, f.27v seq., from Syon Abbey; and Cambridge, University Library MS Ii.6.11 ff. 88-95, which is closest to the Cosin copy, but of unknown provenance.
Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss. 
, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).
Châtillon, J., Achard de Saint Victor: sermons inédits , (Textes philosophiques du moyen âge 17; Paris, 1970), 199-243.
The letters of George Davenport, 1651-1677 , Surtees Society 215, (Woodbridge, Suffolk, England: Boydell Press, 2011).
Gasper, Giles, "A northern monastic sermon collection", in Gameson, Richard, ed., Treasures of Durham University Library , 42-43 (London: Third Millennium, 2007)
Hoste, Anselm, Bibliotheca Aelrediana: a survey of the manuscripts, old catalogues, editions and studies concerning St. Aelred of Rievaulx, Instrumenta patristica 2, (Steenbrugge: In Abbatia Sancti Petri, 1962), pp. 51, 57, 87.
Hoste, Anselm, and Talbot, Charles H., eds., Aelredi opera omnia: Opera ascetica , CCCM 1a (Turnhout: Brepols, 1971)
Matthews, A. G., ed., Walker revised, being a revision of John Walker's Sufferings of the clergy during the Grand Rebellion, 1642-60 , (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1948)
Raciti, Gaetano, ed., Aelredi opera omnia: Sermones XLVII-LXXXIV: Collectio Dunelmensis, sermo a Matthaeo Rievallensi servatus, sermones Lincolnienses , CCCM 2b (Turnhout: Brepols, 2001)
Raine, James, A catalogue of the printed books in the Library of the Dean and Chapter of York , (York: John Sampson, 1896).