The Lambeth Homilies are a collection of homilies found in a manuscript (MS Lambeth 487) in Lambeth Palace Library, London. The collection contains seventeen sermons and is notable for being one of the latest examples of Old English, written as it was c. 1200, well into the period of Middle English.[1]
Julius P. Gilson of the British Museum dated the manuscript 1185–1225.[1] It is copied from two very different exemplars in different orthographies, both from the twelfth century and both from the same area in the West Midlands; the older (E) contains eleventh-century documents transliterated into Middle English; the newer (L) contains only Middle English texts.[2] Until R. M. Wilson's 1935 investigation of the dialect, the collection was thought to be written in the Middlesex dialect of the London area; Wilson's West Midlands provenance is generally accepted.[3]
Since the devotional poem "On Ureisun of ure Louerde" ("A Prayer of Our Lord") which concludes the manuscript, is usually "associated with a group of texts written for or by women". It is considered possible that the manuscript was owned by a thirteenth-century woman.[4] Hope Emily Allen, in a 1929 article, could not prove that the author of the Homilies was to be identified as the author of the Ancrene Wisse, a twelfth-century religious tract written for an audience of female recluses, but considered it a possibility.[5]
Contentsedit
According to R. M. Wilson, one of the seventeen sermons (no. 7) is certainly of Middle English origin; two (nos. 9 and 10) are adaptations in Middle English of material originally in Old English. The sermons are followed by an incomplete Poema Morale and a likewise unfinished "On Ureisun of ure Louerde", a brief devotional poem.[3] The sermons are written in one hand, by the scribe who also wrote the unfinished part of the Poema Morale, which breaks off on f.65a; a different scribe started the devotional poem on f.65b.[1] It shares five sermons (and the Poema Morale) with the Trinity Homilies.[2]
Sermon no.2 incorporates material from a sermon by Wulfstan; sermons 9, 10, and 11 incorporate material by Ælfric of Eynsham. The influence of Parisian schools of rhetoric was discerned in four sermons, and especially (the use of distinctiones) in nos. 13 and 17.[6] Recent scholarship has argued that the sermons should not be read as "backward looking", but that they rather should be located in "the broader historical developments in preaching and pastoral reform taking place during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries", given their interest in addressing a lay as well as a clerical audience.[7]
^ abTrips, Carola (2002). From Ov to Vo in Early Middle English. John Benjamins. p. 22. ISBN9789027227812. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
^ abWilson, R.M. (1935). "The Provenance of the Lambeth Homilies with a New Collation". Leeds Studies in English. 4: 24–43. Retrieved 2020-04-21. Alt URL
^Swan, Mary (June 2012). "London, Lambeth Palace, 487". The Production and Use of English Manuscripts: 1060 to 1220. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
Edwards, Anthony Stockwell Garfield (2004). A Companion to Middle English Prose. DS Brewer. ISBN9781843840183.
Millett, Bella (2007). "The pastoral context of the Trinity and Lambeth homilies". Essays in Manuscript Geography: Vernacular Manuscripts of the English West Midlands from the Conquest to the Sixteenth Century. Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe. Vol. 10. Turnhout: Brepols. pp. 43–64.
Further readingedit
O'Brien, S. M. (1986). An Edition of Seven Homilies from Lambeth Palace Library MS 487 (Thesis). Oxford University thesis.
Mindt, Dieter (1971). Der Wortschatz der Lambeth Homilies: Das Adjektiv. Braunschweiger Anglistische Arbeiten. Vol. 2. Braunschweig: Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina, Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik.
External linksedit
Detailed description of London, Lambeth Palace, 487 by Elaine Treharne
January 01, 1970
lambeth, homilies, collection, homilies, found, manuscript, lambeth, lambeth, palace, library, london, collection, contains, seventeen, sermons, notable, being, latest, examples, english, written, 1200, well, into, period, middle, english, contents, date, prov. The Lambeth Homilies are a collection of homilies found in a manuscript MS Lambeth 487 in Lambeth Palace Library London The collection contains seventeen sermons and is notable for being one of the latest examples of Old English written as it was c 1200 well into the period of Middle English 1 Contents 1 Date and provenance 2 Contents 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksDate and provenance editJulius P Gilson of the British Museum dated the manuscript 1185 1225 1 It is copied from two very different exemplars in different orthographies both from the twelfth century and both from the same area in the West Midlands the older E contains eleventh century documents transliterated into Middle English the newer L contains only Middle English texts 2 Until R M Wilson s 1935 investigation of the dialect the collection was thought to be written in the Middlesex dialect of the London area Wilson s West Midlands provenance is generally accepted 3 Since the devotional poem On Ureisun of ure Louerde A Prayer of Our Lord which concludes the manuscript is usually associated with a group of texts written for or by women It is considered possible that the manuscript was owned by a thirteenth century woman 4 Hope Emily Allen in a 1929 article could not prove that the author of the Homilies was to be identified as the author of the Ancrene Wisse a twelfth century religious tract written for an audience of female recluses but considered it a possibility 5 Contents editAccording to R M Wilson one of the seventeen sermons no 7 is certainly of Middle English origin two nos 9 and 10 are adaptations in Middle English of material originally in Old English The sermons are followed by an incomplete Poema Morale and a likewise unfinished On Ureisun of ure Louerde a brief devotional poem 3 The sermons are written in one hand by the scribe who also wrote the unfinished part of the Poema Morale which breaks off on f 65a a different scribe started the devotional poem on f 65b 1 It shares five sermons and the Poema Morale with the Trinity Homilies 2 Sermon no 2 incorporates material from a sermon by Wulfstan sermons 9 10 and 11 incorporate material by AElfric of Eynsham The influence of Parisian schools of rhetoric was discerned in four sermons and especially the use of distinctiones in nos 13 and 17 6 Recent scholarship has argued that the sermons should not be read as backward looking but that they rather should be located in the broader historical developments in preaching and pastoral reform taking place during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries given their interest in addressing a lay as well as a clerical audience 7 References editCitations a b c Sisam Celia 1951 The Scribal Tradition of the Lambeth Homilies The Review of English Studies 2 n s 6 105 13 JSTOR 511023 a b Trips Carola 2002 From Ov to Vo in Early Middle English John Benjamins p 22 ISBN 9789027227812 Retrieved 5 September 2012 a b Wilson R M 1935 The Provenance of the Lambeth Homilies with a New Collation Leeds Studies in English 4 24 43 Retrieved 2020 04 21 Alt URL Swan Mary June 2012 London Lambeth Palace 487 The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220 Retrieved 6 September 2012 Allen Hope Emily 1929 On the Author of the Ancren Riwle Publications of the Modern Language Association 44 3 635 80 JSTOR 457407 Edwards 2004 p 11 Millett 2007 pp 43 64 Bibliography Edwards Anthony Stockwell Garfield 2004 A Companion to Middle English Prose DS Brewer ISBN 9781843840183 Millett Bella 2007 The pastoral context of the Trinity and Lambeth homilies Essays in Manuscript Geography Vernacular Manuscripts of the English West Midlands from the Conquest to the Sixteenth Century Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe Vol 10 Turnhout Brepols pp 43 64 Further reading editO Brien S M 1986 An Edition of Seven Homilies from Lambeth Palace Library MS 487 Thesis Oxford University thesis Mindt Dieter 1971 Der Wortschatz der Lambeth Homilies Das Adjektiv Braunschweiger Anglistische Arbeiten Vol 2 Braunschweig Technische Universitat Carolo Wilhelmina Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik External links editDetailed description of London Lambeth Palace 487 by Elaine Treharne Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lambeth Homilies amp oldid 1218889408, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
