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.8.12

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12020

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, copied in England in the mid-17th century by the royal librarian Patrick Young (1584-1652), contains a selection of texts on the monastic life and brief religious injunctions and aphorisms by the patristic writers Neilos of Ankyra, Evagrius Ponticus, Ioannes Geometres and Hesychios of Jerusalem. The texts by the other two authors are attributed here to Neilos, as was commonplace. The manuscript is a composite, comprising portions copied by Young from various manuscripts at different times and later bound together. The main component contains three full works on monasticism by Neilos, and cannot be dated precisely. To this has been appended a smaller series of quires containing a number of short works and excerpts by all three authors. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: iii + 3 + 233 + 3 + i leaves. The endleaves ff. v-vi and vii-viii, and ff. 214a-214b and 221-[221a] are uncut.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-iii] + [iv-vi] + 1-155, 166-201, 222, 203-208, [208a], 209-214, [214a-214b], 215-221, [221a], 222-239 + [vii-ix] + [x], in brown ink, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right. The number of f. 166 has erroneously been written where 156 would have been correct, so all subsequent folio numbers are too large by ten. The number of f. 202 has been erroneously written as 222, but this error has not been followed by subsequent folios.

Collation

Part I consists of 19 quires, Part II of 6, Part III of 1: 14, 2-88, 9-1012, 11-1216, 13-1812, 1910+1, 20-254, 262

Condition

There is some minor wear and tear to the edges, mild water staining and areas of dirt. The ink has occasionally been abraded.

Additions

On f. [iv] recto are notes referring to the contents list and the text of Origen.

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.

222 × 174 × 48 mm.

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 (p. 160).

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

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.12, ff. 1-[208a]]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. f. 1r
Contents list
2. ff. 1v-53r
Neilos of Ankyra (d. c. 430), Liber de monastica exercitatione
Rubric: f. 1v Τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Νείλου περὶ φιλοσοφίας ἀσκητῶν, πανὺ ὠφέλιμος
Incipit: f. 1v Φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπετήδευσαν μὲν καὶ Ἑλλήνων πολλοὶ Ιουδαίων[sic] οὐκ ὀλίγοι
Explicit: f. 53r ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι Χριστοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, Ἀμὴν

CPG 6046

PG 79, coll. 720-809

3. ff. 53r-105r
Neilos of Ankyra (d. c. 430), De voluntaria paupertate ad Magnam
Rubric: f. 53r Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Μάγναν διάκονον, περὶ ἀκτημοσύνης
Incipit: f. 53r Πρώην μὲν τὸ πρὸς τοὺς ἀμελέστερον μετιόντας τὴν μοναδικὸν βίον
Explicit: f. 105r ὧν ἐστι γέρας ἡ πᾶσι μεθ'ὑμῶν τοῖς ἀξίοις ἐπηγγελμένη τῆς βασιλείας ἀπόλαυσις, ἐν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμὴν

CPG 6048

PG 79, coll. 968-1060

4. ff. 105r-208v
Neilos of Ankyra (d. c. 430), Peristeria ad Agathium
Rubric: f. 105r Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ἀγάθιον μονάζοντα
Incipit: f. 105r Ἔθος ἔχοντί μοι τὰ πολλὰ τὰς ἀκαίρους τῶν ὀχληρῶν
Explicit: f. 208v ἣν κατορθῶσαι σπουδάσομεν, εἰς δόξαν τοῦ τὰ πάντα πᾶσι παρέχοντος Θεοῦ. ἀμήν

CPG 6047

PG 79, coll. 812-968

f. 208a recto-208a verso is blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1-[208a] Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pillar ( c. 60 × 35 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Heawood 3505. This example is dated to 1635.
Extent: 216 × 163 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 19 quires, of which one is a binion, seven are quaternia, one is a quinion, eight are of 12 folios and two are of 16 folios.

  • Quire 14 ff. 1-4
  • Quires 2-88 ff. 5-60
  • Quires 9-1012 ff. 61-84
  • Quires 11-1216 ff. 85-116
  • Quires 13-1812 ff. 117-198
  • Quires 1910+1 ff. 199-[208a]v The first folio is an inserted addition.

Layout

ff. 1r-208v A single column of 18-23 lines. 178-190 × 135 mm.

Hand(s)

The Greek text was copied by Patrick Young in a western European mixed minuscule script resembling print, slanting to the right, in brown ink.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points and lower comma.

Headings are written in red ink, partially in the same style, but the opening words often in majuscule script resembling print, without diacritics.

Additions

Marked on f. 1r is the former classmark O.14.33, which has been struck through.

History

Origin: This part was copied by Patrick Young (1584-1652) in the early to mid-17th century.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.12, ff. 209-237]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

5. ff. 209r-214r
Neilos of Ankyra (d. c. 430), De octo spiritibus malitiae
Filiation: This text may have been copied from Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Barocci 5.
Rubric: f. 209r Τοῦ μακαρίου Νείλου περὶ τῶν ηʹ λογισμῶν
Incipit: f. 209r Αρχὴ[sic] καρποφορίας ἄνθος, καὶ ἀρχὴ πρακτικῆς ἐγκρατεία
Explicit: f. 214r παύει δὲ πάθη λεπὰ, κενοδοξίαν καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν
Colophon: f. 214r Londini in aedibus meis 4 Maii 1641

CPG 2451

PG 79, coll. 1145-1164

ff. 214v-214b verso are blank.

6. ff. 215r-221r
Evagrius Ponticus (c. 345-399), De oratione

Excerpts: chapters 1-9, 11-17, 21-22, 24-26, 28-30, 35-43, 48, 53-55, 58-59, 64-66, 70-71, 75-82, 87, 92, 95-115, 117-124, 126-129, 136-137, 139-142, 144-148, 150, 152; gaps have been left for those items not copied

This text was often attributed, as here, to Neilos of Ankyra

Filiation: This text was copied from a manuscript at Sion College, according to a note on f. 215r, but does not appear in any of the surviving manuscripts of the Sion College collection, now in Lambeth Palace Library. The exemplar may therefore have been among the books of that collection lost in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Rubric: f. 215r Τοῦ μακαρίου Νείλου περὶ προσευχῆς
Incipit: f. 215r Εἴ τις βούλοιτο εὐῶδες θυμίαμα κατασκευάσαι
Explicit: f. 221r τότε ἀληθῶς εὕρακας προσευχὴν χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· Αμήν[sic]

TLG 4110.024

CPG 2452

PG 79, coll. 1165-1200

ff. 221v-221a verso are blank.

7. ff. 222r-223v, line 29
Evagrius Ponticus (c. 345-399), Capita paraenetica

Excerpt: chapters 25-96 (PG 79, coll. 1252-1258)

This text was often attributed, as here, to Neilos of Ankyra

Rubric: f. 222r Τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Νείλου κεφάλαια γνωστικᾶ, λίαν ὀφέλιμα
Incipit: f. 222r Φόβον δεῖ ἔχειν, καὶ πρὸς Θεὸν πόθον
Explicit: f. 223v καὶ τὸ πτῶμα εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἔρχεται

CPG 2443

PG 79, coll. 1249-1264

8. f. 223v, line 30-f. 227v, line 26
Hesychios of Jerusalem (d. c. 450), Sententiae abducentes hominem a corruptibilibus

Excerpt: chapters 19-98 (PG 79, coll. 1241-1249), followed by three chapters not in the edited text

Incipit: f. 223v Τοῦ βίου λογίζου τὸ ἀσέβαιον
Explicit: f. 227v Παρακαλῶ οὖν πάντας, προσέχετε τοῖς εἰρημένοις

CPG 6583

PG 79, coll. 1240-1249

9. f. 227v, line 27-f. 229r, line 21
Evagrius Ponticus (c. 345-399), Practicus

Excerpts: chapters 15, 21-22, 24, 26-29, 33, 36, 41-45, 47, 50-52, 54

Rubric: f. 227v Τοῦ αὐτοῦ
Incipit: f. 227v Νοῦν μὲν τὸ πλανώμενον ἵστησιν ἀνάγνωσις
Explicit: f. 229r τοῖς προειρημένοις φαρμάκοις χρησόμεθα

TLG 4110.001

CPG 2430

PG 40, coll. 1220-1236, 1244-1252, 1272-1276

10. f. 229r, line 22-f. 229v, line 24
Neilos of Ankyra (d. c. 430), Epistulae

Excerpts: Book II, Letter 140, lines 1-13; Book III, Letter 33, lines 125-163 (PG 79, coll. 257-260, 392-393)

Rubric: f. 229r Τοῦ αὐτοῦ
Incipit: f. 229r Ἄγαν φθονοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες τοῖς τὴν σωφροσύνην ἀσπαζομένοις
Explicit: f. 229v ἵνα χρηστᾶς ὑποείνῃ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐλπίδας

TLG 4118.004

CPG 6043

PG 79, coll. 81-581

11. f. 229v, lines 25-32
Evagrius Ponticus (c. 345-399), De oratione

Excerpt: chapters 83-84 (PG 79, col. 1185)

This text was often attributed, as here, to Neilos of Ankyra

Rubric: f. 229v Sequuntur quinque capita ex tractatu, περὶ προσευχῆς. 65. 66. 76. et praeterea haec duo
Incipit: f. 229v Ἡ μὲν ψαλμωδία τὰ πάθη κατευνάζει
Explicit: f. 229v ἤτοι κρείττω καὶ εἰληκρινὴς ἐνέργεια αὐτοῦ καὶ χρῆσις
Colophon: f. 229v Extonae in aedibus Iohanni Iunii nepotis 16 Iunii 1650

TLG 4110.024

CPG 2452

PG 79, coll. 1165-1200

12. ff. 230r-237r
Ioannes Geometres, Paradisus

This text was often attributed, as here, to Neilos of Ankyra

Filiation: This text may have been copied from Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Barocci 11.
Rubric: f. 230r Κεφάλαια ἠθικὰ καὶ διδασκαλικὰ τοῦ ὁσίου καὶ θεοφόρου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Νείλου ἐπάρχου χρηματίσαντος ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, μεγάλου φιλοσόφου, καὶ ἀσκητοῦ γνωστικωτάτου, ἐν μέτρῳ ἡρωελεγείῳ συντεθέντα
Incipit: f. 230r Ανθεμόης παράδεισος ὁ τῶν ἁγίων χορός ἐστιν
Explicit: f. 237r Τόνδε, Θεῷ κράζεις, εὐθὺ πάρειμι λέγει
Colophon: f. 237r Oxonii 8 Martii 1647

PG 106, coll. 867-888

f. 237v is blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 209-[214b] Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pillar ( c. 50 × 50 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable but not identical to Gravell 1843. This example is dated to 1640. ff. 209-[221a] Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Grapes ( c. 50 × 50 mm. ) in the gutter. ff. 222-229 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pillar ( c. 50 × 48 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Gravell 1387. This example is dated to 1651. ff. 230-237 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pot ( 78 × 19 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable but not identical to Heawood 3604-3605. These examples are dated to 1659.
Extent: 199 × 153 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 8 quires, all binia.

  • Quires 20-274 ff. 209-237

There are quire signatures in Latin letters, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower centre, beginning from the letter B, probably original to the production of the manuscript. They survive on all quires (B-I).

Layout

ff. 209r-237r A single column of 31-39 lines. 166-183 × 100-125 mm.

Hand(s)

The Greek text was copied by Patrick Young in a western European mixed minuscule script resembling print, slanting to the right, in brown ink.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points and lower comma.

Headings are written in red ink, partially in the same style, but the opening words often in majuscule script resembling print, without diacritics.

History

Origin: This part was copied by Patrick Young (1584-1652) at different times and in different places. A colophon on f. 214r indicates that the preceding text (ff. 209r-214r) was completed on 4 May 1641 at Young's home in London. Another on f. 229v indicates that the text preceding this was completed on 16 June 1650 at the home of his nephew John Young in Exton. It is unclear how many of the preceding textual items formed part of the copying project completed at this date. A third colophon on f. 237r states that the preceding text (ff. 230r-237r) was completed on 8 March 1647 in Oxford.

Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.8.12, ff. 238239]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

12. f. 238r-238v
Notes
Incipit: f. 238r 1 ἀνθεμοεις /ια/ ἀνθηρὸς
Explicit: f. 238v95 ἀγαπάζων, ἀγαπῶν

f. 239r-239v is blank apart from a list of clothes in English.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 238-239 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Pot ( 78 × 33 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable but not identical to Heawood 3604-3605. These examples are dated to 1659.
Extent: 198 × 151 mm.

Collation

This part consists of a single bifolio, which is inserted loosely and has never been stitched into the manuscript.

Layout

ff. 238r-238v Two columns of 46 lines. 177 × 110 mm.

Hand(s)

The Greek text was copied by Patrick Young in a western European mixed minuscule script resembling print, slanting to the right, in brown ink.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points and lower comma.

Headings are written in red ink, partially in the same style, but the opening words often in majuscule script resembling print, without diacritics.

Additions

On f. 239v is a list of items of clothing in English, which has been struck through.

History

Origin: This bifolio was copied by Patrick Young (1584-1652).

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, Montague Rhodes (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

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