A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Peterhouse

Cambridge

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A Descriptive Catalogue of the

Manuscripts of Peterhouse

M. R. James (1862-1936) is probably best remembered as a writer of chilling

ghost stories, but he was an outstanding scholar of medieval literature and

palaeography, who served both as Provost of King’s College, Cambridge,

and as Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, and many of his stories

reflect his academic background. His detailed descriptive catalogues of

manuscripts owned by colleges, cathedrals and museums are still of value to

scholars today. James’s catalogue of the manuscript holdings of Peterhouse,

Cambridge, with an essay on the history of the college library by John Willis

Clark, was first published in 1899. Now reissued, it will be welcomed by

librarians and researchers alike.

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A Descriptive

Catalogue of the

Manuscripts of

Peterhouse

With an Essay on the History of the Library by

J.W. Clark

Montague Rhodes James

John Willis Clark

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

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Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781108003070

© in this compilation Cambridge University Press 2009

This edition first published 1899

This digitally printed version 2009

ISBN 978-1-108-00307-0

This book reproduces the text of the original edition. The content and language reflect

the beliefs, practices and terminology of their time, and have not been updated.

A

DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE

OF THE

MANUSCRIPTS

IN THE

LIBRARY OF PETERHOUSE

EontHm: C. J. CLAY AND SONS,

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS WAREHOUSE,

AVE MARIA LANE.

(Slaajoto: 263, ARGYLE STREET.

p F. A. BROCKHAUS.

Jjlefo gotft: THE MACMILLAN CO.

E. SEYMOUR HALE.

A

DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE

OF THE

MANUSCRIPTS

IN THE

LIBRARY OF PETERHOUSE

BY

MONTAGUE RHODES JAMES, LITT.D.,

FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE;

DIRECTOR OF THE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM

WITH AN ESSAY ON THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY

BY

J. W. CLARK, M.A.

TRINITY COLLEGE, REGISTRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY

CAMBRIDGE:

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

1899

[All Sights reserved}

PRINTED BY J. AND C. F. CLAY,

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

HENRICO BROADBENT

E MAGISTR1S ADIUTORIBUS SCHOLAE ETONENSIS

OLIM FAUTORI STUDIORUM

DISCIPULUS IDEMQUE AMICUS

CONTENTS.

PAGE

PREFACE ix

TABLE xi

ESSAY ON THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY xvii

DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE MANUSCRIPTS i

APPENDIX 353

LIST OF DONORS AND OWNERS OF MSS 367

INDEX 369

ADDENDA AND ERRATA 390

PREFACE.

A VERY short statement of the arrangement and contents of

this volume is all that is needed from me by way of preface.

What has been already done by others in the way of cata￾loguing this Collection is as follows:

Thomas James included a list of 267 MSS. among the

Catalogues contained in his Ecloga Oxonio-Cantabrigiensis, pub￾lished in 1600 (pp. in—126).

This list was reprinted without alteration, save for a few

errors in the numbering, in Bernard's Catalogi Mannscriptorum

Angliae et Hiberniae, 1697 (Vol. II. pp. 147—155).

Dr Heinrich Schenkl, Professor at the University of Gratz,

has given a brief account of such MSS. as were germane to his

subject in his excellent book, Bibliotheca Patrum Latinorum

Britannica, 1898 (II. Band, ii. Abth. (Fortsetzung), Die Biblio￾theken der Colleges in Cambridge, II. pp. 63—82).

Beyond these I believe no systematic attempt has been made

to give a detailed account of these Manuscripts, whose principal

interest lies in the fact that they constitute the best specimen we

have in Cambridge of a mediaeval College library.

At the end of this preface will be found a table which gives

the comparative numberings of Thomas James's Catalogue, of

Bernard's, and of my own. I have subjoined to this a few notes

on volumes now missing, whose former presence in the library is

attested either by Thomas James, or by a MS. Catalogue, com￾piled after a very rough fashion, by Mr Charles Topping in 1760.

This volume is now L. 3. 27 in the College library.

X PREFACE.

The description of the MSS. follows: and in an appendix to

this I have given particulars of a few alienated MSS., and of

volumes which were missing before Thomas James visited Cam￾bridge.

My thanks are due in the first place to the Master and Fellows

of Peterhouse, who have made it possible for me to carry out a

piece of woik which has, I hope, taught me a good deal: and

especially to the Reverend W. E. Barnes, D.D., the Librarian,

for the trouble he has taken in affording me access to the MSS.

The Registrary of the University, Mr J. W. Clark, M.A.,

Trinity College, has largely increased the interest of my book by

his history of the Library-building. His help, always generously

given, was never more welcome.

The Index is the work of Miss M. H. James.

I end with an apology for all sins of omission and commission

herein to be found. That a good many will be found is certain:

I can only hope that they will not be so many, or so grave,

as to outweigh the value of the body of new information here

given to the public. And so, to use the words of an author, whose

book is, as I consider, even duller than mine,

concedat Deus hunc librum, studentibus quod ipsorum mutua

uisio sit in patria.

MONTAGUE RHODES JAMES.