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Caesarius of Arles and the Vercelli Homilies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2016

Paul E. Szarmach
Paul E. Szarmach*
Affiliation:
State University of New York, Binghamton
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Extract

Previous research into the sources of the Vercelli Homilies has established that Caesarius of Arles is an influence on some of the pieces in the collection. Rudolph Willard has shown that a Caesarian homily on the last judgment is a source for a part of Homily VIII (untitled) and that Homily XI (spel to forman gangdaege) is for the most part dependent on Caesarius' De natale sancti Felicis with the opening statement based on one of the bishop's Rogationtide sermons. Prof. Willard has also noted that although no specific source has been found, Homily XII (spel to ðam oðrum gangdaege) may very well have been written with one of the homilies of Caesarius in mind. J. E. Cross has demonstrated that a part of Homily XIII (spel to priddan gangdaege) is a close rendering of a paragraph in Caesarius' De elemosinis. Caesarian influence, however, is not limited to these homilies and can be seen in several of the Vercelli Homilies not yet published.

Type
Miscellany
Information
Traditio , Volume 26 , 1970 , pp. 315 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © Fordham University Press 

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References

1. For a discussion of Homily VIII and its sources see Willard, Rudolph, ‘Vercelli Homily VIII and Christ,’ PMLA 42 (1927) 314–330. The Caesarian text cited by Willard is in PL 39. 2206–2208, entitled De extremo judicio. In Dom Morin's edition, Arelatensis, Caesarius, Opera, (CCL 103 Turnholti; 1953) 251–254 the homily is entitled Admonitio de die iudicii cum grandi metu et sollicitudine iugiter cogitando (hereafter Admonitio de die iudicii) and is given the number 57. See also Die Vercelli Homilien , ed. Förster, Max (Hamburg 1932) 153 n. 27 and 154 n. 35.Google Scholar For the sources of Homily XI see Willard, Rudolph, ‘Vercelli Homily XI and its Sources,’ Speculum 24 (1949) 76–87. The major Caesarian source may be found in Dom Morin's edition as Sermo 215, CCL 104. 855–858. See n. 17 below for the incipit of Homily XI (and Homily XX). Google Scholar

2. See Willard, Rudolph, ‘The Vercelli Homilies, An Edition of Homilies I, IV, V, VII, VIII, XI, and XII’ (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University 1925) 200.Google Scholar

3. Cross, J. E., ‘The Dry Bones Speak — A Theme in Some Old English Homilies,’ JEGP 56 (1957) 434–439. The Caesarian text, Sermo 31, may be found in CCL 103. 134–138 esp. 135.Google Scholar

4. Max Förster's facsimile edition, Il Codice Vercellese (Rome 1913), does not reproduce color. Readings from the Vercelli Book given in this article are based on the facsimile as well as my own personal viewing of the manuscript.Google Scholar

5. Ed. Morin, CCL, 104. 856–857. The texts cited here are 2 Cor. 5.6; 2 Tim. 3.12; Acts 14.21.Google Scholar

6. For full particulars on Maier's transcription as well as selected readings from it see Ker, N. R., ‘C. Maier's Transcript of the Vercelli Book,’ Medium Aevum 19 (1950) 17–25. My selections from Maier's work are taken from the working copy of his transcription.Google Scholar

7. Additional comments on the reconstruction (all question marks below are Maier's): 2. menniscan. Maier: men me (n-?) (an-?) gecynde 5–6. nu gefaran. After sculon Maier estimates estimates three letters and then copies (f-?)a(ncen-?). 14. sien. Maier estimates six letters. In this volitional context sien, preceded and followed by a space, would be preferable to syndon. 8 Fol. 72v. Willard, Speculum 83, makes these textual comments: 2. eðile. ‘The Latin has sede. The Old English translator seems to have had patria in mind …’ (n. 59). 6–7. peregrinamus. ‘Read peregrinamur’ (n. 61).Google Scholar

8. ϸiodige. ‘A scribal error for elϸeodige’ (n. 62). 13. middangerde. ‘Perhaps to be emended to read -gearde …’ (n. 63).Google Scholar

9. C.C.C.C. 162, art. 35, 403–412, Feria. ii. in letania maiore. C.C.C.C. 303, art. 43, 215–219, Sermo in letania maiore. Cotton Cleopatra B. XIII, art. 6, fol. 44–55v. Dominica ante Rogationum In the enumeration of items from variant MSS I have followed N. R. Ker, Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon (Oxford 1957).Google Scholar

10. Ed. Morin, CCL, 104. 828–831. This Sermo (207) has for its full title Sermo sancti Caesarii episcopi de letania. Google Scholar

11. Fol. 107b. The scribe has employed a variety of small capitals in this passage.Google Scholar

12. Ed. Morin, CCL, 104. 829. The Biblical text is a composite: Eph. 6.16.14.17.Google Scholar

13. Ibid. 829–830. Ps. 118.103.Google Scholar

14. The omission of a translation for these words must be authorial since the variants likewise lack a rendering for them.Google Scholar

15. C.C.C.C. 162, 407; C.C.C.C. 303, 217; Cotton Cleopatra B. XIII, fol. 48v .Google Scholar

16. Ed. Morin, CCL 104.828.Google Scholar

17. See Willard, , Speculum 76. Willard quotes this text: Ecce fratres dilectissimi, dies sancti et spiritales et animabus nostris medicinales. In his footnote he cites Morin, Germanus, Sancti Caesarii Episcopi Arelatensis Opera Omnia (Maredsous 1942) Sermo CCIX and PL 39.2076, Sermo CLXXIII De Letania. Sermo CCIX, however, begins Saluberrimo nos consilio, dilectissimi fratres, pio etiam ac paterno affectu hortatur dominus…. It is the incipit of Sermo 207 which is the incipit in question. Note that Willard gives the text from PL in a slightly altered form; the full incipit is: Ecce, fratres dilectissimi, dies sancti et spiritales adveniunt, et animabus nostris medicinales. In both the 1942 and 1953 (CCL) editions Dom Morin gives animae nostrae medicinales and lists animabus nostris medicinales as a variant reading. He also prefers ac for et 1. The Old English renderings are: XI: MEN ða leofestan ϸis syndon halige dagas 7 halwendlice 7 ussum sawlum laecedomlice … (fol. 71v); XIV: MEN ða leofastan ϸis synt halige dagas 7 gastlice 7 ussum sawlum laecedomlice … (fol. 76v); XX: MENNðA leofestan ϸis syndon halige dagas. 7 halwendlice. 7 urum sawlum laecedomlice … (fol. 109v). Turville-Petre, Joan Miss, ‘Translations of a Lost Penitential Homily,’ Traditio 19 (1963) 56 and Gatch, Milton McC., ‘Eschatology in the Anonymous Old English Homilies,’ Traditio 21 (1965) 140 follow Willard in citing Sermo 209. Miss Turville-Petre (art cit., 56 n. 22) points out that C.C.C.C. 303, art. 43 and Hatton 114, art. 55 have the same opening as the three Vercelli homilies cited above.Google Scholar

18. Fol. 113v–114r. Textual comments: 9. buta. Read butan. 22. agildan. An l between a and g has been erased.Google Scholar

19. ed. Morin, , CCL, 103.252.Google Scholar

20. Hatton 113, art. 23, fol. 73–80v, Be rihtan Cristendome. Ker, Catalogue, 393, mentions the similarity of this piece to Vercelli Homily XXI. See Wulfstan, ed. Napier, A.S. (Berlin 1883) n. 30, 143–152, esp. 144–146.Google Scholar

21. After his treatment of beneficia Dei the homilist proceeds to list a number of halige lac which may be offered to Christ.Google Scholar

22. Fol. 112v–113r. Textual comments: Google Scholar

20. mid. An erased r follows.Google Scholar

21. us. An erased descender follows.Google Scholar

22. worụcum. u 1 is underdotted to indicate an error.Google Scholar

23. aelmessylen. Dative ending um is erased. aelmessylen and fram synnum (24) are written around two of the five holes which affect fol. 113.Google Scholar

23. Ed. Morin, , CCL, 104.647. Tob. 4.11; Is. 58.7.Google Scholar

24. Ibid. 804. Is. 58.6.7. Mt. 10.42: ‘Et quicumque potum dederit uni ex minimis istis, calicem aquae frigidae tantum in nomine discipuli, amen, dico vobis, non perdet mercedem suam,’ underlies the opening of this passage.Google Scholar