Cambridge, Sidney Sussex College, MS 85
Theological works
Contents
Language(s): Latin and Middle English
The sayings are mostly anonymous but one is attributed to ‘Augustinus’ and another to ‘Ptholomeus philosophus’.
Added in the 15th century.
For whitening teeth. Full transcription. Not recorded in Angela M. Lucas, Manuscripts in Christ's, Emmanuel, Jesus, Selwyn and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Peterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, The Index of Middle English Prose, Handlist XXII (Cambridge: Brewer, 2016).
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Added in the 15th century.
Psalm 92. A marginal annotation has been partially cropped off but probably read: ‘Augustinus - xciij’.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
An excerpt from the Legenda Aurea. Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription; not recorded in Angela M. Lucas, Manuscripts in Christ's, Emmanuel, Jesus, Selwyn and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Peterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, The Index of Middle English Prose, Handlist XXII (Cambridge: Brewer, 2016).
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription; according to James (1895), a copy of a comparable text survives in a 9th- or 10th-century manuscript, now Cologne, Domstiftbibliothek, MS 174, f. 45v (recorded in Philipp Jaffé and Wihelm Wattenbach, Ecclesiae metropolitanae Coloniensis codices manuscripti (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1876), p. 73).
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Psalm 93:23. Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Added in the 15th century.
Attributed in the text to 'hypocras' (i.e. Hippocrates). Added in the 15th century.
Excerpt from the Legenda Aurea. Added in the 15th century.
Added in light brown ink in a 14th-century hand. Since the note refers to Wardon in Bedfordshire, James (1895) assumed that it was added by Simon de Gowshill.
Full transcription; also transcribed by James (1895) who transcribes ‘.xij. libellis’ as ‘.vij. libellis’. However, the first Roman numeral does have the ascender that that can be found on versions of the letter ‘x’ in this script. Moreover, John Cassian wrote De institutis coenobiorum in twelve books.
A previously unidentified copy of the Comparatio mundi ad ludum schakarum with a hitherto unnoticed passage in early Middle English on ff. 96v-97r. This passage concerns a verse translation of Baruch 3:16–19, which is quoted (in Latin) immediately before the versified vernacular version, introduced with the word ‘Anglice’. The resulting Ubi sunt poem is apparently unique: a more elaborate Middle English Ubi sunt poem of 10 stanzas (beginning: "Uuere beþ they biforen vs weren") survives as part of the poem The blessing of heaven king (see IMEV 3310; NIMEV 3310; DIMEV 5215), but no copies of this direct versification of the Vulgate are recorded in IMEV, NIMEV, or DIMEV.
A full transcription reads:
‘ Were aren alle þis riche men þat haueden stedes in stalle. hauek and hound was her gle in feld and ek in halle. gold and siluer he diden in hord he wenden neuer doun falle. Her soules aren in helle [in] ground her bodies roten alle. oþer are comen on þeir stede of wam schal als by falle. ’.
From 30, Chapter 25.
Extract from the Secretum Secretorum. Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Added in the 15th century.
Perhaps taken from Raymond of Sabunde's Theologia Naturalis sive Liber naturae creaturarum, written 1434-1436 but published in 1484.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Written on a smaller parchment leaf that has been sewn to f. 145; copied in the 15th century.
Extract from the Differentiae. Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription; here attributed to Ovid.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
A puzzle involving 15 Christians and 15 Jews represented as a diagram. Two rows of vertical lines, the upper one with the title: ‘Cristiani’, and the lower one with the title: ‘Judei’.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
A puzzle involving 15 Christians and 15 Jews represented by two rows of numbers. The upper row is in Arabic and the lower row is in Roman numerals, representing the sequence for the solution to the puzzle of the fifteen Christians and Jews represented in a diagram on f. f recto.
Full transcription; this excerpt is also found in an anonymous sermon for the feast of Clare of Assisi in Assisi, S. Convento, Fondo Antico Comunale, ms. 565 , f. 103v (for an edition, see Aleksander Horowski, 'Chiara D'Assisi in Alcuni Sermoni Mediavali', Collectanea Franciscana, 81 (2011), 645-703 (p. 700)).
Full transcription.
Full transcription; not recorded in Angela M. Lucas, Manuscripts in Christ's, Emmanuel, Jesus, Selwyn and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Peterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, The Index of Middle English Prose, Handlist XXII (Cambridge: Brewer, 2016).
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Full transcription.
Added in the 15th century.
Physical Description
20th-century foliation:
[i]-[iv] + a-d + 1-145, [145a], 146-222 + f-e + [v]-[viii]
Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos.
Note that 'f' precedes 'e' in the foliation. It appears that these final two leaves have been swapped around when the manuscript was last rebound. This is suggested by the fact that f verso is blank with remnants of glue, suggesting that this side was once pasted onto the inside of the rear cover, and that the fact that James (1895) describes the contents on these two leaves by referring to them in reversed order, beginning with 'e' which James assigns the number '224', and followed by 'f' (James: '225').
In order to produce a functional electronic catalogue record for this item for the Curious Cures project, the unfoliated modern parchment flyleaves at the beginning and end of this manuscripts were assigned the designations [i]-[iv] and [v]-[viii] and the unfoliated parchment leaf sewn to f. 145r the designation [145a] in September 2023; these designations are enclosed in square brackets in this catalogue record.
20th-century foliation:
'210'-'223' for ff. 209-222
Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos. This foliation was added at a later stage but is not followed in this catalogue record since there is no evidence that f. 209 is missing from the manuscript, justifying a jump in the foliation sequence from 208 to 210 as per historical foliation practice.14th-/15th-century foliation:
1-208 for ff. 1-208
Numbering in ink in the left-hand margin of the versos. The numbering begins on f. d verso.
Collation
This collation deviates from that provided by M.R. James (1895): it includes folios a-d as Quire 1 (omitted by James) and identifies Quire 21 (James: Quire 'v') as originally consisting of 6 leaves and lacking 3 (rather than consisting of 4 leaves).
- Quire 16-2 (ff. a-d: 4th and 5th leaves ?missing/excised)
- Quire 28 (ff. 1-8)
- Quire 314 (ff. 9-22)
- Quires 4-612 (ff. 23-58)
- Quires 7-88 (ff. 59-74)
- Quire 98+8 (ff. 75-90: two quires of eight leaves, one of which (ff. 80-87) is inserted between the 5th and 6th leaves of the other)
- Quire 1018 (ff. 91-108)
- Quire 1110 (ff. 109-118)
- Quire 1212 (ff. 119-130)
- Quire 138 (ff. 131-138)
- Quire 148-1+1 (ff. 139-145, [145a]: 7th leaf cancelled, and 1 leaf sewn onto the 8th leaf)
- Quires 15-1614 (ff. 146-173)
- Quires 17-188 (ff. 174-189)
- Quire 1914 (ff. 190-203)
- Quire 2016 (ff. 204-219)
- Quire 216-3 (ff. 220-222: 4th-6th leaves excised, probably blank)
16-2 (4th and 5th missing) 28 314 4-612 7-88 98+8 (8 leaves inserted) 1018 1110 1212 138 148-1+1 (7th cancelled, 1 leaf sewn onto 8th) 15-1614 17-188 1914 2016 216-3 (4th-6th excised)
Usually Arabic or Roman numerals in crayon in the lower right-hand corners of the rectos of the first halves of quires, but, in case of the joint quires 9 and 10 letters of the Roman alphabet in brown ink in the lower right-hand corners of the rectos of all leaves ('a'-'q').
Catchwords written in the lower right-hand corners of the last versos of quires, except for Quire 9, where a catchword for Quire 10 was written in the lower margin of the verso of leaf 6.Layout
175-185 × 125-135 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame and line ruling. Single columns. 33-45 lines to the page, written below top line.
Hand(s)
Copied by a single early 14th-century hand in Anglicana.
The table of contents added by Simon de Gowshill on f. a verso was copied in an Anglicana hand of the early 14th-century.
The 15th-century additions on ff. a recto-d verso and ff. 223v-e verso were copied by multiple cursive hands with both Anglicana and Secretary features.
Decoration
Drawing of a dragon in red ink, serving a textual symbol, on f. 223r.
One large (8 lines) initial in red with a wavy motif created with blank space and with penwork decoration inside the letter and pen-flourishing extending into the margins in both brown and red ink (f. 1r).
One large (5 lines) initial with penwork inside the letter and pen-flourishing extending into the margins both outlining foliate motifs in red ink (f. 146r).
Large and small (1-5 lines) plain initials in red or brown ink with wavy motifs created by blank areas (e.g. see f. 26v, 52v, 63v, 73v, 74v, 75r [2x], 93r, 123r, 124r, 124v, 128v, 133r, 133v, 190r), sometimes with brown or red penwork decoration inside the letters and brown or red pen-flourishing extending into the margins (ff. 115v, 122v [2x], 128v, 130r, 130v [featuring a human face]).
Large (2-3 lines) plain initials in red ink, some with minor forms of pen-flourishing in red ink extending into the outer margins; once in a framework of blue ink with pen-flourishing in blue ink (f. 146r); and some with brown penwork decoration inside the letters and pen-flourishing extending into the margins (ff. 115v, 130r); from f. 134r, plain initials alternatively in blue or red ink.
Line-fillers consisting of horitontal and diagonal lines, either in brown ink and highlighted with red ink or in brown and red ink.
Ascenders on the first line of f. 1r with human faces drawn in brown ink. Throughout the manuscript, the descenders on last lines extending into lower margins as series of short horizontal and vertical lines either in brown ink with accents in red ink or entirely in red or brown ink.
Rubrics, underlining and marginal notes in red ink.
Small (1 line) initials in brown ink accentuated with red ink.
Paraphs in red ink, but from from f. 134r alternatively in blue or red ink.
Human faces drawn in brown or red ink marking sections of text, including notes in the lower margin of ff. 117r, 211v; and sections on the page in the outer margins of ff. 195v [3x], 196v [1x], and 219v [1x].
Run-over symbols in red (e.g. see f. 12v, 55r) or frames in brown ink (f. 157v).
Catchwords surmounted by red dots and written inside frames of brown or red ink.
Manicules drawn in margins in brown or red ink or in leadpoint; one featuring with a human face (f. 219v).
A tear and sewing thread in f. 28 accentuated with red ink on both sides of the page.
Additions
A table of contents for the manuscript added in a 14th-century hand by Simon de Gowshill to f. a verso
A table of contents for the manuscript added in a (?) 17th-century hand to f. c recto, matching the itemisation of the manuscripts contents in Edward Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697).
Binding
20th-century, full red brown leather over wooden boards, 5 raised bands on spine, and blank modern paper leaves pasted on the inside covers.
Binding height: 245mm; width: 165mm; depth: 65mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Owned by Simon de Gowshill (fl. 14th century) , canon and then former prior of the Gilbertine priory of Chicksand, Bedfordshire, founded in 1152 and dissolved in 1538. His ownership inscription in a 14th-century hand on f. a verso: ‘Liber domini Symonis de Gowshille Canonici domus de Chikesond et quondam prioris eiusdem’ (see Ker (1964), p. 51; and the MLGB3). He may be the same Simon who was prior of Chicksand around and/or between 1310 and 1315 (see 'House of the Gilbertine order: The priory of Chicksand', in A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 1 (London, 1904), pp. 390-393; and British History Online [accessed 27 September 2023]).
Owned by John Stamborn, fl. ? 14th century , monk of the Cistercian monastery of Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds, West Yorkshire, founded c. 1152 and dissolved in 1539. His ownership inscription in a ?15th-century hand on f. a verso: ‘Constat Johanni Stamborn monacho de kyrkestall’.
Owned by Kirkstall Abbey , founded c. 1152 and dissolved in 1539. An erased text in a 15th-century hand on f. d verso probably contains its ownership inscription, an ex dono inscription, and the Abbey's book curse: ‘Iste liber [...] de Kyrkestall ex dono [...] [ana]thema sit’; most likely followed by an ex dono inscription.
Acquired by Sidney Sussex College by 1697, when it was recorded as no. 748 in Edward Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697). Its old classmark written on f. a verso: ‘Δ.4.23’.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
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Bibliography
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A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Sidney Sussex College,
Cambridge, James, M.R. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1895)
'All the World's a Chess-Board' Speculum, Thorndike, Lynn (6, 3, 461-465, 1931)
Medieval libraries of Great Britain: a list of surviving books Royal Historical Society
guides and handbooks, Ker, N.R. (London, Offices of the Royal Historical Society, 1964)
Die Handschriftliche Überlieferung der Werke des Heiligen Augustinus Sitzungsberichte
(Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Philosophisch-Historische Klasse).
Veröffentlichungen der Kommission zur Herausgabe des Corpus der Lateinischen Kirchenväter,
Heft 3,4, Römer, Franz (Wien, 2: Großbritannien und Irland, Böhlau, 1972)
Kirkstall Abbey, 1147-1539: an historical study Publications of the Thoresby Society, Barnes, Guy D. (Leeds, The Thoresby Society, 1984)
Der 'Tractatus moralis de oculo' des Petrus von Limoges und seine exempla Exempel
und Exempelsammlungen Fortuna vitrea, Newhauser, Richard (Tübingen, 95-136, Niemeyer, 1991)
Four Medieval Manuscripts With Mathematical Games Medium Ævum, Eldredge, L.M.Rand Schmidt, Kari AnneSmith, M.B. (68, 2, 209-217, 1999)
Virtues and Vies in Early Texts on Pastoral Care Franciscan Studies, Diem, Albrecht (62, 193-223, 2004)
The cardinal virtues in the Middle Ages: a study in moral thought from the fourth
to the
fourteenth century Brill's studies in intellectual history, Bejczy, István Pieter (Leiden, Brill, 2011)
Funding of Cataloguing
Wellcome
Digital Images
Abbreviations
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