Introduction:
The manuscript contains a collection of Greek
Poems by Joshua Barnes (1654-1712), all with a Latin
translation. A fellow of Emmanuel College (1678), Joshua Barnes was
made Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge in
1695. He published editions of Euripides (1694), Anacreon (1705),
and Homer (1711). Being very fluent in ancient Greek, which he could
write and speak (see J. M. Levine, The
battle of the books: history and literature in the Augustan
age, Ithaca and London 1991, p. 152). when he
was young he also composed works in Greek himself, including the
poems written in this manuscript, which dates back to 1673, when he
was 19 years old. The codex contains Esther,
a rendition into Homeric hexameters of the Biblical book of Esther,
a revised version of which was published by him in 1679; the heroic
poem Iosephus,
Metaphrases, a compendium of selected episodes from the
Bible, Thuribulum,
Synoris, a collection of epigrams,
Bellum Anglo-Belgicum seu Mors Nobilissimi Comitis
Sandavici, about Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, a
Commentary on his poem Esther, and finally the poem Gallorum Pugna.
The manuscript is in Joshua Barnes's own hand; he
probably also made the frontispiece which precedes the texts. He
seems to have worked on this manuscript over a period of time, as is
demonstrated by the numerous notes and additions that he wrote on
the versos of the leaves, which he had originally left blank. The
codex is now preserved in Emmanuel College Library with various
books he donated.
Dr Erika Elia
Language(s): Greek and Latin
1. ff. [iv] verso-[v] recto
Frontispiece
On f. [v] recto
there is a miniature in a wreath, representing the author, aged 19
as he wrote at the basis of the wreath, ‘ Aetatis
suae 19’, as he is going to drink from a chalice filled by
streams coming from Homer and a cherub. Under the wreath there is a
cartouche containing a text in Latin, which has been erased. Under
the cartouche is written the date of 1673, when the book was
completed. On f. [iv]
verso there is a description of the scene depicted in
the frontispiece in Greek (tit. Μήνυσις τοῦ μετωπίου τούτου)
f. [v] verso is
blank
2. ff. [vi] recto-2r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Introductory texts to his
Poems
The texts are still unpublished
2.1. f. [vi] recto
Title page
On f. [vi]
verso there are two notes by Barnes, one in Latin
mentions the date of 1673, the second is a series of verses in
Greek about the book
2.2. ff. [vii] recto, [viii]
recto
Dedication letter to John Dolben, Bishop of
Rochester, dean of Westminster
Rubric:
f. [vii]
recto Epistola Dedicatoria
Incipit:
f. [vii]
recto Reverendo in Christo Patri ac Domino Iohanni,
Roffensi Episcopo et Decano Westmonasteriensi S. P. D.
Explicit:
f. [viii]
recto semper mansurum obsequentissimum servum,
Joshua Barnes
The letter is dated 3rd July 1673
The author wrote notes in Greek and Latin on f. [vii] verso,
which had been left blank, and in the blank space on f. [vii]
recto
f. [viii]
verso is blank
2.3. ff. 1r-2r
Preface to the reader
Rubric:
f. 1r Praefatio ad
Lectorem
Incipit:
f. 1r Lector humane, cum
suum Homerus Zoilum
Explicit:
f. 2r venia mihi faltem
concedatur. Vale et ale
The text is written only on the recto of the leaves; on
f. 1v the author added a
passage
3. ff. 2v-39r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Esther, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote additions, and notes on the verso of the leaves
The text, in the manuscript, starts from l. 9 (p. 2) of the
printed edition,
Aulikokatoptron, sive Estherae historia
poetica paraphrasi idque Graeco carmine, cui versio Latina
opponitur, exornata una cum scholiis seu annotationibus
Graecis [...] authore Josua [sic] Barnes, Londini
1679, pp. 1-161
3.1. f. 2v
Rubric:
f. 2v
Syllabus totius operis
3.2. ff. 3r a-32r a
Esther (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 3r Αὐλικοκάτοπτρον sive
Esthera Regina
Incipit:
f. 3r a Ὅττε Νημείας
ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔδειμεν
Explicit:
f. 32r a Ὄψιμον αὖ
μετόπισθελάχεν βιότοιο τελευτήν.
Final rubric:
f. 32r b l. 7 Finis
Estherae reginae
3.3. ff. 3r b-32r b
Esther (Latin translation)
Rubric:
f. 3r Αὐλικοκάτοπτρον sive
Esthera Regina
Incipit:
f. 3r b Quum Nehemias
sanctam civitatem struxerat
Explicit:
f. 32r b Serum tandem
vitae suae fortitus est finem.
Final rubric:
f. 32r b l. 7 Finis
Estherae reginae
3.4. f. 32r a
Epigram (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 32r a l. 8 Ἐπίγραμμα
ἐς τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίδιον
Incipit:
f. 32r a Εὕδετε νῦν
Ἐσθὴρ
Explicit:
f. 32r a l. 18 Αὐτὰρ
ἐμὴ ἡ βίβλος ἀκήρατον οὔνομ' ὀπάσσει
See, with a few differences Barnes 1679, p. 163
ll. 1-9
3.5. f. 32r b
Epigram (Latin)
Rubric:
f. 32r b l. 8 Epigramma
in hunc librum
Incipit:
f. 32r b Nunc Esthera
levis capias solatia somni
Explicit:
f. 32r b l. 18 Sed
nostro hoc semper vobis stat fama libello
See, with a few differences Barnes 1679, p. 162
ll. 1-9
3.6. ff. 33r-39r
Index of names and topics
Rubric:
f. 33r
Index nominum et rerum quae in Esthera continentur
4. ff. 40r-59r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Iosephus, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote additions, and notes on the verso of the leaves
On f. 59r, after the end of
the poem, the author wrote a greeting to the reader in Latin
The text is still unpublished
4.1. f. 41r
Introduction (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 41r a l. 1 Ὑπόθεσις
τοῦ β΄ βιβλίου τοῦ Ψονθομφανεὰχ ἢ Ἰωσήφ
Incipit:
f. 41r a l. 3 Ὁ τῆς
προαιρέσεως σκοπός
Explicit:
f. 41r a l. 25
Θρηνῳδία αὐτοῦ
A second brief introduction follows on ll. 26-27: ‘ Ἄλλη
Ὑπόθεσις’
4.2. f. 2v
Introduction (Latin)
Rubric:
f. 41r b l. 1 Argumentum
secundi huius libri Sophompantae sive Iosephi
Incipit:
f. 41r b l. 3 Propositi
scopus
Explicit:
f. 41r b l. 28
Lamentatio eius
A second very brief introduction follows on ll. 29-30: ‘
Aliud argumentum. Primo somnium, tunc invidia, venditio et
luctusἌλλη Ὑπόθεσις. Πρῶτον ὄνας, μετέπειτα φθόνος, πολή τε,
γόοστε’
4.3. ff. 40r a-59r a
Iosephus (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 40r Ψονθομφανεὰχ sive
Iosephus. Heroicum poema ulterius posthac continuandum. Liber
secundus
Incipit:
f. 41r a l. 26 Ὑιὸν
Ἰακώβοιο ἀμώμητον
Explicit:
f. 59r a Τῷγ' ἄμ' ὁδὸν
τρίβοιμι καὶ ἐν πυμάτῳ περ ὀλέθρῳ
Final rubric:
f. 59r a l. 13
Τέλος Ψονθομφανεάχ
4.4. ff. 40r b-59r b
Iosephus (Latin translation)
Rubric:
f. 40r Ψονθομφανεὰχ sive
Iosephus. Heroicum poema ulterius posthac continuandum. Liber
secundus
Incipit:
f. 41r b l. 29 Filium
Iacobi irreprehensibilem
Explicit:
f. 59r b extrema
pernicie.
Final rubric:
f. 59r b l. 13
Finis Iosephi
4.5. f. 59r
Epigrams (the first with Latin
translation)
-
f. 59r tit.
Ἐπίγραμμα ἐς τόνδε τὸ Ἰωσήφ βιβλίον, inc. Βάσκ' ἴθι παῖ
θεοείκελ' ἐπεί σε γε Μοῖρα κελεύει
-
f. 59r tit.
Epigramma in hunc Iosephi librum, inc. Fata vocant, age
Sancte puer, mora nulla te tardet
-
f. 59r inc. Ὥς ὁ
μὲν Ἀσχαλόων λίγ' ἐκώκυε χήτει παιδός
f. 59v is blank
5. ff. 60r-76r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Metaphrases, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote additions, and notes on the verso of the leaves
The text is still unpublished
On f. 60r there is a
dedication to John Breton (d. 1676), master of Emmanuel
College
5.1. ff. 60r a-76r a
Metaphrases (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 60r Sacra Biblia
Compendiosa sive Μεταφράσεις quaedam ex utroque Testamento
selectae. Liber tertius
Incipit:
f. 61r a Ἐπινίκιον
ἱερὸν ἢ Μετάφρασις τῆς Μωουσοῦ[sic] ᾠδῆς ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῶν
Αἰγυπτίων καταποντισμοῦ
Explicit:
f. 76r a Τὸ κλέος
ἄφθιτον ἔστω ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐς τέλος ἄκρον
Final rubric:
f. 76r a Τέλος τοῦ
τρίτου βιβλίου
5.2. ff. 60r b-76r b
Metaphrases (Latin translation)
Rubric:
f. 60r Sacra Biblia
Compendiosa sive Μεταφράσεις quaedam ex utroque Testamento
selectae. Liber tertius
Incipit:
f. 61r b Epinicium
sanctum seu metaphrasis Mosaici cantici de Aegyptiorum
summersione
Explicit:
f. 76r b Nomen ab
aeterno per saecula cuncta pertene
Final rubric:
f. 76r b Finis
tertii libri
f. 76v is blank
6. ff. 77r-92r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Thuribulum, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote additions, and notes on the verso of the leaves
The text is still unpublished
On f. 60r there is a
dedication to
John Goad (1616-1689)
6.1. ff. 77r-92r a
Thuribulum (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 77r Thuribulum sive
liber quartus Ὕμνων καὶ Ἡμερῶν cum versione Latina carmine
ejusdem generis cum Graeco
Incipit:
f. 78r a Ὕμνος Παναγίᾳ
Τριάδι
Explicit:
f. 92r a Καὶ μάθε
θεσπεσίοιο ἀναλγέα θεσμὸν Ἄνακτος
Final rubric:
f. 92r a Finis
quarti libri
6.2. ff. 77r-92r b
Thuribulum (Latin translation)
Rubric:
f. 77r Thuribulum sive
liber quartus Ὕμνων καὶ Ἡμερῶν cum versione Latina carmine
ejusdem generis cum Graeco
Incipit:
f. 78r b Hymnus SS.
Trinitatis
Explicit:
f. 92r b Et discas
praecepta Dei sacrata benigni
Final rubric:
f. 92r b Τέλος τοῦ
βιβλίου δ΄
6.3. f. 92r
Epigram with Latin translation
-
f. 92r a
Epigram (Greek) tit. Ἐπίγραμμα πρὸς τὸ
βιβλίον τέταρτον, inc. Ὑμεῖς ὦ φίλα τέκνα
-
f. 92r b
Epigram (Latin translation) tit.
Epigramma in hunc librum quartum, inc. Vos, nati
f. 92v is blank
7. ff. 93r-114r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Synoris, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote numerous additions, and notes on the verso of the
leaves
The texts are still unpublished
7.1. ff. 93r-114r a
Synoris (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 93r Συνωρὶς sive
liber quintus cujus prima pars Miscellanea altera continet
Epigrammata Latino quoque carmina donatus
Incipit:
f. 94r a Πρὸς τὸν
αἰδέσιμον ἐν θεῷ πατέρα τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐπίσκοπον Ῥωφῆα
Final rubric:
f. 114r a Τέλος
τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ ε΄
7.2. ff. 93r-114r b
Synoris (Latin translation)
Rubric:
f. 93r Συνωρὶς sive
liber quintus cujus prima pars Miscellanea altera continet
Epigramata Latino quoque carmina donatus
Incipit:
f. 94r b Ad reverendum
in Deo patrem dominum Iohannem episcopum Roffensem
Final rubric:
f. 114r b Finis
quinti libri
7.3. f. 114r
Epigram with Latin translation
-
f. 114r a
Epigram (Greek) tit. Εἰς ταύτην τὴν
βίβλον, inc. Ὑμεῖς αὖ, φίλα τέκνα, βίου ἐπιδευέες
ἐστέ
-
f. 114r b
Epigram (Latin translation) tit. In hunc
libellum inc. Vobis res augusta manet,
charissima[sic] proles
8. ff. 115r-125r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Bellum Anglo-Belgicum seu Mors Nobilissimi Comitis
Sandavici, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote numerous additions, notes, and a series of numbered
verses in Latin, on the verso of the leaves
On f. 115r the author wrote
a series of citations in Greek and Latin and a few lines in Greek
and Latin about the poem
The text is still unpublished
After the end of the text the author wrote a few lines in Greek,
with title Τῇ μούσῃ προσεκφώνησις, after that he wrote, as a
conclusion to the collection of his poems, Τέλος τῶν
ποιημάτων
8.1. f. 116r
Prooemium (Latin)
Incipit:
f. 116r l. 2 Arma
virumque cano, qui jam fumante Carina
Explicit:
f. 116r l. 18
Parcite materia ne quaquam carmina freto
8.2. ff. 115r-125r a
Bellum Anglo-Belgicum (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 115r
Ἀγγλοβελγομαχία seu mors nobilissimi Eduardi Montagueii comitis
Sandavici in navali pugna anno 1672
Incipit:
f. 116r a Γραντιάδες
Μοῦσαι, αἳ ἐνὶ Χάμοιο ῥεέθροις
Explicit:
f. 126r a Κάρολος ὃς
γαίης μεδέων πέλετ' ἠδὲ θαλάσσης
Final rubric:
f. 126r a Τέλος
Ἀγγλοβελγομαχίας
8.3. ff. 115r-126r b
Bellum Anglo-Belgicum (Latin
translation)
Rubric:
f. 115r
Ἀγγλοβελγομαχία seu mors nobilissimi Eduardi Montagueii comitis
Sandavici in navali pugna anno 1672
Incipit:
f. 116r b Musae
Cantabrigienses, quae in Chami fluentis
Explicit:
f. 126r b Carolus
qui terrae dominus et maris
Final rubric:
f. 126r b Finis
belli Anglo-Belgici
9. ff. 126r-139r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Commentary on
Esther
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the author wrote
numerous additions and notes on the verso of the leaves
The text is still unpublished
9.1. ff. 126r-127r
Preface to the reader
Rubric:
f. 126r Praefatio
authoris de scholiis suis sive annotationibus in
Estheram
Incipit:
f. 126r Lector
benevole, quae sequuntur
Explicit:
f. 127r omnibus
ingenii viribus contulerint.
9.2. ff. 127r-1395r b
Commentary on
Esther
Rubric:
f. 127r Σχόλια ἢ
ἐξήγησις εἰς Αὐλικοκάτοπτρον ἢ Ἐσθῆρα
Incipit:
f. 127r a Lin. 1
ὅττε. ὁπόταν, ὅποτε, ὅτε
Explicit:
f. 139r b τῶν κακῶν
καὶ ἀγαθῶν δείκνυσι τό
Final rubric:
f. 139r b
Τέλος
f. 139v is blank
10. ff. 140r-145r
Barnes, Joshua, 1654-1712,
Gallorum Pugna, with Latin translation
The text is written on the recto of the leaves; the Greek text
and the Latin translation are written in two parallel columns; the
author wrote numerous additions, notes, on the verso of the
leaves
On f. 140r there is a
dedication to John Parker
After f. 145r, the author
copied the closing verses of the text on f. 144v
10.1. ff. 140r-145r a
Gallorum Pugna (Greek)
Rubric:
f. 140r Ἀλεκτρυομαχία
sive Gallorum pugna quam iuniori aetate operibus suis praelusit
Joshua Barnes
Incipit:
f. 141r a Οὐχ
ἑλεοθρέπτων βατράχων γένος ὑγρὸν ἀείσω
Explicit:
f. 144v a θεῶν μεθ'
ὁμήγυριν ἄλλων
Final rubric:
f. 144v a Τέλος
10.2. ff. 140r-144v
Gallorum Pugna (Latin translation)
Rubric:
f. 140r Ἀλεκτρυομαχία
sive Gallorum pugna quam iuniori aetate operibus suis praelusit
Joshua Barnes
Incipit:
f. 141r b Non ego jam
murum et ranarum proelia dictum
Explicit:
f. 144v b Iovis
plausumque dedere
Final rubric: > f. 144v b
Finis
Form: codex
Support:
Western paper, folded in
folio. Watermarks:
f. [ii]
Hat
with letters ‘ C H
R’
(
55 × 68 mm.
) in the
centre of the leaf, comparable to the types
Heawood Hat
2584, and Churchill
Hat
482, both dated to 1652: they
bear the same letters, although the drawing is less
precise.
ff.
[iii]-[viii], 1-80, 100/113, 105-108
Horn
in a cartouche, with
countermark ‘ I V’
(
60 × 50 mm.
) in the
centre of the leaf, comparable to the type
Heawood Horn
2678, which is dated to 1696 (London).
ff. 81-99, 101-104,
109-112
Three circles
surmounted by a crown;
in the circle, from the top, a cross, letters ‘ G
A D’, and ‘ 3’
(
80 × 20 mm.
) in the
centre of the leaf, comparable to the type
Heawood Circles
251, 252, 259, the first is dated to
1656, the last two are not dated.
ff. 114-145
Horn
in a cartouche,
surmounted by a crown (?)
in the centre of the
leaf, almost not visible.
Extent:
Codex:
2 + 151 leaves.
302 × 190 mm.
Foliation:
Foliation in Arabic numerals, in ink, in the upper margin,
right, from 1 to 145; at the beginning there are 8
unnumbered leaves: [i]-[viii] + 1-145.
Collation
The manuscript is formed of quires of 10, 12 and 14 leaves.
Quire 8 is a quinion which lacks one leaf.
- 2 endleaves, ff. [i]-[ii] (17th c.)
- Quire 114
ff.
[iii]-8(A)
- Quires 2-712
ff.
9-80(B-G)
- Quire 810-1
ff.
81-89(H)
- Quire 910
ff.
90-99(I)
- Quire 1014
ff.
100-113(K)
- Quires 11-1210
ff.
114-133(L-[M])
- Quire 1312
ff.
134-145(N)
Signatures in brown ink, in Latin
letters, by the scribe, in the lower margin, centre, of the
first leaf recto of the quires, from A ( f. [iii]
recto) to N ( f.
134r). The signatures F ( f. 57r) and M ( f. 124r) are not extant due to
trimming: traces of ink remain.
Condition
The manuscript is in fair condition. There are humidity
and water stains throughout, and the ink has in some places
smeared. A piece of paper has been pasted on the lower part of
the left column of f. 99r,
probably in order to correct/substitute a part of the text.
Layout
Two
colums, divided by a vertical line in brown ink, of 43-47 lines.
Some parts of the volume (e.g. introductions to texts) are
written in one single column.
ca. 270-280 × ca. 170-175 mm.
Hand(s)
Hand A: the texts have all been copied by
Joshua Barnes
in
a minuscule script regular in size.
The text is written in a brown ink.
Decoration
f. [v] reto
Miniature in a wreath, representing the author as he is going to
drink from a chalice filled by streams coming from Homer and a
cherub. The drawing was probably done by Joshua Barnes himself, in
ink, and has been partially coloured in blue and red.
Additions
On the left
pastedown are written in brown ink the previous
shelfmark, ‘ 3.1.10’, and another one, ‘1.2.6’, wich has
been erased with a line. The present shelfmark, ‘ 178’ is
writtern in pencil, in a rhombus. In the upper part, left, there is
a note by the scribe.
On f. [i] recto there
are two notes in brown ink by the same hand; the first is a
quotation attributed to Pico della Mirandola, the second is a note
concerning the loan of a copy of the texts contained in the
manuscript (?) to Mr Edward Griffith of Nottingham, dated 31st May
1692:
-
‘ Speculative and practical atheist | the former is the
greatest monster in nature | except the latter. Picus
Mirandula’
-
‘ Mr. John Graham's Book transcript of all
these | poems lent to Mr Edward Griffith of Nottingham
school after | he promising to give me 2 guineas. May
ultima 1692.’
. The same hand wrote a
note in Latin also on
f.
[iii] recto.
On f. 145v and on the right
pastedown there are notes by Joshua Barnes.
Binding
Early modern western binding, leather cover over pulpboards.
Blind tooling of a frame with palmettes at the corners on both
covers. Gold tooling on the boards' edges. On the spine are
pasted four paper labels with the older shelfmark, ‘ MSS’,
‘ 3’, ‘ 1’, ‘ 10’.
305 × 200 × ca. 35 mm.
The cover is damaged near the spine and stained.
Accompanying Material
Whithin the manuscript is kept a paper leaf, apparently coming from
a printed bookseller's catalogue. The leaf, corresponding to pp.
55-56, was part of the section ‘ Theology in all
languages’.
Origin:
The manuscript is an autograph by the author of the texts, Joshua
Barnes, and was completed in 1673 in
Cambridge; the date is written on the frontispiece
on f. [v] recto. On
the left
pastedown is pasted Joshua Barnes' bookplate, with the
date of 1700.
Provenance and Acquisition
The manuscript was donated by Barnes to Emmanuel College (see
James 1904, p. xii). On the left
pastedown is pasted the College bookplate.
