2.06.12 - The Wren Library - Part 1

2.06.12 (Cambridge, UK) - The Wren Library, Day 1

Today, I work with several manuscripts and a few rare books at the Wren Library in Trinity College. I'm not supposed to take this photo, so know that I do it all - risk getting kicked out - for you guys. (Actually, it you just get asked very kindly to not take pictures.)

This is taken from within the Wren Library looking out toward the entrance. I'm sitting at the reading desk, which is behind this marble statue. Each of the bookshelves contains hundreds of books (though these are probably less valuable ones - the really rare ones are kept in a dry cellar on the other side of the college) and at the end of each is a letter for the shelf-mark. The tile floor actually feels in disarray, despite how even and perfect it looks in this photo. Toward the other end of the room are cases with rare books; tarps cover them, but visitors are allowed to come in and look until 2pm.

My texts today are four:

R.7.38 - The Annals of Saint Neots (and other miscellaneous material). It's a chronicle that was the source for much of Archbishop Parker's interpolations (allegedly) into the Life of King Alfred. Also, there's only one manuscript and, dum dum daah, this one is it. In other words, it's priceless. Not much to look at, I'll admit. This manuscript dates from between 1120-1140AD.

Manuscript (MS) R.7.28 - Trinity College Cambridge - The Annals of St Neots

For some stupid reason, the colleges all "brand" their manuscripts. Thanks, Trinity.

There are several different "hands" in this manuscript. In the portion of the Annals of St Neots, John Leland has written in it, as has Archbishop Parker, and a later 17th century hand as well. Of the original compositors (there is an early hand and a later hand for the writing of the Annals) 

This manuscript doesn't have many illuminations (illustrations), but the lettering is in varying colored inks.

R. 2. 36 - Transcript by W. W. Skeat and D. Hall of Piers Powman by William Langland. This wasn't a particularly important manuscript as it came from the 19th century (by critics who I'm familiar with), but it was neat to see how he put together the transcript. It is a transcript of the C-Text of Piers. (There are 4 seemingly original versions A, B, C, and Z, and each other version, whether conflation or interpretation, descends from a version of these ). 

R. 3.14 - Piers the Plowman AC Conflation


This manuscript contains the earliest version of the Piers manuscripts (A) with the latest (C). Late 14th century.

Here is the first page.

MS B.15.17 - Piers Plowman (B Text)

This is one of the earliest versions of the B-Text of Piers Plowman, written in the 14th century.

Hope you enjoyed the pics!