the end of the fourteenth century. This was succeeded by an edition issued by F. Chifflet (4to. Paris, 1681), founded upon a copy formerly belonging to St. Maximin, at Treves, apparently the same which is now in the possession of Sir Thomas Phillipps. (See § 91.) In its turn this was superseded by the admirable edition of Smith (fol. Cantab. 1722), the text of which, with some modifications, was repeated in the editions issued by the English Historical Society in 1838, by Professor Hussey in 1846, and by Petrie in the first volume of his "Materials for the History of Britain." Since Smith's edition was the first which represented what may now be called the textus receptus of the "Historia Ecclesiastica," it becomes necessary that its nature and merits should be stated somewhat in detail.

§ 65. The great value of Smith's edition consists in this-that it is based upon the celebrated manuscript which formerly belonged to More, bishop of Ely, and which is now deposited in the public library at Cambridge (K. k. 5. 16). Appended to this copy of the Ecclesiastical History are certain chronological notes, which exhibit the length of the reigns of various kings of Northumbria, from Ida to Ceolwulf, together with the relative dates of several other incidents. Five of these concur with the year 737, and would thus seem to lead to the inference that this manuscript was transcribed in that year; but there are others which cannot be brought into harmony with this calculation, but which point at the years 734, 738, 741, and 748 respectively. But even admitting the full weight of this difficulty, we may fairly assume that More's copy was transcribed from one which itself had been written in 737, and that the year 748 is the period beyond which we cannot venture to place its date. We thus have the satisfaction of referring to a text which was copied within fifteen years of the death of the venerable Beda.

§ 66. Appended to the Ecclesiastical History, More's manuscript contains a copy of Caedmon's hymn in Anglo-Saxon, the dialectal peculiarities of which are so clearly defined that we have no hesitation in affirming that they are of Northumbrian origin;' hence we have an indication not only of the time when, but also of the locality in which, this copy was written. The volume is of a large quarto size, and consists of 128 leaves, copied by at least two scribes, who were employed simultaneously upon the work. Their transcript was carefully revised immediately after its completion, and various errors were then corrected. A specimen of this book is given by Petrie and Hardy (plate xxvi.) Shortly after its transcription it appears to have been carried into France, and to have belonged to some monastery dedicated to St. Julian, which, as has been conjectured, may possibly signify the monastery of St. Julian at Angers, or that at Tours. It continued abroad until the reign of William III, when it was bought at a public auction, and passed into the hands of More, bishop of Ely, who bequeathed it, along

3

This precious fragment is printed in Wanley's Catalogue, p. 287; Smith's Beda, p. 597; and Thorpe's Caedmon, preface, p. xxii. (see § 74). See also Dr. Latham, "The English Language," p. 546, ed. 1850.

2 Petrie and Hardy, preface, § 158.

3 Smith's preface (p. 4).

with his other valuable collections, to the public library of the university of Cambridge.

§ 67. The text from which the present edition is a translation, is Smith's, as re-collated by Petrie. But the following additional manuscript copies have been examined, and occasionally consulted, though for the most part without conferring any very important benefit upon the text as exhibited in the Cambridge manuscript.

§ 68. The Cottonian MS. Tiberius, C. ii, written apparently in the eighth century, in Northumbria. It is a large quarto in double columns, of great beauty and accuracy. A facsimile of its writing is given in the edition published by the English Historical Society, in 1838. It varies in the division of the chapters of the fourth book from the Cambridge MS., omitting chap. xiv. (fol. 104 in the MS.); but in other respects they agree very closely. The numerals have unfortunately been in many cases tampered with by erasure and superscription. The original handwriting ends with the words "certaminis, vel sub quo principe" (not judice), (Smith, 223. 10), which words stand at the bottom of the page, the remainder of the text being inserted in the margin of the leaf by a hand of the twelfth century. The preface' ends with the words "mandare studuimus" (Smith, 39. 13).

§ 69. The Cottonian MS. Tiberius, A. xiv, considerably damaged by the fire of 1731, but recently inlaid and rebound. It is of equal antiquity, beauty, and accuracy, with the former; but the prologue, the commencement of the first book, the passages from § 303 to § 340, and from § 427 to the end, are destroyed. It contains chapter xiv of book iv. (fol. 130). The orthography of the proper names is Northumbrian, but in several places the more familar West Saxon forms are superscribed. A facsimile of this MS. is given in the edition of 1838.

4

§ 70. The Harleian MS. 4978, of foreign execution, probably French, written apparently during the tenth century. It also contains the chapter regarding the miracle of St. Oswald. Prefixed are some obits, from which we obtain an insight into the history of this copy. It belonged to the monastery of St. Mary de Caritate, in the diocese of Auxerre,' connected with which, as its cells, were St. Andrew's, Northampton, Wenloc, and Bermondsey, in England. The body of the manuscript was written on the continent; but it seems to have found its way into this country as early as the twelfth century, since one gathering, which had been lost, is supplied by an English scribe at that period. It preserves its Northumbrian orthography. A facsimile of this copy is given by Petrie and Hardy, plate xxvii.

1 Smith's description of this copy is calculated to mislead the inquirer in two particulars, which, though apparently unimportant in themselves, considerably affect any attempt at a classification of the manuscripts of the "Historia Ecclesiastica.' He states that there is in this manuscript a blank for the remainder of the preface; there is no such blank. He speaks of the passage beginning with the words "Præterea omnes," as if they were by the first hand, whereas they are in a hand of the twelfth century. The same remarks apply in reference to the words "Hic deest folium" (Smith, p. 157, note).

2 Gallia Christ. xii. 403.

4 Ibid. 613.

3 Monast. Anglic. i. 679.

5 Ibid. 639.

§ 71. The Hatton MS. 43 (formerly 81), now in the Bodleian Library, of the tenth century, apparently written at, or for, the monastery of Glastonbury (see fol. 2). It terminated its preface originally with the words "mandare studuimus;" but a hand of the twelfth century has appended our § 3. The book ends with the words "intercessionis inveniam." The orthography was originally Northumbrian (copied doubtless from an Anglian prototype); but it has been altered to the Western Saxon by erasure and superscription. It does not recognise the history of Oswald.

§ 72. The Bodley MS. 163, (formerly N. E. B. iv. 10, or 2016), a fine copy of the eleventh century, in quarto. The prologue ends with the words "mandare studuimus," and the book, "intercessionis inveniam." The history of St. Oswald occurs, and is divided into eight lessons. The proper names retain their primitive forms.

§ 73. The Royal MS. 13 C. v., in the British Museum, written in the eleventh century, and formerly belonging to St. Peter's, Gloucester. It also contains book iv., chap. xiv. The preface ends with the words "" mandare studuimus.' A single leaf has been cut out from the end of the volume. The proper names are

reduced to the West Saxon dialect.

§ 74. The Laud MS. 243 (formerly H. 38), in the Bodleian Library, once the property of Archbishop Ussher. This copy is of the twelfth century, and is imperfect both at beginning and end, all being wanting before the list of chapters prefixed to the first book, and after the words "Teque deprecor" (§ 456). It appears to have been written for some monastery dedicated to St. Oswald,' whose history it contains, converting the passage into a Lectionary, (like Bodley MS. 163, see § 72,) and in other instances' directing attention to that individual. The Northumbrian forms are retained in the proper names. Considerable interest attaches to this MS. from the fact of it containing a copy of the fragment of Caedmon,' similar in extent to that which occurs in More's MS., but modernized.

§ 75. The Harleian MS. 4124, a folio volume of the twelfth century, formerly belonging to Rawlinson, and, at the time of its suppression, to the monastery of Wirksop. It omits chap. xiv. of book iv. The preface ends with the words "mandare studuimus ;" the rest is added at the end of the history.

§ 76. The Digby MS. 211, in the Bodleian Library, a folio

1 Possibly Nostel, in Yorkshire, Monast. Angl. ii. 33.

2 See fol. 41 b, 42, and 50.

3 See § 66. For the benefit of those who are interested in the history of our language, the editor subjoins these lines, that they may be compared with the copy contained in the Cambridge MS.

Nu pe sceolon herian

heofonrices peard
Metudes mihte

his mod-gebanc
peorc-pulder fæder
rpa he pundra gehpes
ece drihten

ba he ærest sceop
eorde-bearnum

heofon to hrofe
ba middan-geard
moncynnes peard
ece drihten
æfter teode
fyrum on folden
frea ælmihtig

halig scyp.....-Fol. 82, b.

volume of the twelfth century, formerly belonging to the church of the Holy Cross at Waltham. It contains the account of Oswald's miracles. The preface ends with the words "mandare studuimus." The proper names are reduced to the West Saxon orthography.

§ 77. The Fairfax MS. 12, in the Bodleian Library, a folio of the twelfth century, formerly belonging to the monastery of St. German at Selby. It passed through the hands of "W. Santclair of Roislin, knecht, anno 1591, 2 Jan.," and came into the possession of "W. Fairfax, 1650, mense Septembri, ex dono magistri Walteri Cant, civitate Edensi advocati." The preface ends with the words mandare studuimus." It contains the passage about Oswald.

§ 78. The Laud MS. 78 (formerly F. 68), a folio manuscript, written about the year 1163, for some monastery of the Cistercian order.1

§ 79. The Harleian MS. 3680, a manuscript of the thirteenth century, formerly belonging to Hubert, precentor of Rochester, and by him given to the cloister of that church. It contains chap. xiv. of book iv. The preface ends with "intercessionis inveniam."

§ 80. The Durham MS. B. ii. 35, written about the year 1166. The preface ends with the words "mandare studuimus." Its earlier readings have frequently been altered by erasure and superscription, and its text is by no means correct.

§ 81. The Additional MS. 14,250, in the British Museum, a folio MS. of the thirteenth century, formerly belonging to the monastery of Plympton. The preface ends with the words "mandare studuimus," and it contains the history of Oswald; it retains nothing of its original Northuinbrian orthography in the proper

names.

§ 82. The Barlow MS.39, in the Bodleian library, of the thirteenth or fourteenth century; it is mutilated at the beginning, having lost all before chap. xviii. book i. § 42. The history ends with the words "intercessionis inveniam." Its proper names are reduced to the West Saxon standard.

§ 83. The Royal MS. 13, B. xviii. in the British Museum, written during the reign of king Henry III. The preface ends with the words intercessionis inveniam," and it omits the § 456. retains the Northumbrian peculiarities of spelling.

It

§ 84. The Bodleian MS. 712, (formerly known as Sup. Art. D. 20, or Arch F. 20,) a fine volume in folio, written about the year 1320, for Robert de Wiville, bishop of Salisbury. The prologue ends with the words "mandare studuimus," § 3 forming the conclusion of the history. The proper names are Saxonized throughout.

§ 85. The Digby MS. 101, in the Bodleian Library, a quarto MS. of the fourteenth century, written apparently (judging from a few marginal notes) in the diocese of Ely. It contains the history of St. Oswald. The arrangement of the preface corresponds with the copy last described. All trace of Northumbrianism in the proper names has vanished.

§ 86. The Bodley MS. 302, (formerly NE. C. iv. 3, or 2086, 1 See ff. 101b, 103 b.

2 Purchased at the sale of Dean Milles's library, 15th April, 1843, (lot 1168.)

or E. v. 7,) a copy written in the fourteenth century.' The preface is similar in its arrangement to the last copy, and the same remark may be made in reference to its spelling.

§87. The Burney MS. 310, in the British Museum, written by William, called "du Stiphel," for Uctred, monk of Durham, at Finchale, and finished 28 August, 1381.2 The preface ends with the words "mandare studuimus," and the book, "intercessionis inveniam." Apparently a transcript of the Durham MS. B. ii. 35 (see § 80).

§ 88. The Arundel MS. 74, in the British Museum, a folio of the fifteenth century. The § 3 is repeated as well at the end of the preface as at the conclusion of the whole history. Its orthography is West Saxon.

§ 89. The Royal MS. 13. C. vii. (fol. 19), in the British Museum, a copy of the fifteenth century. The § 3 is thrown to the end of the whole work.

§ 90. The Additional MS. 10,949, in the British Museum, a late but valuable copy, upon paper, transcribed towards the middle of the fifteenth century, in Germany, but from a manuscript of considerable authority. The preface includes § 3, and the whole history ends with § 456. The proper names retain their Northumbrian form, though they are not always correctly copied by the scribe. The chronological abstract reaches the year 766, this being the only copy in the British Museum which contains that summary.

§ 91. Besides these manuscripts, all of which have been examined by the editor, there are others to which reference may be made upon the present occasion; namely, at Oxford, in the collection of the late Mr. Douce, and in the libraries of Baliol, Merton, New College, Lincoln, All Souls, Magdalen, and St. John's; concerning which Coxe's catalogues of these colleges may be consulted. Also at Cambridge, in the libraries of Emmanuel (18); Trinity (257, 282, 521); Sidney (8 K 11, and K 5. 15). The collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps contains at least four copies, one of the ninth or tenth century, one of the eleventh, (see § 64,) one of the twelfth, and one of the fourteenth, to which last two Petrie refers on account of their having a continuation of the concluding epitome, from A.D. 733 to A.D. 766. They are the only copies of the kind which occurred to him, (but see § 90,) and he thinks that the latter of the two was probably used for the Antwerp edition of 1550. (See § 63.)

§ 92. There are several MSS. of the "Historia Ecclesiastica" in foreign libraries, which are of considerable antiquity, and of which a collation would be desirable. The copy at St. Gall, mentioned (at § 35, note 3), is said to be nearly as old as the Cambridge MS.; a specimen from one of the ninth century is engraved in Walther's Lexicon Diplomaticum; and another, of the tenth century, is described by Mone.' The Royal Library at Paris

contains thirteen manuscripts, of different ages."

1 Written apparently about 1356. See fol. 137 b.

2 See fol. 178 b; and concerning this Uctred, see Tanner's Bibliotheca, p. 743.

3 Plate IV. fol. Gotting. 1745.

4 Quellen und Forschungen, p. 443, ed. 8vo. Leipz. 1830.

5 From the variations which have been pointed out in the above list as existing Pref. to Beda. d