DCL MS. B.IV.34Medieval library catalogues
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

A composite manuscript made up of three distinct parts (Verses on monastic antiphons; Meditations of the monk of Farne; two treatises by Uhtred of Boldon) the first part appears to have been added at a later date. The authorship of the main works in the manuscript by Durham monks could indicate a Durham origin for the manuscript.

Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2md504rk32f.html

Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment

Extent: 115 f.
Size: 250 mm x 160 mm

Foliation

Foliation

Collation

a6 (lacks 1),1-612 (6 lacks 12),74,810,912,108,118

Script

Written in late 14th century hands
Of the Meditations part, Farmer writes “The scribe's subdivisions of the text do not always correspond with the author's thoughts; this fact, together with certain errors in the text which are most easily explained by defective copying, point to this MS not being the author's autograph. It contains few corrections, almost all in the scribe's own hand, and iti s almost contemporary with the author” (Farmer 1957, 156)

Corrections and annotation

The list of contents on f.5v, written about 1400, only lists the second and third parts, implying that the first part was added later.

Manuscript history
Creation

Written in England, Durham (?), later 14th century.

Manuscript contents
SECTION: (A)    
(1)     f.1-5
Modern title: Mnemonic verses about monastic antiphons
Date: [lated 15th century]
Incipit: Hic vir dic primo, set qui tibi sume secundo
Language: Latin
SECTION: (B)    
(2)     f.6-75
Modern title: Meditations of the Monk of Farne
Original title: Meditationes cuiusdam monachi quondam apud Farneland solitarii
Author: John de Whitrigg, -1372
Date: [later 14th century]
Language: Latin

Attributed to John de Whitrigg by Farmer, due to allusion to St John in the text. He was resident on the Farne Islands for most of the time between 1353 and 1372; the other possible author is Richard of Sedgebrook who was Master of Farne 1358-63 and 1368-78.

Edited: Farmer 1957, "The Meditations of the Monk of Farne"
Translated: Farmer 1961, The Monk of Farne
f.76-79

Blank

SECTION: (C)    
(3)     f.80-96
Original title: De substantialibus regulae monachalis
Author: Uhtred of Boldon, -1397
Date: [about 1400]
Incipit: Novitio inquirenti quare hec duo
Language: Latin
(4)     f.97-115v
Original title: De perfectione vivendi in religione
Author: Uhtred of Boldon, -1397
Date: [about 1400]
Incipit: Sacratissimo siquidem Dei evangelio
Language: Latin

A continuation of De substantialibus regulae monachalis.

(5)     f.115v
Modern title: Verse (4 and 2 lines)
Rubric: Holcot super Sapienciam
Language: Latin

A slightly later addition


Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham University Library.

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. B.IV.34 - Uhtred of Boldon; Monk of Farne
Digitised 2016 as part of the Durham Priory Library Recreated project
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2md504rk32f.html
Bibliography

Farmer, H., "The Meditations of the Monk of Farne", Analecta Monastica   OCLC citation, IV (1957) 141-245

The Monk of Farne. The meditations of a fourteenth century monk   OCLC citation, edited and introduced by Dom Hugh Farmer O.S.B. Translated by a Benedictine of Stanbrook (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1961)

Pantin, W. A., "Two treatises of Uhtred of Boldon on the monastic life" in Hunt, Pantin and Southern, Studies in medieval history presented to Frederick Maurice Powicke (Oxford: OUP, 1948), 363-85

Index terms