Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex written in Northern England by Thomas Olyphant in 1477, containing an abbreviated version of Fasciculus Morum and short religious works. Items (6)-(9), (11)-(13) are in English or contain English passages. The three sections (A)-(C) of the manuscript appear to be the work of one identified scribe, but soiling of the first leaf of (B), f.125r, suggests that it existed separately for a time; it could well have been written at an earlier date. Why (C) should have an original, independent, overlapping, foliation is not clear, but may suggest that another section, now lost, once stood between (A) and (C). Differences between the shades of the inks of the foliation and texts from f.118r onwards, other changes in the writing, and in marginal additions indicate that batches of contents were added or appended after intervals of time.
Paper, quarto (watermarks: siren (?), up to f.13, cf. Heawood, 15th cent., no.76, A.D. 1477; gothic y with cross above, thereafter, Briquet, nos 9173-83, A.D. 1442--72), with many deckle fore-edges.
Original arabic foliation by text hands, 1-160 and 156-167, with 121 torn out, superseded for last twelve leaves by a modern foliation, 161-172
(A): [f.1-120] 112, 2-314, 4-912 1012 wants 9 (f.121, blank ?); (B): [f.125-160] 11-128, 1312, 148; (C): [f.161-172] 1512.
No evidence of line-pricking or ruling. Written space 150 x 100-105 mm; framed in soft brown. Two columns for f.90-93. c. 27-28, or, (B), 25-26, or, (C), 29-30 lines.
Written in anglicana, very currently, with either single or two compartment a, entirely, probably together with side-notes and additions, by Thomas Olyphantt, in several stages, but using a distinctive form for w, and also idiosyncratic page catchwords randomly; the script of f.125r-144v and 149-152/9 differs somewhat in aspect and in using two compartment a, and its language exhibits some different dialect features, quite possibly deriving from the exemplars rather than the scribe's normal habits: cf. O'Mara (1994), p.91-92.
Underlining and paraphs, both in text and marginalia, in red. No red underlines of folio numbers from f.117v to 160v but resumed with overlapping foliation 156-167. Initials, to item (7) and in item (1b) for each new initial letter of alphabet, 2-line, red lombards. Running titles: part numbers in item (1) and folios throughout.
Sides and spine of brown calf, blind-tooled by Hugh Hutchinson of Durham ca. 1665 (crested roll and tool no. 3); 1 clasp, mid 19th century, as usual; spine repaired late 20th century, keeping old leather with four raised bands, and gilt press-mark.
Written in England, 1477, probably all by Thomas Olyphannt, secular priest: see colophon to item (1c), and at other times. Items (8)-(9) derive from the province of York. Spellings initially assigned to North Central Lincolnshire by the Edinburgh Later Middle English Dialect survey, but subsequently re-assigned to Cumbria, see LALME I 246, III 537-8, profile 389, and O'Mara, p.82-85, 91-92.
Inscription: “Geo. Davenport <Donum Johannis Tempest Armigeri. 1665.>”, on older pastedown, exposed through window in mid-19th century overlaid pastedown Refers probably to John Tempest of the Isle and of Old Durham (d. 1697), see R. Surtees, History of Durham ..., IV, i, 93; Davenport received two other manuscripts from him, Cosin MSS V.iii.17 and V.iv.9. Davenport's list of contents, f.iiv. Ex-libris and shelf-numbers by Rud, f.1r.
This version includes only six of the sets of Middle English verses.
References by folio-number, in two columns.
38 of the appended sermon-outlines appear, with two of the sets of verses
Sententiae; verses.
Latin sententiae, quotations from Isidore “in soliloquio” and Augustinus
On the revelation of nine points, sometimes ascribed to St Albert; there are only eight here, as in some German instances.
Most of one chapter of the Historia Karoli Magni
Marginal note “Vt habetur in littera bone venture”. Corresponds in parts with a "Tractatus inducens hominem ad devocionem" in Paris, B.N. MS lat. 3603, f.125v-129v; ed. Vaissier 1960, p.lxix-lxxv. At f.118v foot “&c” indicates abridgment. Four divisions, numbered in margin. f.120v and 122 blank; f.121 torn out.
Possibly based on OE and earlier ME examples.
With an extra English cursing “And þus says some for þe mor raddour ¶Be þe Autoryte ... & haly kyrke / fiat/ fiat/ fiat”. Heading “Causes for which the Church Curses & Excommunicates” added in 18th century.
With citations of canon law, appending two Latin notes, from Gratian, Decr.xxvi.q.vii [cap.14-15], against pagan rites at New Year and magic for sickness, each with marginal reference “Th holme(?)”, possibly the source?
Lord's Prayers, Hail Mary, Creed (distributed amongst the apostles), Ten Commandments, Seven Deadly Sins, Five Senses, Seven Works of Mercy, Seven Sacraments, Seven Principal Virtues, and Fourteen Articles of the Faith; the last corresponding broadly but not exactly with Archbishop Thoresby's text, York 1357: cf. The lay folks' catechism, “... to deme þe whyk and þe dede These suld ilka curate theche oppynly to hys parochenes at þe leste foure tymes in ilka ȝere efter þe ordenaunce ...”
Note from Aquinas, Summa Theologica. Added in two different shades of black ink by hand I, Thomas Olyphantt's, with rubrication also differing in shade from surrounding texts.
Note from canon law. Added in two different shades of black ink by hand I, Thomas Olyphantt's, with rubrication also differing in shade from surrounding texts.
33 sections, numbered in margin, and a final unnumbered section
Latin notes; the last note cites “extra de vsuris Conquestus”, but it is actually in the Decretals, Greg.V,19.8.
Bidding prayers for all classes, and Latin prayers for the dead, the former more extensive than most printed examples, e.g. those in Manuale Ebor., pp. 220*-26*.
Includes baptismal formula in English, f.143r. A cropped sidenote, “Hec in 3a parte oculi sacerdotis Capitulo de be<>”, against the final sentence refers to the work by William de Pagula.
{Require plus de baptismate in fine libri qui vocatur pars oculi <?pref> s. in vltimo folio} [added by same hand in much lighter ink] f. 148r-v blank.
Latin notes on use of chrism oil, and on the churching of women, with the form of words.
Cf. Manuale Ebor., p. 24-27 (York), 116*-8* (Hereford), 167*-9*. Includes formulae in English with northern spellings, f. 150 (cf. Manuale Ebor., p. xvi); and treatment of blessings for second marriages, as Manuale Ebor., p. 117*-8*. On f.149v outer margin a note in the same hand “Require in tertio folio post Eunagelium In principio”, i.e. on f.152v, item (18b).
Manuale Ebor., p. 25, with glosses “non potest” and “potest”. Other marginal additions by the same hand in same and different ink on f.149v and 150v.
Address at a wedding, including formulae. The compiler seems to have had more than one source of the same offices, cf. item (16) and (18b) explicit.
On requirements in several circumstances for baptism.
Continuation of a discussion of matrimony, preceded by a sign to key it in at a previous point, on f.149v.
Cf. item (8b) on same subject.
For others cf. Manuale Ebor. pp. 220*-6*; Maskell, Monumenta Ritualia (2nd ed., 1882), III, 296-303.
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]).
A study and edition of selected Middle English sermons: Richard Alkerton's Easter week sermon preached at St.Mary Spital in 1406, a sermon on Sunday observance and a nunnery sermon for the Feast of the Assumption , ed. O'Mara, V. M. (Leeds: University of Leeds, School of English, 1994)
A deuout treatyse called the tree & XII frutes of the Holy Goost , ed. Vaissier, J. J., (Groningen: Wolters, 1960).
Henderson, W. G., ed., Manuale et processionale ad usum insignis ecclesiae Eboracensis (Durham: Andrews, 1875)
Jolliffe, P. S., A check-list of Middle English prose writings of spiritual guidance (Toronto: PIMS, 1974)
The lay folks' catechism: or The English and Latin versions of Archbishop Thoresby's Instruction for the people; together with a Wycliffite adaptation of the same and the corresponding canons of the Council of Lambeth. With introduction, notes, glossary, and index (London: Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1901)
A new index of middle English verse , ed. J. Boffey & A. S. G. Edwards (London: British Library, 2005)
Pickering, O., "Notes on the sentence of cursing in Middle English", Leeds Studies in English, new series 12 (1981), 229-44
Walther, H., Proverbia sententiaeque latinitatis medii aevi. Lateinische Sprichwörter und Sentenzen des Mittelalters in alphabetischer Anordnung (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1963-86)
Wenzel, S., Verses in sermons: Fasciculus morum and its Middle English poems , (Cambridge Mass.: Medieval Academy of America, 1978)
Wordsworth, Christopher, Ceremonies and Processions of the Cathedral Church of Salisbury. Edited from the fifteenth century MS. no. 148, with additions from the Cathedral Records, and woodcuts from the Sarum Processionale of 1502 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1901)