Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.10

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12018

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, copied in England at various dates around 1632-1650, contains a selection of Patristic and Byzantine theological texts. The longest of these is the Capita centum de perfectione spirituali of the 5th-century ascetic and bishop Diadochos of Photike. The other contents include excerpts and short texts by writers including prominent Church Fathers such as Maximos the Confessor and Gregory of Nazianzus, along with the 10th-11th-century Byzantine mystic Symeon the New Theologian and more obscure writers such as John of Karpathos and Mark the Hermit. The manuscript appears to be composed of three physical components bound together, while texts within individual parts were evidently copied at different times, as a number of these are followed by colophons dating the copying of a given work. These variously date the compilation of particular texts to 1632, 1634, 1638, 1639, 1641 and 1650. Some texts are in the hand of the scholar and royal librarian Patrick Young, who owned, copied, commissioned and annotated numerous Greek manuscripts. Young probably also paid for the copying of the other portions. Some of the colophons also give information on the location where the copying of particular texts occurred, variously in London, Oxford and Sherborne, or on the source manuscript employed. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: iii + 2 + 173 + i leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [a-c] + i-iv (pagination) + [1-3], 4-66, 126-172, 174-231, [232] + [d]; ff. 4-66 are paginated in Arabic numerals, in brown ink, recto, upper right and verso, upper left, with the numbers 1-126; this sequence then switches, apparently due to misunderstanding, to foliation for ff. 126-231. There is a gap in the foliation between ff. 172 and 174 due to the loss of the intervening folio, presumably since the manuscript was foliated.
Foliation: pp. i-iv and ff. [1-3] are paginated with the numbers i-x in Roman numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.
Foliation: ff. 4-66 are foliated with the numbers 4-66 in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right, often very faint. This sequence treats pp. i-iv as endleaves and omits them, but includes ff. [1-3], though it appears that no numbers of this sequence were ever written on these folios. This sequence has been followed for the purposes of this description.

Collation

Part I consists of 19 quires, Part II of 8 and Part III of 18: 14+1, 2-194, 208, 216-1, 222, 23-254, 268, 274-1, 28-292, 30-314, 322, 33-364, 37-382, 39-424, 432, 444, 454-1

Condition

There is mild water damage, and areas of dirt.

Binding

18th-century binding with grey paper covering over couched-laminate boards, with a white parchment spine and plain pastedowns. The classmark appears on the spine on patches.

215 × 169 × 39 mm.

Some of the covering material from the spine has been lost.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the antiquary Thomas Gale (c. 1635-1702) , Fellow of Trinity and Dean of York. It appears in the 1697 catalogue of Gale's collection contained in Trinity College MS O.5.38 (pp. 158-159).

Donated by Thomas's son, the antiquary Roger Gale (1672-1744) , in 1738.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.10, pp. 1-4, ff. 4-66, 126-134]

Contents

1. p. iii
Contents list
Language(s): Latin

p. iv is blank

2. ff. [1]r-[3]v
Prooimion to Diadochos, Capita
Language(s): Greek
3. f. [1]r-66r
Diadochos of Photike, Capita centum de perfectione spirituali
Language(s): Greek

CPG 6106

PG 65, coll. 1167-1212 (Latin)

f. 66v is blank

4. f. 126r
List of the first ten Capita of Diadochos
Language(s): Greek
Filiation: Copied from a manuscript at Sion College, London

f. 126v is blank

5. ff. 127r-128r, line 21
Symeon, the New Theologian (949-1022), Catechesis
Language(s): Greek

Often erroneously attributed, as here, to Diadochos of Photike.

CPG 6109

6. f. 128r, line 22-f. 132r
Diadochos of Photike, Visio
Language(s): Greek
Colophon: f. 132r Oxonii 23 Augusti 1638

CPG 6108

BHG 2470

7. ff. 132v-133v
Mark the Hermit (d. c. 430), Opusculum IX De ieiunio
Language(s): Greek
Filiation: This text was copied from a manuscript at Sion College, London.
Colophon: f. 133v Londini in aedibus meis iuxta palatinum Divi Iacobi, 14 Aprili 1641

TLG 3921.009

CPG 6099

PG 65, coll. 1109-1117

f. 134r-134v is blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: pp. i-ii Western paper, no watermark present. pp. iii-iv, ff. [1-3] Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pot ( c. 70 × 30 mm. ) in the gutter. ff. 4-31, 60-63, 127-134 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Uncertain ( c. 31 × c. 31 mm. ) in the gutter. ff. 32-43 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pot ( c. 70 × 30 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable but not identical to Heawood 3611, 3624. These examples are dated to c. 1623-c. 1630. ff. 44-59 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Grapes ( c. 60 × 29 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Heawood 2179. This example is dated to 1638. ff. 64-66, 126 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pillar ( c. 50 × 32 mm. ) in the gutter.
Extent: 200 × 160 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 19 quires, all binia.

  • Quire 14+1 pp. i-iv, ff. [1-3] An additional leaf has been adhered to the beginning of this quire.
  • Quires 2-194 ff. 4-66, 126-134

Layout

p. iii A single column of 29 lines. 166 × 125 mm.

ff. [1]r-66r A single column of 21-25 lines. 154-179 × 120 mm.

ff. 126r-133v A single column of 15 lines. 177-182 × 115 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. [1]r-66r, 228r-231r were copied by Hand A in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size. There are deletions by expunctuation and strikethrough.

Syllabic abbreviations are rare but appear throughout the line. Superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round, and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only. Nomina sacra are often unabbreviated. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop.

ff. 126r-227v were copied by Patrick Young (Hand B) in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Nomina sacra are unabbreviated. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop.

Headings are sometimes written in the same style in red ink.

Additions

On p. i there are notes regarding Diadochos. The former classmark C. 47 and the number 178 have also been marked here.

On ff. 126r and 132v are notes by Patrick Young regarding the source manuscript of the texts beginning here, and notes by a later hand giving page references.

There are occasional brief marginal annotations in Greek (e.g. f. 53r).

History

Origin: This part of the manuscript was copied in England, for and in part by Patrick Young at dates around 23 August 1638 (date of the completion of the text ending on f. 132r, copied in Oxford) and 16 April 1641 (date of the completion of the text ending on f. 133v, copied in London, at Patrick Young's house near the Palace of St James), as indicated by colophons at those points.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.10, f. 135-172]

Contents

8. ff. 135r-160r
John of Karpathos, Capita theologica et gnostica
Language(s): Greek
Filiation: Ths text was copied from a manuscript at Sion College, London.

TLG 3374.002

CPG 7856

ff. 145v and 160v-161v are blank

9. ff. 162r-169r
Mark the Hermit (d. c. 430), Opusculum X De Melchisidek
Language(s): Greek
Colophon: f. 169r Sherbornae in Juniano nostro, pridie Calendis Augusti MDCXXXIIII

TLG 3921.010

CPG 6100

PG 65, coll. 1117-1140

f. 169v is blank

10. ff. 170r-172r
Mark, abbot, On virtues and vices
Language(s): Greek
Filiation: This text was probably copied from Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Barocci 133, ff. 174r-175v.
Colophon: f. 172r Oxonii Decembris 10 1632

This text is also found in Mount Athos, Monastery of Xenophon, MS 36 (738), item 26 and Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, MS hist. gr. 84, ff. 122v-123r, as well as Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Barocci 133

f. 172v is blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 135-158, 161-162, 164, 167, 169-172 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Flower ( c. 20 × 20 mm. ) in the gutter. ff. 159-160, 163, 165-166, 168 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Uncertain ( c. 30 × 55 mm. ) in the gutter.
Extent: 211 × 158 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 8 quires, of which one is a single bifolio, four are binia, one is a ternion and two are quaternia.

  • Quire 208 ff. 135-142
  • Quire 216-1 ff. 143-147 The first folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 222 ff. 148-149
  • Quires 23-254 ff. 150-161
  • Quire 268 ff. 162-169
  • Quire 274-1 ff. 170-172 The last folio has been lost, apparently without loss of text.

Layout

ff. 135-172 A single column of 32-43 lines. 187-200 × 125 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 126r-227v were copied by Patrick Young (Hand B) in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Nomina sacra are unabbreviated. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop.

Headings are sometimes written in the same style in red ink.

Additions

There are occasional brief marginal notes in Greek and Latin by Patrick Young (e.g. ff. 142v, 148v), and by later hands (e.g. f. 166r).

History

Origin: This part of the manuscript was copied by Patrick Young at dates around 31 July 1634 (date of the completion of the text ending on f. 169r, copied at a Young family property in Sherborne) and 10 December 1632 (date of the completion of the text ending on f. 172r, copied in Oxford), as indicated by colophons at those points.

Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.10, ff. 174-[232]]

Contents

11. ff. 174r-177r, line 39
Ephraem Graecus, Parainesis ad ascetas (ordine alphabetico)
Language(s): Greek

TLG 4138.042

CPG 3963

12. f. 177r, line 40-f. 177v
Ephraem Graecus, Parainesis
Language(s): Greek
Colophon: f. 177v Januarii 17:- 1639 stylo Anglico

TLG 4138.043

CPG 3964

13. ff. 178r-179v
Theodore of Stoudion (759-826), In adorationem pretiosae et vivisicae crucis media Quadragesima
Language(s): Greek

Erroneously attributed here to Ephraem

TLG 2714.014

ff. 180r-182v are blank

14. ff. 183r-201r
Maximos the Confessor (c. 582-662), Capita theologica et oecumenica
Language(s): Greek

TLG 2892.009

CPG 7694

PG 90, coll. 1084-1173

15. ff. 201v-203r
Maximos the Confessor (c. 582-662), Capita XV
Language(s): Greek
Colophon: f. 203r Oxonii 19 Augusti 1650

CPG 7695

PG 90, coll. 1177-1185

f. 203v is blank

16. ff. 204r-205v, line 18
Symeon, the New Theologian (949-1022), Orationes XXXIII
Language(s): Greek

Oration 15

PG 120, coll. 385-388 (Latin)

17. f. 205v, line 19-f. 207r
Theological treatise
Language(s): Greek

Attributed here to Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

f. 207v is blank

17. ff. 208r-219v
Symeon, the New Theologian (949-1022), Capita theologica
Language(s): Greek

TLG 3116.006

18. ff. 220r-224r
Treatise on asceticism
Language(s): Greek

TLG 5335.001

ff. 224v-225v are blank

19. ff. 226r-227r, line 18
Hesychios of Sinai, De temperantia et virtute
Language(s): Greek

Excerpt: section 19

TLG 3388.001

CPG 7862

PG 93, coll. 1479-1544

f. 207v is blank

20. ff. 227r-227v, line 20
Theodore of Edessa, Theological chapters
Language(s): Greek

Excerpt

This text is also found in Mount Athos, Monastery of Agios Demetrios, MS 13, ff. 155r-164v

21. f. 227v, lines 21-29
Mark the Hermit (d. c. 430), Opusculum I. De lege spirituali
Language(s): Greek

Excerpt: sections 124, 117-118

TLG 3921.002

CPG 6090

PG 65, coll. 905-929

22. f. 227v, lines 30-36
Theological chapter
Language(s): Greek
23. ff. 228r-231r
Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 335-c. 394), Carmina moralia
Language(s): Greek

Excerpt: PG 37, coll. 928-945

TLG 202.060

CPG 3035

PG 37, coll. 521-968

f. 231v is blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 174-177 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pot ( c. 85 × 30 mm. ) in the gutter. ff. 178-[232] Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pillar ( c. 60 × 47 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable but not identical to Heawood 3492. This example is dated to 1640.
Extent: 203 × 158 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 18 quires, of which six are single bifolios and the rest are binia.

  • Quires 28-292 ff. 174-177
  • Quires 30-314 ff. 178-185
  • Quire 322 ff. 186-187
  • Quires 33-364 ff. 188-203
  • Quires 37-382 ff. 204-207
  • Quires 39-424 ff. 208-223
  • Quire 432 ff. 224-225
  • Quire 444 ff. 226-229
  • Quire 454-1 ff. 230-[232] The last folio has been lost, without loss of text.

Layout

ff. 174r-179v, 183r-224r A single column of 31-50 lines. 167-192 × 120-130 mm.

226r-231r A single column of 27-34 lines. 170-182 × 130 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. [1]r-133v, ff. 174r-227v were copied by Patrick Young (Hand B) in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop.

Headings are sometimes written in the same style in red ink.

ff. [1]r-66r, 228r-231r were copied by Hand A in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size. There are deletions by expunctuation and strikethrough.

Syllabic abbreviations are rare but appear throughout the line. Superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round, and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only. Nomina sacra are often unabbreviated. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop.

Additions

There are occasional brief marginal notes in Greek and Latin by Patrick Young (e.g. ff. 212v, 226r), and by later hands (e.g. f. 203r).

History

Origin: This part of the manuscript was copied for and in part by Patrick Young at dates around 17 January 1639 (date of the completion of the text ending on f. 177v) and 19 August 1650 (date of the completion of the text ending on f. 203r, copied in Oxford), as indicated by colophons at those points.

Additional Information

Availability

Visitors to Trinity College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Trinity College: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

    The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M. R. (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902) Codices Vossiani graeci et miscellanei Codices manuscripti Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden. Bibliotheek, Meyier, Karel Adriaan de (Leiden, Bibliotheca universitatis, 1955)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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