Bourne Archive:
Hereward: Frontispiece
http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQsupFrontispiece.htm Latest edit 3 Feb 2010.
Web page © 2007 R.J.PENHEY With thanks to the trustees of the Willoughby Memorial
Library
The Bourne Archive
The Fenland Notes and Queries Hereward Supplement
Frontispiece
FNQ This thread begins with the title page which gives
details of the supplement generally.
This web page deals with the
frontispiece separately, as photographs are required to illustrate the
explanation. These make the page rather slow in working, so are best kept
separate from the general run of the text, which appears on several web pages.
See Contents.
The frontispiece is a photograph
of the first page of the manuscript (ms.). S. H. Miller had transcribed the
document some time earlier in the late nineteenth century. The photography was
part of the preparation for its serial publication, from April 1895. At that
time, the document was kept in Peterborough
Cathedral. It is now in the Seeley Historical
Library of Cambridge
University .
In the copy of FNQ to which I have
access, the photograph is sewn into its library binding in such a way that a band
in the middle can not be seen. I have therefore copied the picture in two
parts, leaving the middle missing. The dip in the lines of text is in the
original photograph.
In case you would like to try to
compare the Millers transcription with the manuscript, I have separated the
transcription into sentences which fit between landmarks in the ms.
There are numerous abbreviations
which make transcribing such a medieval document difficult even for someone
familiar with the classical language (as I am not). You will notice that in
line seven, the scribe has abbreviated fuimus then written it again in full before following it up
again with the next word, subito, which had already been written. So he has crossed
one example of each out. If he can get into a muddle, I certainly can!
The Frontispiece,
Photograph I.
The text is the
opening of Chapter I, which begins with the chapter summary: Incipit pręfatio cujusdam opusculi
de gestis Herwardi incliti militis. This is the top line from the
tall I of Incipit to the end of the
first line including the two extended rising parts of the h and d of Herwardi. It spills
over into an insertion at the end of the second line with just the fragment; part
of incliti and
militis.
The body of the
chapter begins with the large letter N of nonnullis. Nonnullis apud nos scire desiderantibus opera magnifici Anglorum gentis Herwardi et inclytorum ejus
et auribus percipere
magnanimitates illius ac gesta: nuper nostrę
parvitati vestra insiuavit fraternitas, interrogans si aliquid in illo loco ubi degebat de tanto viro conscriptum
aliquis reliquerit. In his introduction Miller states
that this ms. is part of Robert of Swaffhams
thirteenth century compilation. The style of the initial N here,
is entirely consistent with that, though early in the period of use of this
style. It is inconsistent with work of the time of Hugo Candidus twelfth
century re-edition.1
The second sentence
takes us from the easily recognized capital letter D of De quo enim quum nos quodam in loco audisse modicum Anglice conscriptum professi fuimus, subito fuimus subito coegit vestra dilectio
illud ad pręsens perquiri, et mox in Latinam linguam transferri, subjungens etiam et ea quę a nostris audire contigerit, cum quibus conversatus est, ut insignis miles magnanimiter vivens.
The third sentence
is fairly readily found from its capital letter: Quibus quidem vestris desideriis satisfacere cupientes, multis in locis perquirendo manus convertimus, et penitus nihil
invenimus, pręter pauca et dispersa folia, partim stillicidio putrefactis at abolitis et partim abscisione divisis.
The beginning of the
fourth sentence stands out less clearly. It begins at the left of the fourth
row up in the photograph: Ad quod igitur dum stilus tantumdem
fuisset appositus, vix ex eo
principium a genitoribus ejus
inceptum et pauca interim expressimus et noment; videlicet primitiva insignia pręclarissimi exulis Herwardi, editum Anglico stilo a Lefrico Diacono ejusdem ad Brun presbyterum.
The start of the
next sentence too, does not stand out. It begins a quarter of the way along the
lowest complete line of the photograph: Hujus enim memorati presbyteri erat studium, omnes actus
.. Here, the text shown in the
photograph ends.
The missing part is:
Gygantum et bellatorum ex fabulis antiquorum, aut ex fideli relatione, ad edificationem audientium congregare, et ob memoriam Anglię
literis commendare. In quibus vero licet non satis periti aut
potius exarare deleta incognitarum literarum, ad illum locum tamen
The
Frontispiece, Photograph II.
From the top complete line, photograph II
reads: de illo usque collegimus ut in propriam et
ad pristinam domum reversus fratrem occisum invenerit: vestrę prudentię rudi sitlo relinquentes
crudam materiam vel alicujus exercitati
ingenii studio; minus dialecticis
et rethoricis enigmatibus compositam et ornatam. Nihil enim
de his amplius exarare curavimus, semper majora
expectantes et necdum penitus
aliquid invenientes.
Towards the middle
of the fifth line of the ms. in the second photograph: Quos tandem vana spes diu delusit,
sicut ab initio a quibusdam dicentibus quod in illo et illo loco magnus liber est
de gestis ejusdem. Ad quem mittentes
quę promissa fuerant nunc comparuerunt. Propeterea quidem tunc omnio illud
relinquentes, opus inceptum
abscondimus. At tandem a quibusdam nostrorum vobis diu latere non potuit, illud principium
saluti vobis non potuit, illud principium
saluti vobis non denegari ex insperato nobis subito bestra mandavit benignitas.
Towards the
end of the sixth from last
line: Tunc ergo quod imperfectum nostrum
viderant oculi vestri, curę nobis fuit iterum, licet non magni ingenii ope fretis, ad hoc in eo stilum convertere, et vobis iterum in morem ystorię libellulum
retexere, de his quę a nostris et a quibusdam suorum audivimus, cum quo a principiis illius conversati sunt, et in multis consortes fuerunt.
At a quarter of the way along the penultimate
line: Ex quibus sępe nonnullos
vidimus, viros videlicet statura proceri et magni et nimię fortitudinis.
Nearly halfway along
the bottom line of the ms. page: Et ipsi
etiam duos spectabiles formę viros ex
..
For the rest, see Chapter I.
Note:
1. ↑ This is based on a comparison of samples of documents shown
in several books and catalogues. This
link gives links to references.
Go to : -
Top of the page Photograph I Photograph II Contents